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A review by geniusscientist
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
1.0
I listened to this book because I feel like I needed to read some Asimov. It was AWFUL. I HATED it. I understand that sometimes one has to be forgiving with science fiction written years ago, but come ON. Everything just pissed me off. Especially the gender roles. It was . . . ridiculous. I'd forgive it in a book that was written in the '50s that was supposed to take place in the '50s, but this guy couldn't imagine that maybe, just maybe, fifty years in the future, if we had invented robits that could talk and walk and mine asteroids and whatnot, there might be some women who are both intelligent, AND capable of a successful romantic relationship? That the man might not be the de facto head of every household? Jeezy creezy.
And the application of the "three rules of robotics" was fucking stupid also. It was like each story was a little exercise in logic, so we could figure out which harebrained application of the three laws was leading to this particular robot's apparently aberrant behavior.
Oh man just thinking about this book is making me angry all over again. I honestly don't see how this book can still be considered a classic of science fiction. It may have been important in its time, but it is utterly useless now. It shows us nothing about the nature of humanity, which is what good scifi is supposed to do. All the men in Asimov's future are hotheaded jackasses, and all the women -- oh excuse me I mean all BOTH of them -- are shrews.
I want to read more Asimov just to give him a chance -- he is an important author after all -- but I also don't feel like getting all pissed off again. So we'll see.
And the application of the "three rules of robotics" was fucking stupid also. It was like each story was a little exercise in logic, so we could figure out which harebrained application of the three laws was leading to this particular robot's apparently aberrant behavior.
Oh man just thinking about this book is making me angry all over again. I honestly don't see how this book can still be considered a classic of science fiction. It may have been important in its time, but it is utterly useless now. It shows us nothing about the nature of humanity, which is what good scifi is supposed to do. All the men in Asimov's future are hotheaded jackasses, and all the women -- oh excuse me I mean all BOTH of them -- are shrews.
I want to read more Asimov just to give him a chance -- he is an important author after all -- but I also don't feel like getting all pissed off again. So we'll see.