Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
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I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov ; Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy BOM; Start Date 22 Feb, 2016
Mod
At NRBC we use a more structured approach to our BOMs. We have a discussion leader and a reading date is set to start the book. A reading schedule is posted prior to the start date and discussion questions are posted each day regarding that section of the book.
More info under spoiler
(view spoiler)
Mod
Date Chapters Pages PPQDs
Feb 22 Intro-3 ix-67 RachelvlehcaR
Feb 23&24 4-6 68-143 Jen
Feb 25 7-9 144-225(end) Imke
Note1: The second set of DQs is for two days of reading (to give people a chance to catch up, kind of like a break day)
Note2: Breakdown is based on table of contents from amazon preview here
Mod
RachelvlehcaR
Imke
Jen
I'm in for this read. I'm curious to see how it compares to the movie in storyline.
Samantha, the movie and book are totally different.I'd like to volunteer for DQs.
I'm in for this one too. I really like Asimov' books.
RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Samantha, the movie and book are totally different."Glad to hear this. I'm adding it to my TBR and hoping I'll be able to join in the discussion.
I'd like to read this with you all. And I'll volunteer to write DQs, too. It looks like I should be able to get a copy from my library system well in time to start and participate. :-)
It's a great book to break up into the little stories. I'm so happy my book nomination won! :)It's really good. I love this book. This time I going to listen to the audio vision of it and see how that is.
Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Discussion question volunteersRachelvlehcaR
Imke
Jen"
FYI Mods: Thanks for including me, but Judith volunteered to write DQs before me, so she should be in this list, too. :-)
Maanav wrote: "Hi everyone. I'm going to read this book with you. I'm eager to know what the questions will be."It's a great book. I'm on the second of the series. I'm going to read all of Isaac Asimov's books in the his recommended order. Right now I am reading The Rest of the Robots. These are the books that have paved the way for Star Wars. Amazing books. I'm so happy I joined this world of story telling. :)
I just saw this thread. such a great book. I am going to re read this book and can't wait to see the questions
Mod
FYI Mods: Thanks for including me, but Judith volunteered to write DQs before me, so she should be in this list, ..."
*rubs eyes* thanks!
Moderators of NBRC wrote: "*rubs eyes* thanks!"You're welcome! Thank you for updating the random-draw list! :-)
I'm in. Got my copy of the book today.
I'll join this one, but it looks like we have enough question writers :)
Mod
Sorry :(
Mod
Sorry :("
No probs :)
Mod
Rachel,Jen,Imke ; please yell out if a date doesn't work for you :)
Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Chapter breakdown has been updated here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...Rachel,Jen,Imke ; please..."
My date is fine! :-) How many questions should I aim to write? One per chapter/part, so three? Or should I try for the more standard number of five?
Mine works for me too. I'm not sure how many questions I will write Jen. I will for sure do at least 5, there might be more.
Mod
Jen - it is completely up to you. Most people do 4-6 ; but it really comes down to what takes your fancy when you read
Karen wrote: "Thanks!Jen - it is completely up to you. Most people do 4-6 ; but it really comes down to what takes your fancy when you read"
I'm glad to know that, Karen. Thanks! I'll try to come up with 4-6, but I'm relieved to know that I won't be banned if I can only come up with three. lol ;-)
Allecyn wrote: "Are DQs coming for today's read???"Rachel said she'd get them out. We just need to be patient. :-)
Jen wrote: "Allecyn wrote: "Are DQs coming for today's read???"Rachel said she'd get them out. We just need to be patient. :-)"
Ok great. No problem being patient! I was just curious if something fell thru and y'all needed some help with them. :)
Allecyn wrote: "Ok great. No problem being patient! I was just curious if something fell thru and y'all needed some help with them. :) "Rachel's been chosen for DQ's in the past (I think) and I know she's stepped in for others when they weren't able to write their share, so I'm sure she'll be here with today's DQ's before today is gone. ;-)
If you don't want to wait, and are just itching to share something, go ahead. :-) Just please use spoiler tags if needed/appropriate. ;-)
Jen wrote: "Allecyn wrote: "Ok great. No problem being patient! I was just curious if something fell thru and y'all needed some help with them. :) "Rachel's been chosen for DQ's in the past (I think) and I k..."
Lol I am good. I am honestly very interested to see what she comes up with. I would think this would be more of a difficult one to come up with DQ's for.
Allecyn wrote: "Lol I am good. I am honestly very interested to see what she comes up with. I would think this would be more of a difficult one to come up with DQ's for."I know I found it hard to think up DQs! This might be because this is my first time being chosen to write them, but it's also (mostly?) due to the fact that this is an anthology and each chapter/part is a different story. I managed to come up with five questions, but I don't know how good they'll be. I'm hoping to get some pointers from Rachel's. ;-)
I will have DQs posted in a hour. I have been at work all day. I'm in PST (it's only 6:54pm here). :)
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
This is the first book by Asimov that I think I've read/am reading. I have seen the movie "I, Robot." I knew going into this book that it wouldn't be like the movie, but I am recognizing some of the names (Alfred Lanning's in particular). I have a feeling I'm going to want to watch the movie again once I've finished this book. ;-)
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I doubt we'll see robots for household help in my lifetime (I'm 41). I don't really see anything in our culture that leads me to think there will even be robots in my niece's lifetimes (they're currently three), or in their children's or grandchildren's lifetimes. The interesting thing about reading books that have robots in them is that we're never shown how the world became technologically advanced enough to have robots. (At least, I've never read a book that would help me see what would need to happen to/in our world to make robots possible.)
But then I think about how there are probably scientists working to create robots right now and think that maybe they'll be the next big thing. (Instead of updating your electronic planner, hire/buy a robot assistant?) So I really just don't know.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
I don't really understand why the humans in these stories are/were so against having the robots living among them. If we had robots living amongst us, I don't think we'd have the same issues. Sure, the labor unions and religious organizations would have the same issues, but I don't think the average person would feel how they seem to feel in this book.
I don't think I'd like having robots become a part of everyday life. Calculators mean that kids nowadays struggle with basic math. What would robots change? I don't think they'd be good for us at all.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I am finding all of the robots in this book to be really odd. Robbie's feelings of hurt, Speedy's "drunkenness," Cutie's superiority... I cannot imagine any respectable scientist creating robots that would "feel" or act in these ways. It seems like Isaac Asimov was using robots as a stand-in for something/someone. Maybe as a way to show extremes of human actions without hurting anyone's feelings? I don't really know, but I do know that I have really been struggling with my "suspension of disbelief" when reading this book. Artistic license is fine, but I can't make sense of some of the things these robots are doing/feeling.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I liked "Robbie," but I was surprised by how the story progressed. I expected Robbie to have a violent breakdown. Instead, he was like an abandoned dog who was reunited with his owner in everlasting happiness.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
I do like the tie-in aspect of the transitions: how the reporter's interview with Susan Calvin provides us with the segues into each story. It helps this book to feel like a cohesive whole, rather than a smattering of random stories. But I did not like that the tie-in to the second story, "Runaround," gave away the fact that Mike Donovan and Gregory Powell survived to retire. Knowing this took away all of the suspense for the following two (and three) stories. Knowing they lived meant that I wasn't too worried about them on Mercury, and this gave my brain time to try (and fail) to make sense of the robots' behaviors.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
Did something come to mind for you about this story? Because for me it was just a good yarn. I did enjoy seeing Donovan and Powell work through the issue, but knowing they would survive it meant I was reading purely out of curiosity. All of the tension and suspense that I feel like I should have felt was missing.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
I too found this story to be funny and scary. But I can't put myself in Powell's or Donovan's place because I can't imagine a robot really being created in such a way that would make Cutie a reality. If I were Powell or Donovan, though, I'd have asked Cutie where Franz Muller and Sam Evans were coming from, if the world was truly how Cutie believed it to be. I was not a fan of how they just left their relief crew to take over without any sort of explanations.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
My favorite would have been "Runaround" had I not known whether or not Donovan and Powell were to survive. But since we were told they survived before we even read the story, my favorite would have to be "Robbie." "Robbie" really kept me guessing. Even though I can't imagine how he could have behaved the way he did, I still appreciated this story and the twists it threw at me. :-)
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
Yes and yes.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
In a way we do have robots, if we think of them as advanced machines that perform some jobs more precisely than humans. They build our cars, our computers, our smartphones... The toys also become increasingly sophisticated and I know robot dogs exist. I've also seen robots with a more humanoid form. Will we have robots as companions in the near future. I'm not sure, but I don't think so because we need them for very specialized jobs.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
Workers have already destroyed machines at the beginning of the industrial revolution, so they will be suspicious of something that takes their jobs. I'm always surprised by what people believe and how they act, so I'm not sure what would happen.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I'm not sure we would want robots with emotions, although cold calculated logic has its own pitfalls. I'n not sure what Asimov intended other than writing a good story, which he has.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I did like the story and people tend to be suspicious of the different, the other. It reminds me of that.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
Yes. Stories that are connected seems to be Asimov's prefered format for his books.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
It makes me think that the three laws of robotics are not as infallible as the author wants them. In this story we se the breakdown of the laws.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
I think we find that more disturbing than Asimov did when he wrote the books. Of course machine uprisings that enslaved humans, remember Matrix or Terminator, has become a common topic in our pop culture. Maybe that's why we find it so unsettling.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
Runaround.
Mod
Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
This is my first Asimov book (I think, unless I read one when I was in middle or high school and I don't think I did. My brother has a bunch of his books). Yes, I've seen the movie.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
Everything from smartphones, ipads, to cars that parallel park themselves and even some cars that can drive themselves I think indicate robots and other automatized things will continued to be developed.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
I think when something can talk and offer opinions it's harder to dismiss them as simply machines to be thrown away at least for some people. I think we'd end up with debates and issues similar to what we currently have over animals (pets, treatment of livestock, and lab experiments).
Honestly, I'm not sure where I'd come down on the issue. I think it would depend on the robot. My feelings about a robot like R2D2 would be a lot different than my feelings on the robotic arm in the car manufacturing plant.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I'm think he was more mimicking it than actually feeling emotion since he was such an early version of the robot.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I think it brings up the fear of the unknown, prejudices, etc.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
It was fine, it showed a nice progression of robotic development.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
That while the laws seem straightforward and relatively simple, they can have complex and potentially devastating consequences. Especially if you get lazy with your directions/orders.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
Be completely freaked out. Maybe even try and find a way to disable him. Or simply run for my life, kinda like what they did. The jerks didn't even warn their replacements.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
Robbie
Questions Day 1 Feb 22 Intro-3 Pages ix to 67Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
I haven’t read any of Isaac Asimov’s books before. I have seen the movie ‘I, Robot’.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I don’t know, in some ways he’s further along but when you look at how people interact (especially in the first story “Robbie” the way the family works it is still a 50’s novel the husband works all day and is only seen on a Sunday and the wife stays at home to take care of the children). Also interactions between colleagues seem very formal. What I see in the culture now is that we may have robots in our daily lives but it is a long way of, when you look at what kind of robots we could have in our homes is the robotic vacuum cleaner and that doesn’t really look like what I imagine a robot to be.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
I think society would handle things the same way as in the book. Protests at first, but in the end acceptance, because it is convenient and in a lot of ways safer for humans. The problems I see would be loss of jobs, but there would probably a shift in available jobs. The dangerous jobs, like working with chemicals or radiation, could be done by robots.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I think Robbie could feel some sort of emotion that was programmed in. I think the same goes with the three laws, the robots should have some sort of emotional/reasoning skills to adhere to those laws.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I liked this story. This story showed that this is really a book of the time it was written in even though it is science fiction. The mores of the time shine through. And I have a feeling the author isn’t too fond of women.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
I liked the transition from the first to the second. From the second to the third there wasn’t much of a transition.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
I did like their discussion but at some point they lost me.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
I don’t think I could deal with Cutie, he is some sort of religious fanatic and you can’t reason with him.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
I liked Robbie’s story best. I enjoyed the interaction between Robbie and Gloria. Also the solution thought of by Gloria’s father to get Robbie back was nice. The main characters of the other two stories I don’t like very much but the stories had their funny moments.
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
This is my first book by Asimov, and I have not seen the movie.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I think we still have a long way to go before robots will live among us like they do in this book, if it ever even happens. We obviously have robotic technology currently, but I just am not sure we will ever have robots in our society in the same capacity as in this story.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
I think having robots live among us would affect our economy tremendously. Many big corporations would love to be able to have a one time investment in to a collection of robots to use as their workforce instead of using people who require an ongoing salary. I believe we would see unemployment rates go through the roof. And, no I dont think I would like it, I think robots in this capacity would creep me out a little bit.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I think they can feel emotion. If their brains are created to be able to respond to whatever situation they are presented in the world, there is no reason to believe their brains couldn't be sophisticated enough to feel emotion. I also felt like the author portrayed Robbie as actually feeling these emotions, that is the feeling I get when I read that part.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
This was my favorite of the 3 stories because it was such a sweet story of the connection between the girl and her robot. I can't really say I "liked" it though, because the end was so sad to find out she had to give Robbie up due to new robotics laws.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
Actually I really dont like this style too much. By the time I get involved in a storyline, it's over and we are moving on to a new story and setting. Honestly, I am kind of struggling through this one a little bit, the main reason I chose to read and participate is because I needed a book with the author named Isaac for one of my challenges and this pops up as a BOM, so I figured it was meant to be. It's not the typical genre I read in.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
The reasoning and problem solving Donovan and Powell used to figure out how to "fix" Speedy just reminded me of any reasoning and problem solving you would use to help anyone you knew who was "in trouble." On a personal note, it almost reminded me of a situation my husband and I went through with my step daughter. She got involved with the wrong group of kids and got hooked on methamphetamines. She ran off from home and couch surfed and stayed in hotel rooms for about a month and we had no idea where she was or if she was safe. It was terrifying, but the point is, we had to use the same kind of problem solving techniques to figure out how to help her that Donovan and Powell had to use to figure out how to help Speedy.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
I honestly can say I have no idea how I would handle that situation. I can say that I would be very intimidated at a bunch of robots in space turning on me when I am supposed to be the boss. Beyond that I have no idea!
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
Robbie has been my favorite for a few reasons. First, its such a sweet story between the nursemaid robot and the little girl. But, it was also the easiest for me to read. Like I said in a previous question, this is not the normal genre I read, so there are some sections I have struggled though.
Here is my first attempt at writing DQs. I hope they're worthy!February 23-24:
Daily Questions for Part 4: Catch that Rabbit to Part 6: Little Lost Robot
10. Part 4: Catch that Rabbit... What did you think of this chapter? Did you find it plausible that Dave couldn't figure out why he has the fugue states? What did you think of Powell's diagnosis?
11. Part 5: Liar!... Why is Herbie a math whiz with Calvin and Lanning, but not with Bogert? After all, both Bogert and Lanning are both mathematicians. ???
12. Do you agree with Dr. Calvin's decision to scrap Herbie? What do you think of how she went about it? Would you have done the same in her place?
13. Part 6: Little Lost Robot... This story is, for me, the best so far. It and the first story are the only two where the tension was high and the outcome was truly unknowable as to whether all humans involved would survive. What did you think of it? Did you expect Nestor 10 to be found?
14. We've read six of Dr. Calvin's reminisces so far. Are you enjoying this book? Do you know what to make of it? Do you have a favorite story so far?
15. None of the robots have been fully described. Am I alone in finding this rather curious? I mean, this is a work of science fiction by a science fiction writer. Does it feel like science fiction to you?
February 23-24:Daily Questions for Part 4: Catch that Rabbit to Part 6: Little Lost Robot
10. Part 4: Catch that Rabbit... What did you think of this chapter? Did you find it plausible that Dave couldn't figure out why he has the fugue states? What did you think of Powell's diagnosis?
While I have enjoyed every story I've read so far, some of them really have had me shaking my head. This one, perhaps especially, seemed - I don't know - unbelievable? I'd think any robot worth its salt would be able to do a self-diagnosis, and even if Dave couldn't recall the specifics, shouldn't he have known that he was feeling overwhelmed and that that's what led to his breakdowns? I did enjoy Powell's diagnosis, though. I've had "twiddling his fingers" running on a loop through my brain ever since I read that line. lol ;-)
11. Part 5: Liar!... Why is Herbie a math whiz with Calvin and Lanning, but not with Bogert? After all, both Bogert and Lanning are both mathematicians. ???
I suspect this is because Bogert seems like the type where he's a mathematician and math is his life, while Lanning seems like a more well-rounded, balanced, character. So with Lanning, Herbie was sharing; while with Bogert, Herbie would have been showing off (in Bogert's point-of-view).
12. Do you agree with Dr. Calvin's decision to scrap Herbie? What do you think of how she went about it? Would you have done the same in her place?
I did not much like Susan Calvin at the end of this story. I think they should have tried harder to find out what made Herbie a mind-reading robot. I thought Susan's choice to scrap him showed a childish perverseness in character and I did not like her much when all was said and done. Surely more people work at U.S. Robot and Mechanical Men than just Calvin, Bogert and Lanning? If I were in her place, I'd have found another engineer/mathematician/scientist to question him and get the answer, if they still weren't able to find it themselves.
13. Part 6: Little Lost Robot... This story is, for me, the best so far. It and the first story are the only two where the tension was high and the outcome was truly unknowable as to whether all humans involved would survive. What did you think of it? Did you expect Nestor 10 to be found?
I did expect Nestor 10 to be found, but the way he was found took me by surprise. I never thought it would be so involved. I can see how it could be that involved in Isaac Asimov's universe, but still... I can't imagine such robots, with the modified First Law, being created without some visual cue that they're different. And if they truly had to look like the others (I can see how that would be needed), then why was there not an easy way to scan them or take them apart and find "a tell"?
Then again, if this were a real-world story, it wouldn't have been much of a story because there wouldn't have been this mystery. ;-)
14. We've read six of Dr. Calvin's reminisces so far. Are you enjoying this book? Do you know what to make of it? Do you have a favorite story so far?
I am enjoying the stories, and I have a feeling I'll like the final three better than I did the first six. I started this before the plan for the DQs was set and, as I had volunteered to write DQs, I read the first six with an eye for what I could ask questions about. This "pressure" is now gone, since I was chosen to write this second set of questions, so I think/hope that I'll read the final three stories purely for the joy of reading. And if the robots get up to "hinky hijinks" in these next stories, I'm hoping I won't bat an eye. ;-)
My favorite story would probably have to be "Little Lost Robot." It had suspense, a mystery, and danger to the humans involved. We were not told anything about who would survive (besides Susan Calvin, obviously), so I felt free to feel tense on behalf of Gerald Black and the rest of the humans who were interacting with the robots. :-)
15. None of the robots have been fully described. Am I alone in finding this rather curious? I mean, this is a work of science fiction by a science fiction writer. Does it feel like science fiction to you?
As I said in the question, I find it curious that none of the robots are really being described. Apart from Robbie, who was said to have treads, all of the rest - Speedy, Cutie, Herbie, Nestor, and even Dave - have been, in my imagination, robotic humans, with two arms, two legs, and a head. Dave I pictured as sort of looking like a tetherball pole/ball combination with six ropes-to-balls (ropes-to-balls translating into cables to "fingers"? anyone else? lol). In that scene in "Catch That Rabbit" where Powell/Donovan was questioning "a finger," I imagined his cable snaking out the door to where Dave and the rest of the fingers were waiting for him to rejoin their unit. lol
The settings feel science-fiction-y to me: "Robbie" was set mostly in New York and environs, but they were clearly some future edition of New York and environs; "Runaround" and "Reason" were set on Mercury; "Catch that Rabbit" and "Little Lost Robot" were set on asteroids (I think LLR was set on an asteroid, at least); and "Liar!" was again set in New York. So the settings feel like sci-fi, but the stories themselves somehow do not. Apart from the giant-"Master-must-mount" robots in "Runaround," none of the robots really seem like robots to me. So this feels more like "fantasy" than it does "sci-fi." And yet it is labeled Science Fiction. I've been sort of struggling with this ("am I enjoying this book?" "well, yes, but...") but hope that now that I don't have to worry about writing DQs, I will like the next three stories better. ;-)
Mod
Daily Questions for Part 4: Catch that Rabbit to Part 6: Little Lost Robot
10. Part 4: Catch that Rabbit... What did you think of this chapter? Did you find it plausible that Dave couldn't figure out why he has the fugue states? What did you think of Powell's diagnosis?
I guess it is possible the robot didn't know/couldn't explain the fugue states. If his system was overloaded, it wouldn't be able to process everything. Powell's diagnosis actually made sense even though it was confusing.
11. Part 5: Liar!... Why is Herbie a math whiz with Calvin and Lanning, but not with Bogert? After all, both Bogert and Lanning are both mathematicians. ???
I think it boils down to ego, inferiority complexes, and prejudice. Bogert wouldn't of been able to deal with Herbie being better at math than he was. So, Herbie made it so he wasn't in Bogert's presence.
12. Do you agree with Dr. Calvin's decision to scrap Herbie? What do you think of how she went about it? Would you have done the same in her place?
Yes, but not necessarily how she did it. Lying and manipulating people like that without understanding let alone factoring in the ramifications of those lies/manipulations is incredibly dangerous. Especially if most people think robots can't or at least don't lie.
13. Part 6: Little Lost Robot... This story is, for me, the best so far. It and the first story are the only two where the tension was high and the outcome was truly unknowable as to whether all humans involved would survive. What did you think of it? Did you expect Nestor 10 to be found?
I figured they'd find him. If for no other reason than it was the middle, not the end of the story. I did like it, I think it illustrated the slippery slope of the robotic advancement situation quite well.
14. We've read six of Dr. Calvin's reminisces so far. Are you enjoying this book? Do you know what to make of it? Do you have a favorite story so far?
The book is okay. I read scifi, but generally a different type of scifi. This is almost too technical or in the scifi/robotic weeds for me. I think Robbie is still my favorite story, but Little Lost Robot is a close second.
15. None of the robots have been fully described. Am I alone in finding this rather curious? I mean, this is a work of science fiction by a science fiction writer. Does it feel like science fiction to you?
It does seem like scifi to me, just not the type of scifi I usually gravitate towards. It is a bit odd and if this book was written in 2016 there would likely be several detailed descriptions. But with where computers/technology was when the book was written, I think Asimov was smart not to go into details and let our imagination do it. He likely would of described a bunch of things that would of been proven impossible. By omitting the details, it makes the story more timeless and less constrained by the knowledge and technology of his time. Not sure if that was intentional or lucky coincidence for him.
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
I haven't yet read any Asimov. I'm enjoying myself, so far! I didn't see I, Robot, either.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I really know nothing about robotics and the science involved. Seeming as it's 2016 and we have *none* of the stuff Asimov guessed at, I would have to assume that the timeline outlined in the book is WAY off, haha. Of course, I think we're moving in that direction. Robots or, at least, technology coming rather close to robots is already a part of our lives. We have smartphones, we have Roombas, and smarter, more realistic robots are being developed all the time. I don't think we'll be seeing a "Cutie" in our lifetime, though.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
Oh, that wouldn't go over well, at all. Some people can't even handle other humans that are different from them in the most minuscule of ways. Robots that come anywhere close to "lifelike" would probably be treated as second-class citizens (kind of like in this book) or worse. Of course, I think most people would be able to integrate with the robots, but the vocal minority would be there to cause trouble. I feel like I would like it to an extent, but I like to be able to do certain things myself and I certainly enjoy having a job, so I wouldn't want robots to completely wipe that aspect of life out.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
Even though he was an early model, I think Robbie's artificial intelligence helped him to experience that emotion. I would say he probably doesn't have as complex a range of emotion as Cutie, but I'm sure he could experience some.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I think this was my favorite story, so far, because, in the end, Mrs. Weston had to eat it and deal with being completely wrong about Robbie. I'm not a fan of prejudices against any group of people because it's an assumption you make without even getting to *know* a person or, in this case, robot. Robbie gave Mrs. Weston no reason to dislike him, yet she treated him like garbage. I'm glad Gloria and Robbie found each other again. Though, if I were Mr. Weston, the idiotic idea of getting rid of him in the first place would have been squashed from the get go.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
I'm enjoying the transitions. It helps with the cohesiveness of the whole book even though they are individual stories.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
I did like the reasoning and final decision. I don't know if that's how it would really work, but the explanation made sense in the book. I liked the back and forth of that part, as well. I feel like there has to be a loophole, though. Rules are never air-tight.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
I don't deal with hyper-religious people very well and I'm sure the same would hold true for a hyper-religious robot. That whole story just made me uncomfortable. Blind faith is just... weird to me. If I were stuck up there with Cutie, I would definitely plan some way to turn him off. Religious zealots... no thank you.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
Definitely Robbie, for reasons mentioned above.
Questions Day 1 Feb 22Intro-3
Pages ix to 67
Q1. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books/stories before or is this your first? Have you seen the movie ‘I, Robot’?
This is my first Asimov and I have seen the movie. I thought the idea of the 3 Laws was really interesting and was even more intrigued to learn the book is nothing like the movie!
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I know there are people that are working on robots, but I think we're pretty far away from self-aware robots that can guide themselves. With the way technology is going, I'm sure it'll be possible some day, just not in our lifetimes.
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
I think what happened to Gloria will happen to us, if this situation were to happen. We all know how addicted we are to the Internet and our phones. Just imagine having a personal robot that would do whatever you wanted and could have conversations with you. People wouldn't try to achieve anything or work for anything anymore it seems.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
Based on how primitive he seemed to be, I'm assuming he mimicked it. Although, Robbie was special. Maybe he developed emotion through A.I., but other robots hadn't got to that point yet?
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I agree, it was a sad story. I was mad at Mrs. Weston, but I could see that she was representing a possible side of society that would be unwelcome to having robots in the home. I think the story did a really good job of showing different perspectives of having a robot in the home and the different dangers or benefits that may come from that.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
I think it's a very unique way to go about the transitions, especially since it's basically short stories rather than one novel. I like it.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
I absolutely loved the explanation of the reasoning of why Speedy was malfunctioning. It was like a mystery with concrete rules. It was really interesting to see how they could flex and bend the rules to try and solve the problem.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
If I were in their situation, I wouldn't have been laughing. Maybe afterwards when I was back on Earth, but not in the moment. When I was reading this and Cutie barricaded them in the officer's dorm (or whatever it's called), it immediately brought to mind Hal from Space Odyssey 2000. It's definitely an interesting process to witness, but I would be terrified if my life were threatened as an outcome of this development.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
That's really hard to say, because they all bring something different to the idea of robots working with humans. If I had to pick one, I think it'd be Cutie. As scary as it was, it was intriguing to see the development and feel the suspense of what would happen to those two men (because we know that Earth survives).
Mod
First one I've read, and never seen the movie.
Q2. In the introduction we learn of Dr. Calvin. She was born in 1982, bachelor’s degree at Columbia in 2003, grad work in cybernetics. 2008 she earned her Ph.D and became a Robopsychologist. She worked with robots for 50 year, most likely making it 2058. She is one of the pioneers of robotics. This book was published in 1950. We are not accurately at this timeline for robotics but what do you think about Asimov’s timeline of progression? Is he far off? Do you think there is more to come? What do you see in our pop culture that shows we might be on our way to having robots in our daily lives?
I think we're working down a very different path. As mentioned before there are advances in robotics that are used in automated cars, manufacturing and in surgery (da vinci robot in urological surgery for example); there are also advances in artificial intelligence, most recently the development of a system that can beat the world champion Go player which was previously thought to be years off. Our robots just aren't taking a humanoid form in the same way those in these stories seem to be. Whether that's because we are consciously creating them to undertake tasks we find difficult/impossible and avoiding those that would take over large areas of our employment is another matter...
Q3. With the robots being made Dr. Calvin said, “Of course, that was when robots could not talk. Afterward, they became more human and opposition began. The labor unions, of course naturally opposed robot competition for human jobs, and various segments of religious opinion had their superstitious objections. “ If we had robots living among us like in I, Robot, how do you think our society would handle these issues? What problems do you see happening? Would you like it?
See my answer to above - I don't think society would react well. It seems to generally react badly to perceived threats and changes and become much more traditional.
Q4. Robbie was made and sold in 1996 as a nursemaid to 8 year old Gloria. When they were playing hide and seek by the tree and Gloria said he was peeking when he wasn’t, he was “hurt at the unjust accusation”. Can a robot feel emotion? Is he programmed to mimic it or do you think artificial intelligence helped him with this emotion?
I don't think Robbie can feel hurt in the same way that humans can. I think he has been programmed to express problems with something that is unjust.
Q5. In the story Robbie, which is the saddest story to me, the year 1998 is in which the story took place. We see the connection between Gloria and Robbie. We see the prejudices of Mrs. Weston and why she doesn’t want Robbie around. Did you like this story? Did it bring up anything you’d like to talk about?
I liked this story, but found it sad and felt very bad for Gloria. I liked the way the bond was explored.
Q6. Do you like the style of the transitions from the stories?
I think the stories need something to link them together and this is a reasonably smooth way to do that.
Q7. The second story takes place in 2015 with Donovan and Powell with the 6 big robots and Speedy the robot. Speedy’s equilibrium is off because of the laws of 2 and 3 which is making him acting drunk, which causes the problems the characters face in this story. Do you like the discussion and reasoning between Donovan and Powell about the laws applied to the robots? Does anything come to mind for you about this story?
I agree with the flaw of knowing the characters survive. I liked seeing how the laws applied, it made them much more real and understandable. Also showed some of the problems with them.
Q8. In the third story Powell and Donovan are at the space station. Cutie is very interesting. I find this story funny and scary; the humans debating with the robot. Cutie was laughing at them because he feels he is superior to them. How would you deal with Cutie saying he is the Master's prophet and manipulating the other robots to follow him?
Can just imagine this - can also see why Cutie felt that he's superior to humans. The manipulation and Powell and Donovan's behaviour is more concerning.
Q9. Out of the three stories (Robbie, Runaround, Reason) which one is your favorite so far?
I'm not sure. They all have different strengths and weaknesses.
February 23-24:Daily Questions for Part 4: Catch that Rabbit to Part 6: Little Lost Robot
10. Part 4: Catch that Rabbit... What did you think of this chapter? Did you find it plausible that Dave couldn't figure out why he has the fugue states? What did you think of Powell's diagnosis?
The chapter was ok, but Powell and his colleague were starting to annoy me. I don’t like them very much. I think it was plausible that Dave couldn’t diagnose himself. Powell’s diagnosis seems ok, again I could follow their reasoning up to a certain point and then they lose me.
11. Part 5: Liar!... Why is Herbie a math whiz with Calvin and Lanning, but not with Bogert? After all, both Bogert and Lanning are both mathematicians. ???
Because of his mind reading ability he doesn’t want to Bogert to know. He wants to let Bogert feel Bogert is superior..
12. Do you agree with Dr. Calvin's decision to scrap Herbie? What do you think of how she went about it? Would you have done the same in her place?
I think the way she went about it was cruel, she just wanted to have her revenge for what Herbie did to her. He shouldn’t have done it, but because of that first rule and his mind reading he gave her what he thought she wanted. I don’t know what I would have done in her place, but not what she did. I think I might have wanted to look at reprogramming or something.
13. Part 6: Little Lost Robot... This story is, for me, the best so far. It and the first story are the only two where the tension was high and the outcome was truly unknowable as to whether all humans involved would survive. What did you think of it? Did you expect Nestor 10 to be found?
I did expect them to find nestor 10, in all the stories we have read so far they found solutions to their problems. The story was ok but my favorite still is the first (Robbie),
14. We've read six of Dr. Calvin's reminisces so far. Are you enjoying this book? Do you know what to make of it? Do you have a favorite story so far?
The book is ok. But it feels very dated to me. My favorite story is still Robbie.
15. None of the robots have been fully described. Am I alone in finding this rather curious? I mean, this is a work of science fiction by a science fiction writer. Does it feel like science fiction to you?
Yes it is strange that the robots aren’t described. This books doesn’t feel like science fiction. Also I find the stories a little repetitive except for the first one, couple of scientist work with robots, one robot has a defect which threatens their work and job scientist have some strange reasonings and scientist find a solution and fix/destroy the robot. On to the next problem.
You did great with the questions Jen.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
I, Robot (other topics)The Naked Sun (other topics)
The Rest of the Robots (other topics)
The Caves of Steel (other topics)
The Martian (other topics)
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This thread is to discuss I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov. Be prepared for spoilers!
Synopsis:
The three laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.
Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.