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    The Rest of the Robots
    The Rest of the Robots
    The Rest of the Robots
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Rest of the Robots

    Written by Isaac Asimov

    Narrated by William Hope

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    About this audiobook

    Isaac Asimov’s ROBOT series – from the iconic collection I, Robot to four classic novels – contains some of the most influential works in the history of science fiction. Establishing and testing the Three Laws of Robotics, they continue to shape the understanding and design of artificial intelligence to this day.

    How could robots be used in a time of war? Could a robot be raised like a child? Could we allow them to have children of their own? Is there any human profession that could never be performed by a robotic replacement?

    In The Rest of the Robots, robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin and engineers Powell and Donovan return to investigate many more puzzling anomalies and catastrophic malfunctions.

    With characteristic wit, foresight and imagination, Asimov’s stories uncover the practical and ethical issues humanity will encounter in a robotic future.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateJun 27, 2024
    ISBN9780008516246
    Author

    Isaac Asimov

    Isaac Asimov was the Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the founder of robot ethics, the world’s most prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. The Good Doctor’s fiction has been enjoyed by millions for more than half a century.

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    Reviews for The Rest of the Robots

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    • 3/5
      Another book from everyone's Uncle Isaac. Probably at his publishers' urging Mr. Asimov bundled up the rest of his robot stories, and anthologized them in this volume. Not very well styled, it being IA after all, but good enough for a read.
    • 4/5
      Published in 1967 this is a short story collection of Asimov’s robot stories. They come with a general introduction by the author and then a note about each story and this all adds up to a sort of historical document of the robot series.

      Asimov laid down the now famous Three Laws of Robotics in 1941:

      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 given it by human beings except where such orders 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.

      The stories are based around these three laws. Situations are developed that give robots and humans dilemmas as to how they should act and it is to Asimov’s credit that he makes all the stories interesting and some are just very good science fiction. The earliest stories date from 1941 and the latest is 1957 and so some feel a little quaint and outdated, but making allowances for this and they are still entertaining.

      Asimov’s introduction is a little essay in itself which trumpets his breaking away from the traditional Frankenstein tales of robots. His innovation was to make the reader feel sympathy for the machines and for some of the people involved in their invention/production. Asimov’s notes also reveal a little about the author himself and so if like me you are a fan of Asimov’s science fiction these stories will not disappoint, but if you are a fan then you may have read several of them before. They make great holiday reading and so 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      Another collection of robot short stories from the Master! Susan Calvin is my favourite.
    • 4/5
      After releasing I, Robot, Isaac Asimov produced an anthology of eight stories dealing with his Three Laws of Robotics. Some of these are standalone tales published in various magazines in the 1940s, while others were written later and include some characters from I, Robot, such as Dr. Susan Calvin.

      Of the eight, my favorites include:

      "Robot AL-76 Goes Astray" - A confused robot, intended for work on the moon, wanders through the woods until it encounters Randolph Payne working at his shack. Although fearful at first, Randolph quickly surmises that the robot's manufacturer would pay a handsome reward for its return since robots were not yet permitted for use on Earth. Payne convinces AL-76 that his work assignment has changed and keeps him occupied at the shack—until he realizes the robot's true purpose...

      "Victory Unintentional" - Three robots are sent to the surface of Jupiter as emissaries from the human colony on Ganymede. The inhabitants of Jupiter have continually threatened to exterminate the "vermin infesting Ganymede" as soon as they finish development on a forcefield that will allow them to leave the planet and invade the largest of the Jovian moons. However, a hilarious case of mistaken identity leads them to a change in plan...

      "Let's Get Together" - In a dystopian future where the world is divided between two superpowers, the United States government learns that the "other side" has advanced further in robotics than anticipated—to the point of creating robots in the form of humans. Further, it is revealed that certain American scientists who spent time on the "other side" might have been replaced by automatons and if brought together in the same place at the same time, would detonate a devastating bomb...

      "Risk" - Orbiting an asteroid known as HyperBase, a test ship called Parsec fails to launch into hyperspace as planned. There is no way to determine if a component of the ship or its robot pilot is at fault without sending a human to investigate. However, the Parsec is unstable and could launch into hyperspace at any moment. Since every animal used in hyperspace experiments either died or returned as a mindless vegetables, Dr. Gerald Black is none too thrilled about being ordered to undertake the mission...

      "Galley Slave" - In an effort to assimilate robots into society and eliminate prejudice against them, U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Incorporated chooses Northeastern University for an experiment. A robot named EZ-27 (aka "Easy") is brought in to provide proofreading services for academic papers and textbooks written by the faculty. However, when one professor's galley is drastically altered, ruining his reputation after it's publication, he files a lawsuit against the company. But what happens when Easy is allowed to speak in court?
    • 5/5
      I just reread my old 1964 (used) hardback edition of this and it's still great. Although it is obvious in many places that this was written in the 1950s, it's still a great cautionary tale of the future and man's relationship with artificial intelligence. It's a keeper.
    • 4/5
      I liked this one better than I, Robot, actually. I thought it was a smooth read. Even though it's a collection of short stories I thought the narrative flowed well from one story to the next. Asimov's insights were interesting as well.
    • 3/5
      These are really the leftover stories, not as good as those in I, Robot.
    • 4/5
      More robot stories in the vein of 'I, Robot'. Written mostly in the 50s, they still retain vitality and amuse and impress with their ingenuity. I feel this collection is better than its predecessor and a must read for fans of Asimov's short stories.
    • 3/5
      A small collection of short stories, none that particularly stood out to me.