Books for/about - Isaac Asimov

Foundation (Foundation Novels (Paperback))

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553293354
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Summary: Read because it considered a classic
The book is written about an empire in the future. I'm not really sure why Asimov thought that the future galaxy would be ruled by an emporer, which is a dying system of government, instead of a democratic republic. I know this is nit-picking, but I didn't like this book.

Apparently, the future can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy using math and statistics. Anyone who works as a mathematician or statistician, as I do, knows that it's difficult to predict what's going to happen in anyone's life tomorrow, much less the entire world 500 to 1000 years into the future using statistics.

This book is intellectual worship, which is something I can't stand. Intellectual worship is when people think they are intellecually superior to everyone else, so feel they should rule over everyone else, if only you would listen to them. This idea drips off the page as event after event is predicted by some really smart dude. This smart dude predicted a collapse of civilization and treated it as inevitable. Another idea that's patently absurd- that any event that occurs is inevitable.

If this guy was so smart as to predict, with a high degree of accuracy, the downfall of civilization, and the rising of a new one, along with the traumatic events this new civilization would go through, why wasn't he smart enough to avert the downfall of the original civilization. Surely, with his predictive ability people would listen to him, but he decides to let it crumble for whatever reason.

And Asimov is a mediocre writer. The story is only moderately interesting because no character really gets developed. I read this book because as a sci-fi fan, I felt obligated.

Summary: THIS ONE IS GREAT BUT DEPENDS UPON YOUR TASTE
I personally enjoyed ever word of this particular work. Many other reviewers have gone into the plot, etc. so I will not do so here to any depth. This is one of those works of SiFi that will appeal to certain taste, while others may find it not to their liking. There is a great deal of politics (almost Pre WWI European) involved in the story line. As the story covers (all books included) over one thousand years, there are many, many characters to track and keep track of. This is indeed a series of short stories, all linked. I personally enjoy this sort of thing but can see where some might not. That being said, it, the book, can certainly be regarded as a classic in this particular genre and certainly should be read by any student of such. You certainly cannot fault the author's story telling ability and imagination. I enjoyed this one a lot and do highly recommend it.

Summary: Good? You bet. Great? Not sure ...
I found the politics of this novel interesting enough to disregard the dated scientific references. Seldon and his science was fascinating to behold, and the plot was masterful. What concerned me was (dare I say it?) the fairly amateurish use of dialogue tags and the fact that each character seemed pretty much to speak with the same voice. Asimov wrote this as one of those authors who are at pains to repeat 'he said'. So it must be a new tag each time, no matter how ridiculous, often paired with an adverb that makes you cringe: ('spluttered angrily', 'cried sternly', 'mumbled grumpily', so on.) Sad this very basic trick of writing lets down passages of vivid description and intriguing plot.

Also, some things seemed implausible to me, such as: how was the foundation, which exported its technology across the galaxy, able to keep its technology secret?

Nonetheless, this is a series every sci-fi fan has to read - its attributes outweigh its faults by a fair margin.

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Foundation's Edge (Foundation Novels)

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553293389
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Summary: Fantastic!
Listen, no one likes really long or ending spoiling reviews, so here it goes, short and sweet.

This book is my fav. of the series, and I suggest you read.

The end.

Summary: An Older, Better Asimov
In "Foundation's Edge," author Isaac Asimov returns to the fascinating storylines he initiated in the Foundation trilogy some 30 years earlier. The older Asimov turned out a new novel that is not only better technically than its predecessors, it is much more subtle and nuanced. It is a thought-provoking and enjoyable book.

After spending three novels detailing the Seldon Plan and how the future cannot be influenced by inidivuals, Asimov throws everything out the window by creating a situation where the future of the galaxy rests on a single man. Along the way, Asimov manages to tie in elements of his Robot series as well. Brilliant.

The book is not without fault. As was the case in editions of the previous three Foundation novels, there are an annoying number of typographical errors. And the older Asimov unfortunately developed into a bit of a dirty old man. Portions of the book are quite sexist, and there are more than a few sexual references which feel totally unnecessary, not to mention a bit creepy.

Summary: Third Foundation
Foundation's Edge won the 1983 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel of the year. Asimov himself, in his humble way, said that this prestigious award should go to some other younger writer. His own self-imposed controversy aside, this is a great novel and is arguably deserved of the Hugo Award for that year. That aside, it's the sequel to the original 1950's Foundation series, and thus with a 30 year gap between the two sets of books, it has a different flavor. I myself am leery of sequels. I thoroughly loved Dune and I suppose what could have been called the original Dune trilogy, but by the 4th Dune book became uninterested in following that series any further. But Foundation's Edge is worth reading. I haven't continued on with the series after this so I cannot comment on the subsequent books. However, after reading reviews of Foundation & Earth (which is the sequel to Foundation's Edge), it seems Asimov's novels follow the `Star Trek syndrome' of the movies with the original crew. It's not clear if there will be a follow up sequel so the books conclude fairly nicely, so that when the next one is released, it has to shake up the previous book's ending to continue. That's somewhat the case with Foundation's Edge. There's another entity that seems to manipulating events. It's not clear what this is (I don't know if Asimov planned Foundation & Earth when he wrote Foundation's Edge), but I've always thought of this new entity as possibly a Third Foundation, if not in name, then in spirit.

If you enjoyed the original Foundation series take a deep breath, realize that it'll be different and try not to concentrate on it corrupting the series but rather that it'll embellish it, and you'll probably enjoy it.

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A History of Mathematics

Publisher: Wiley
Authors: Carl B. Boyer Uta C. Merzbach Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0471543977
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Summary: Everyone should read this book
Hey I read this book loved it, and everyone should read it! Hey I am no brain, I do not belong to Mensa, nor am I endowed with any superior intelect, I am an average guy, Just a B student, who fell in love with this book. Anybody if they really want can understand this book and really appreciate what math is. Mathmatics before this book was just a bunch of numbers on a page any countless formulas to memorize, however this book changed me, I see math a whole different way now. Studying the history of mathmatics is like studying the history of the world. It is a shame this information is never taught in elementry school, it would make kids a lot more interested in math and actually be able to see what the numbers mean. After reading this book a door has been opened. I now am more curious about mathmatics and well everything! I understand where those numbers came from, Pie no longer is something I eat or some funy thing in a formula to find the area of a circle, it actually means something to now.

Summary: Not for the serious student of history of mathematics
Boyer can write pretty well. His tendency to wax on about the virtues of the people he writes about can get annoying, but overall this probably works to make a more engaging style. This kind of writing style is entirely appropriate for a textbook designed to draw readers into the world of mathematics, but is prone to wide, sweeping generalizations and ill-supported assumptions and occasionally, factually incorrect statements.

The reader who is serious about studying the development of mathematics will learn something from this book, but there are better places to learn it. Boyer, as indicated above, seems intent on "cleaning up" history to fit the nice picture he has of it. Unfortunately, merely reciting well-known mathematical legends does more harm than good; it obscures the real process of discovery, and the way mathematics has, and still does, develop.

There are errors in the book that indicate Boyer did not do his research. To keep this review short, I'll name one: Boyer credits Poincare with the Poincare disc model of hyperbolic geometry. Anyone that has actually looked at Riemann's very important 1854 lecture (one of the most important documents of 19th century mathematics) will realize this model is due to Riemann! Since Boyer spends quite a bit of time on Riemann, this is rather puzzling.

Boyer also relies on E.T. Bell for some biographical information. No serious historian of mathematics would (or should) reference Bell for biographies of mathematicians. Bell's caricatures are entertaining, but do a disservice to the subject.

This book is only recommended for those who want to get a vague idea of the history of mathematics, but do not particularly care about the details being correct. For that purpose, Boyer does a better job than most.

Summary: The best book on history of mathematics
I first bought the firt edition about 25 years ago when I was still a matriculation student preparing the examination to university. This book has been with me for more than one fourth of a decade. I also own the second edition of the same book.
It is a pity that the new author did not take the opportunity to expand the book to a much wider scale. ( what I mean is not to a encycoplaedic but at least expand the history of mathematics in the 20 the century. Now back to the book. What makes this book different other ones, I think it is the historical intuition of Boyer makes this book eternal. Some book arrange the content chronologically and somes book arrange the content according to the topics. However, Boyer cleverly combined that two . Also, he also extinctly discuss the topics proportional to their importance in the history. There is not too much mathematics and
there is not too few mathematics, Just a few words to describe that is " that book is really well balanced " and gives you everything and also the range of audience is wide, coupled with the very very reasonable price, it is the book on mathematical history who are interested should own one.

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Foundation and Earth

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553587579
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
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Summary: The Last Book of the Foundation Series (in Foundation Timeline), 4 stars, 356 Pages, Publ 1986
Golan Trevize looks for Earth. The novel picks up right after the end of Foundation's Edge. I found Foundation's Edge slightly confusing in that there was something effecting the minds of both the Foundation confederation and the minds of the Second Foundation, and wasn't completely sure if it was a Third Foundation or what. Foundation and Earth clears that up, well sort of. It is not a Hari Seldon originated organization, it is the planet Gaia, but calling it a Third Foundation could be used if you redefine The Foundation. It is hinted that there may be yet *another* group effecting events in the galaxy; the equivalent of a Fourth Foundation... or maybe a Zeroth Foundation. This is one of the slight, but exasperating aspects of this novel. In the Author's Note of Prelude to Foundation, Asimov wrote that he could and may add to the Foundation series and as for books after Foundation and Earth he could add "additional volumes - as many as I like"). In parts it feels like that, that Asimov is setting himself for additional volumes, rather than this being the definitive end to the Foundation series, as it now is. Another thing is that Asimov groups his Robot, Empire, and Foundation series in one all encompassing series. For whatever contradictions exist between the series, Asimov gives preference to his Robot series.

Foundation and Earth takes us on a tour of seven different planets and the different habitations of each. Some have gone to the dogs, some are autocratic, and there's excitement on each one. Asimov has set up the galaxy in that are no other known intelligent non-human (or human-made) species. Sort of answers the famous questions on the lack of evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence: "where is everybody?". Well, Asimov's answer is: there isn't anybody else... well kinda, sorta... If you read the book you'll understand. Actually, even though there are these ambiguities on the universe here and there, Asimov does wrap up the Foundation series somewhat nicely (although you may not like it as it differs from the original Foundation series), as well as wrapping up his grouping of all of his series into one.

Summary: The best Foundation novel !!!!
This is, in my humble opinion, the best Foundation book of all!
I wish good old Isaac continued to expand the notions introduced in this book, instead he regressed and wrote "Prelude to Foundation."

Summary: Good, not great, entry in Asimov's Foundation Series
Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION AND EARTH is the fifth or sixth book (depending on how you count) in the Foundation series.

The book itself is so-so. Not his best, but even at half-throttle he still runs circles around most other sci-fi scribblers. There's very little about the novel that would appeal to anyone not already a fan, but if you've spent any time in Dr. A's richly imagined galaxy, FOUNDATION AND EARTH does a nice job of bringing elements of both the Foundation and Robot novels to a satisfying resolution. With room for more sequels of course, that sadly The Grandmaster is no longer around to write... though I'm sure someone will (if they haven't already!).

The thing that impresses me most about Asimov (other than his incomprehensibly prolific output of some 300+ books) is how he crafted a massive, intricate, interconnected fictional universe. This is fairly common in the sci-fi/fantasy genre: Tolkein, Frank Herbert, Arthur Clarke, even George Lucas (heavily influenced by Asimov), to name a few. But I've found Asimov's work in particular to be filled with isolated little gems to marvel at even if you don't know the whole--an enormous tapestry that can be enjoyed as sweeping panorama or in focussed detail. As much, or as little, as you want is there for the taking.

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Foundation and Empire (Foundation Novels (Paperback))

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553293370
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Asimov is the master
Unlike a lot of other sci-fi books, Asimov has the ability to include not only the sense of futuristic complications and inventions, he has the unrivaled ability to also include a dramatic and intense showing of personal interactions, which is what makes him such a master.
Its more than an idea, Asimov makes it a story. Great book and possibly the best of the three foundation novels.

Summary: A Definite Improvement
"Foundation and Empire," the second novel in Isaac Asimov's landmark science fiction series, is a definite improvement on the first novel. The first novel was hardly a novel at all, but rather a loose and uneven collection of short stories. "Foundation and Empire" is actually two novellas, and more care has obviously been taken with writing style, pacing, and character development.

The second story, "The Mule," is perhaps the best of the entire Foundation series. The characters are enjoyably real and likable, and there are two masterful surprises at the end.

The entire Foundation series is essential reading for any science fiction fan.

Summary: A classic!
The greatest sequel ever! With a powerful storyline and surprise ending, the book leads right into the Second Foundation

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	Second Foundation (Foundation Novels) Publisher: Spectra Authors: Isaac Asimov
ISBN: 0553293362 List Price: $7.99 Amazon Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: Best book in the foundation series Asimov takes it to the next level with Second Foundation. It has more charecter development, more technology, more suspense, more cunning, and an unsuspected ending for once. This book is great. If your reading this book its probably because you've read the other two, but if you ever want to read a great science fiction book, its worth the time it takes to read the first two(which are also very good) to get to this masterpiece. Summary: Good suspence, but over the top plot within plot within plot within plot pretty much summarizes the twist and turns of the story,but the way and frequency of these turns is rather excessive to a point of annoyance, it's almost like an obligatory end-of-story-twist in M. Night Shyamalan's movies these days. i wont spoil the end like the other reviewer did, but after finishing the supposedly last story, i cant but feel a sense of futility when the final twist is presented. i have to agree it made really good detective/noir story with 'where is it' replacing 'who done it' and a pretty good thrill ride, but at the end nothing get resolved and every thing back to the way they were more or less, one could've saved a great deal of time by just reading the first two chapters and the last if one doesnt care for the suspense, because what ever you read between doesnt matter at the end, and hence the sense of futility and my main gripe about this book, but otherwise it's decent read. Summary: Fantastic Ending! The Second Foundation ties up the original trilogy and helps make the foundation the greatest series ever written. With a fantastic surprise ending and some great suspense, This book is definetly one worth reading, at least once. Summary:

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Forward the Foundation (Foundation Novels (Paperback))

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553565079
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 3
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Summary: Could have used a good editor
After getting hooked on the Foundation series over the past six months, "Forward the Foundation" was a real disappointment for me. I understand that this was the last book he wrote before passing away, and this explains a lot. But it still doesn't justify the sloppy inconsistencies of the storyline.

For example, in part four, chapter two, librarian Las Zenow greets Hari Seldon at "the ornate doorway of the Chief Librarian's office" with a hearty "Welcome, my friend". Yet in chapter eight of part four, we are told that Hari meets Las Zenow face to face for "the first time". There are other less obvious examples that lead me to think that the book wasn't written in a linear fashion, and that no one took the time to edit the book carefully and identify these issues. As a result, I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief while reading the novel, making it ultimately disappointing.

Having lost two parents and a mother in-law in the past several years, I can start to imagine what publishing a post-humus book might entail. But as a reader, it felt a little like seeing the emperor without any clothes on. I found the book truly painful to read at times, not only because of its inconsistencies, but also because of the general inertia of the plot. There actually is a lot of good writing in this book; it's just unfortunate that about a quarter of it wasn't edited out to allow it to flow smoothly.

Summary: The end of an age.
This book pulls a lot of threads together, unifying the Robot stories and the Foundation stories to a far greater extent than the innuendo of Foundations Edge. Hari Seldon at last becomes a person with hopes and failings; We see his relationship with Robots, including our old freind R. Daneel Olivaw and finally we see how the first and second foundations came to be through a set of circumstances that has plot twists that only the master himself could have envisaged.

As his final work, the epilogue leaves one almost certain that Asimov had known of his imminent death and had left a message for his readers in the words of Hari Seldon who many consider to be his alter-ego.

Whatever your views on the more esoteric subjects you'll find that this book is executed in the same inimitable style as The Caves Of Steel, showing that Asimov never lost his touch over all the years of his tenure as the true master of science fiction.

Summary: Excellent but Disappointing End to Foundation Series
Book Review by C. Douglas Baker

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is an excellent work and very entertaining. It is well written in the vein of the Foundation Series. But ultimately, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is profoundly disappointing.

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is a biography of Hari Seldon, filling in the areas of his life not previously covered in PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is written as a series of novellas covering major portions and events in Seldon's life as he continues his solidification of psychohistory and prepares for the establishment of the Foundation and the Second Galactic Empire. Hari Seldon is a fascinating character and many of his life experiences chronicled in FORWARD THE FOUNDATION were unexpected. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION probably could be enjoyed as a stand alone novel but it is not recommended. Without the background of the previous Foundation novels many of the events and explications of psychohistory would be much less significant to the reader.

Two key questions remained after the last novel, FOUNDATION AND EARTH. First, how and why was the Second Foundation originally established? Second, was the Seldon Plan truly a failure and would Galaxia really be the future of humankind?

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION clearly answers the first question. The First and Second Foundations were established to be complimentary to each other. The First Foundation is to be the backbone of the technological and political regeneration of humanity in the form of the Second Galactic Empire while the Second Foundation plays the role of advancing psychohistory and ensuring the survival of the First Foundation. While this is relatively clear in the previous Foundation novels, the Second Foundation seems vulnerable and venal in FOUNDATION'S EDGE and FOUNDATION AND EARTH. Both Foundations are more concerned with their own self-interest as opposed to the interest of the Second Galactic Empire or the Seldon Plan. In FORWARD THE FOUNDATION we clearly see that they are meant to work together to complete the Seldon Plan.

Ultimately FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is extremely disappointing as a denouement to the Foundation Series. The major question left from FOUNDATION AND EARTH, the latest chronologically of the Foundation Series, is the fate of humanity. It seems pretty clear at the end of FOUNDATION AND EARTH that Gaia or Galaxia, the all encompassing organic planet where every element is interconnected physically, will be the eventual fate of all humankind after Trevize discovers what he considers to be the fatal flaw of psychohistory and decides in its favor (for more detail see FOUNDATION'S EDGE and FOUNDATION AND EARTH). Trevize claims that psychohistory does not take into account the possibility of intelligent life in other galaxies. If such life exists then psychohistory is irreparably flawed (I think this is a terribly poor argument and lament that FOUNDATION AND EARTH was ever written). Therefore Trevize feels he must side with Gaia so that humankind can be united if it ever faces a threat from intelligent life outside the galaxy. Gaia is a very unpleasant and damning ending for humanity. Humankind as one large interconnected organism is defeatist.

Unfortunately, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION does not explicitly state that the Foundation ultimately establishes a Second Galactic Empire and that Galaxia is aborted. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION, however, does strongly imply that Galaxia is not the ultimate fate of humanity and that the Seldon Plan works out. First, if the Foundation does not succeed why should readers, who have already seen the future, care about the life a Hari Seldon? If Galaxia is the fate of humankind then Seldon would have played no role in the shape of humankind's future and would be unimportant in the long run. Surely Asimov would not have spent such effort writing about Seldon's life if Galaxia were to make Seldon's life ultimately purposeless. Additionally there is the continuing entries of the Encyclopedia Galactica which states at the end of FORWARD THE FOUNDATION: "It has been said that Hari Seldon left this life as he lived it, for he died with the future he created unfolding all around him..."

This passage could be interpreted that the Seldon Plan eventually molds the future of humankind.

Whether my assumption that the Foundation ultimately establishes a Second Galactic Empire is correct or not, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION does not bring closure to the Foundation Series. If the Seldon Plan is successful, then we must wonder how the Foundations are able to thwart the establishment of Galaxia after the seemingly firm impetus it had at the end of FOUNDATION AND EARTH. If Galaxia is indeed eventually established, certainly the two Foundations did not acquiesce without a fight. And both Foundations had the resources and ability to fight for their own survival and the Seldon Plan. This conflict would have been interesting and would have made a great premise for a final Foundation novel.

In sum I must say I am disappointed in the ending of the Foundation Series. For the most part FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is well worth reading in the context of the preceding novels. Unfortunately, we are left to speculate about the impending conflict between Galaxia and the two Foundations. I would have rather speculated about the interlude in Seldon's life filled by FORWARD THE FOUNDATION.

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Caves of Steel (Robot City (Paperback))

Publisher: Spectra
Authors: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 0553293400
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Summary: Asimov's first foray into the sci-fi detective genre. Amazing!! (4.5 stars)
Asimov's Caves of Steel is the first novel in his famous Robot series and takes place after I, Robot (a collection of short stories which I recommend reading first). The Caves of Steel takes place 1400 or so years in the future where human live under huge domes and live amongst robots of varying technological sophistication and ability. The story is a detective novel at heart and parallels the classic Sherlock and Holmes cannon in more ways than one.

Asimov does it all here and this is a rare literary example of a book covering numerous bases successfully. The crux of the novel is the relationship between detective Elijah Bailey and his advanced robot partner Daneel Olivaw. Elijah is distrusting of robots at heart while Daneel is the perfect foil as the human-like robot learning to interact within human society. Their relationship is complex as it is entertaining. Daneel plays the perfect Watson to Elijah's Sherlock while at the same time Elijah must grow as a person if he is to accept his robot partner and solve the murder mystery. Their interaction is touching, suspenseful and often times hilarious.

The actual murder mystery aspect of the book is top shelf as well. More than just a "whodunit?" the book ties political themes and introduces story arcs that tie the whole series as well. The universe Asimov creates is detailed, realistic and very well thought out from a physical and social perspective.

Finally like all great books, Caves of Steel and the rest of the Robot series touch upon important thematic elements that make the books relevant beyond their immediate initial publishing. Asimov was way ahead of his time and this series deals with alienation, racism and social awareness that really strikes home in today's troubled times.

In 2004 this book was nominated for the 1953 Retro Hugo award along with Childhood's End and Fahrenheit 451. Although in my opinion The Caves of Steel was superior to both of those books, it's hard to argue the cultural significance of Fahrenheit 451, 50 years after the fact and I don't have a problem with that choice.

Bottom Line: One of my favorite series of all time..nuff said!

Summary: Enemy Robots or Paranoid Humans?
This is truley a classic when the genre of AI is visited. Asimov's detective thriller brings about the questions of the downfall of technology. Are human beings replacable? By machines no less? This is the question a Detective Elijah Baley asks himself along with his wife and the commisioner and a vast other peoples in this urban world. What I believe is most interesting about this novel is not the intarrogations of robotics, though that is very inticing, but the fact that this book is really about mankind's struggle with himself and his self-destructive tendencies. The robots only expose this corruption in man's nature.

Set in a gluttonous city of twenty-million, the future of New York, this book also gives a very noir type of feel. The livelihood of Earthmen is continously spiralling downward in comfort and basic needs. People lose their jobs to robots. People are crowded into dinning halls for any type of meal. Only the very wealthy are allowed to live on the top levels of the city where sun still shines. This book allows the reader to understand future concerns with very a comparable mood.

Summary: One of the Classics
I love Asimov's nonfiction, for its liveliness and practical explanations of the how and why of science. However, his fictional characters were almost always quite stilted. Here isn't an exception.

On the plus side, Asimov is fantastic as a mystery writer, and that's what this is. It's an unlocked room mystery, where any number of people or machines could be the culprit, and he does an excellent job of tying in evidence, false assumptions, attempts to mislead the investigation, friction between human and robot, rebellion both competent and pointless, and several interest groups.

It's a bit slow to start, but worth reading on for the puzzle to be solved, which turns out to be rather elegant in basis (as a successful crime should be), complicated by culture and technology, and finally resolved as a human issue.

However, it's not perfect, because the characters are rather stiff--no more so than in any of his other works, it's just his style--and the overarching plans of both the Spacers and Medievalists are treated somewhat simplistically and with a bit of handwaving. They really should either have been left out, or given more treatment.

The trichotomy between the casual yet distant culture of the Spacers, vs the rebellious naivete of the Medievalists, and the drab, depressing burden of the City dwellers is interesting and disturbing, though I feel the City culture is excessive in its communistic strata. I'm not sure I can accept the stability of it.

While this is mentioned as taking place thousands of years in the future, and the tech is dated now, only 50 years later, I won't consider that a flaw--books are written to meet the reader's expectations, and 50 years ago the science was considered rather far out. And since much of it does now exist, it shows the brilliance of Asimov's grasp of science. I rather think (from his nonfic) that he knew it wouldn't take long to happen, but was afraid of saying so to the typical reader of the day (whereas Heinlein did the reverse--extrapolated short term with greater magnitude and slightly lesser accuracy).

It's a great piece to study the history of SF, an entertaining story, and a relevant part of the background for the "I, Robot" movie. Certainly worth the read, and fun despite its imperfections.

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