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lh_'s review against another edition
3.0
I struggled getting through this book. It’s Baley and Daneel again on a new planet, Aurora. Baley needs to solve a “roboticide” that took place on this planet that has no crime and where it’s basically impossible to destroy a robot…to save earth and his own hide (I keep forgetting why it’s to save earth).
The mystery is annoyingly prolonged without giving the reader any reasonable clues. It is wrapped up in two pages, admittedly in a way that feels complete even though impossible to guess.
The new philosophical issue he is dealing with here is the nature of sex and the impacts the various cultures have on it: earth (book 1), solaria (book 2), and Aurora (book 3). While reading the analysis I can only think that Asimov is giving us this lecture on sex while his protagonist is drawn to a murderer and liar while away from his wife and kid
The mystery is annoyingly prolonged without giving the reader any reasonable clues. It is wrapped up in two pages, admittedly in a way that feels complete even though impossible to guess.
The new philosophical issue he is dealing with here is the nature of sex and the impacts the various cultures have on it: earth (book 1), solaria (book 2), and Aurora (book 3). While reading the analysis I can only think that Asimov is giving us this lecture on sex while his protagonist is drawn to a murderer and liar while away from his wife and kid
begemot's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nileimaj's review against another edition
4.0
robot love is not yet illegal
science fiction meets detective novel, where the protagonist finds that "the alternative to failure is attempted assassination." This is Book 3 of Asimov's entertaining Robot Series. I've read the series before, and accidentally checked it out from the library thinking I hadn't, but it was worth the reread. While I felt there was a bit too much detail about one woman's quest for a fulfilling sex life, I enjoyed the logical mind-benders and surprise ending. Uses the word "autochthonous" too!
science fiction meets detective novel, where the protagonist finds that "the alternative to failure is attempted assassination." This is Book 3 of Asimov's entertaining Robot Series. I've read the series before, and accidentally checked it out from the library thinking I hadn't, but it was worth the reread. While I felt there was a bit too much detail about one woman's quest for a fulfilling sex life, I enjoyed the logical mind-benders and surprise ending. Uses the word "autochthonous" too!
princess_adelie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
normshaw61's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fantastic book! The twist at the end was just as good as the surprise at the end of 'Prelude to Foundation' and equally impactful in terms of what it means to be human and what prejudices we carry.
cmjustice's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent exploration of thinking, deduction and imagined realities. A cautionary tale.
shorty_reps_length's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Really bed romance subplot. Infidelity made Elijah really unlikable
shrubs5110's review against another edition
4.0
I would recommend this book.
You might think “The Robots of the Dawn” is your typical sci-fi detective mystery but it is not. Mind reading robots might be typical but what about sex with aliens, sex with family members, and robot sex? The Colombo like mystery was interesting but these atypical plot twists made it hard to put down the book. At this point in history, ‘weird’ is bad but this book reminds that it can also be interesting or at least capture one’s attention.
You might think “The Robots of the Dawn” is your typical sci-fi detective mystery but it is not. Mind reading robots might be typical but what about sex with aliens, sex with family members, and robot sex? The Colombo like mystery was interesting but these atypical plot twists made it hard to put down the book. At this point in history, ‘weird’ is bad but this book reminds that it can also be interesting or at least capture one’s attention.
noondaypaisley's review against another edition
4.0
I like reading through this series, all the robot books and all the foundation books in a chronological order. This of course came years after both sets of stories were in motion and is doing a lot of backfilling of story, but it's still fun.
Asimov loves intellectual games and what if's and so do all of his robots. This makes the books a bit bloodless, but more like a conversation with others about philosophy, but with a fun story tossed in.
Also fun to see the morality of the era, and all of its contradictions. Let's not talk about the Robot/ slavery stuff, it's what makes the books secondary classics.
Asimov loves intellectual games and what if's and so do all of his robots. This makes the books a bit bloodless, but more like a conversation with others about philosophy, but with a fun story tossed in.
Also fun to see the morality of the era, and all of its contradictions. Let's not talk about the Robot/ slavery stuff, it's what makes the books secondary classics.
northofnow's review against another edition
2.0
Are women human? What is sex? Don't ask Isaac Asimov, he doesn't know.
I can't believe this won a Hugo....
I can't believe this won a Hugo....