"I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

"I, Robot" is a series of short stories, originally published in "Super Science Stories" and "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine in the 1940's that explore the fictional future development of robotics. The stories are framed around the recollections of Dr. Susan Calvin, head "Robopsychologist" at US Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc. during an interview with a reporter from the Interplanetary Press. Dr. Calvin's stories follow the exploits of experimental roboticists Gregory Powell and Mike Donovan, researchers Alfred Lanning and Peter Bogert, Stephen Byerley, a robotic politician and of course Dr. Susan Calvin herself. The stories typically explore themes of human and robotic morality via the "three laws of robotics" (built into every positronic-brained robot) that loosely state that robots may not harm humans (or allow them harm via their own inaction), must obey humans and must not allow harm to come to themselves (in that order of priority). Interesting stories include a robot which becomes stuck between the opposing forces of the second and third laws while trying to retrieve a much-needed chemical substance at great personal risk, a self-learning skeptical robot that refuses to believe he was created by humans, and a mind-reading robot who lies to prevent humans undergoing emotional hardship (an interpretation of the first law).

I really wanted to say something good about this book, because it is a bit of a popular favourite, but I found it hard. On a positive note, it's a short and easy read with some nice ideas and a few moments that really shine. The philosophical reasoning of QT-1 in "Reason" was quite fun, as was the relationship between the little girl and her robot-companion in "Robbie". I found Asimov's optimistic perspective on robots having a really positive influence on humanity refreshing given the typical "frankenstein-complex" of robots turning on their masters typically found in science fiction.

Generally speaking though, "I, Robot" is rather dull (particularly the characters and the robots themselves) and there were ideas and concepts that didn't really work and that I think could of been explored with a bit more complexity. I thought "Runaround", "Reason", "Liar!" and "Evidence" were the only stories I really enjoyed; I felt the other stories followed too much of a formula of providing an almost unsolvable premise and ending with either (sorry to use the cliche) a deus-ex-machina or what I interpreted as a twisting of the laws to make things fit. A lot of the endings just didn't feel clever. It felt like there were so many more aspects of human morality and ethical dilemmas which could have been explored from the perspective of the robotic mind.