What could I possibly say about this book? Asimov is considered one of the founders of science fiction as we know it, and I can see why.
This novel is very little like the action-packed movie that came out a few years ago, with its robots bent on domination of humans for their own good. It's a compilation of anecdotes told by an elderly Dr. Susan Calvin, a robopsychologist for U.S. Robots. The anecdotes explore some of the fascinating possible ramifications of a few very simple rules that are drilled into the programming of every robot ever manufactured, in order of importance: a robot cannot harm a human being or through inaction allow a human to come to harm, a robot must follow an order given it by a human, and a robot can act in self-defense to protect itself.
I know there are a few books that come after this one concerning a robot-hating detective from New York City and his robot sidekick, and that possibly the movie was based off the series as a whole. It still doesn't do Asimov's ideas justice. The complexities in I, Robot cannot simply be broken down for lowest-common-denominator cinema and still retain the same impact.
Starting the book was challenging, and I was slow to immerse myself in this futuristic world that takes place, like, now, almost. It was frustrating to accept Asimov's assumptions that robots function the way they do, knowing already what kind of computers and machines exist now. So I really had to work to take the hypothetical situations for granted, suspend the disbelief, and only then could I start enjoying the book.
I'd like to become more knowledgeable about fiction in general, so I think reading Asimov is probably a good move toward accomplishing that goal. I've also picked up Asimov's Foundation, which is either next or second on my list now.
