rameau's ramblings

This was painful to get through, but bad books often are. I'll admit that the theory of Three Laws of Robotics is sound, and worth investigating, but I did not like what Asimov did with it, not at all.

I lost my patience with the story and Asimov around the second or third time of Mr Weston is referred as the poor man who loved his wife and thus breaks his little girls heart by taking her robot away from her. Which is to say, all was lost within first ten pages of the first story.

Cutting edge science fiction, you guys, with 1950s gender roles! The only excuse in Asimov's favour is that I, Robot was published in 1950.

Then for a moment I thought, the robots could have been a metaphor for race, but I should have known better. There is nothing there but dated visions of advanced technology and flawed logic. And it's even expanded into a series!

Did I mention how badly Asimov writes women? Not only is the wife a villain, the retiring specialist in the frame story is a moody spinster who was foolish enough to fancy a younger man some years ago and who carries apples in her purse for a hungry man's convenience.

It's 2015, People! We can and should do better. Stop reading dead white cis men.