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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
Hard to give one review for a collection of short stories but Asimov is a father of science fiction for a reason. Definitely worth a read!
I read Nightfall and other stories before this anthology, so I can’t help but compare. I also listened to this on audiobook. I didn’t love the narrator, so I think that colored how I took in the stories. I liked that I had already read the prefaces in Nightfall for the stories that were repeated because I really liked that context. I did feel like a few stories fell a little flat and I actually wanted more robots considering the title of the collection. Other than that, a solid collection of beautifully done stories.
This was sooo good. probably better than I, robot? So many of these stories were standout. also Asimov lowkey a freak
on to the next Asimov short story anthology!
on to the next Asimov short story anthology!
Robot Dreams is a collection of stories from the latter half of Asimov's career, studded with some genuine gems (The Last Question, The Ugly Little Boy, Franchise, Hostess), and display his considerable amount of talent. There are a few robot stories at the beginning, but this book centers mostly around Multivac, the great mainframe computer, and a tingling sense of cosmological alienation. Humankind repeatedly turns over vital creative and communal tasks to invisible and arcane machinery, separated from the great masses by a cadre of technician-priests. Or it turns out that our whole civilization is an experiment by cold and vasty intelligence, and we are nearing the point where they decide data collection is over. Asimov is usually seen as one of the cuddlier of the 'greats', less militaristic than Heinlein, less mathematical than Clarke. A more thorough assessment reveals a stark and chilly author, with a deep streak of misanthropy.
And for my own records, that Asimov story about using humans trained in mental math to replace expensive military computers is "The Feeling of Power."
And for my own records, that Asimov story about using humans trained in mental math to replace expensive military computers is "The Feeling of Power."
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The science is outdated. But the story is timeless. Despite the science and all is wrong, the point of science fiction is about a story not the science. Isaac Asimov shows it to use here.
I wish it had more Robots, like the complete Robot. But an amazing read nonetheless. I was amazed at the craft and the skill the author demonstrates through different characters and stories.