Robots and empire

by Isaac Asimov

Hardcover, 1985

Status

Available

Publication

Doubleday Books, 1985.

Description

Dr. Kelden Amadiro is determined to bring total annihilation of the planet Earth, but Lady Gladia vows to stop him at any cost and seal Earth's fate and all who live there.

User reviews

LibraryThing member StormRaven
This novel marks the explicit bridge between the Robot novels (The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, and The Robots of Dawn) and the Foundation series (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, and others), also linking in the Galactic Empire series (Pebble in the Sky, The Stars Like Dust,
Show More
and The Currents of Space). This novel mostly sets in place the events leading to the irradiated and devestated Earth in the Galactic Empire series, and also establishes R. Daneel Olivaw as the nigh-omniscient benevolent guardian of humanity.

The story is a planet hopping tale that follows Olivaw, Giskard, and the spacer Gladia (introduced in The Naked Sun nand The Robots of Dawn) as they trace a nefarious spacer plot to eliminate Earth's population, leaving the galaxy free to be colonized by the "superior" men of the spacer worlds. This novel establishes for the first time the dubious Zeroth Law of Robotics, to allow Olivaw and Giskard to overcome their Three Laws imposed inhibitions and act for the greater benefit of humanity (a very nebulous standard at best). In the novel, Asimov justifies the irradiation of the Earth as a mean to benefit humanity over the long term, a course of action that can only be possibly justified if you assume a godlike level of prescience on the part of the robots in the story, and even then, I have serious doubts.

The end result of Robots and Empire is to leave humanity without a viable homeworld, cast into space by supposedly benevolent robots acting for our benefit. Most of the book is merely a set-up to explain elements of other, better novels. The novel is also responsible for making R. Daneel Olivaw the anooying character that dominates the later written Foundation novels.

While the planet hopping intrigue story contained in the novel is adequate, the creation of the Olivaw-monster that infects the Foundation universe and the inhuman end result that he arrives at (apparently condemning millions to slow radiation induced death is a good thing) drops the story down to merely average at best.
Show Less
LibraryThing member aethercowboy
Set in the distant future after The Robots of Dawn, Lije has died, but died a hero, having an entire Settler planet named after him: Baileyworld.

Gladia, now in possession of Daneel and Giskard, encounters two figures with a similar background in the same day. One is her descendant, who is
Show More
attempting to work for arch rival Han Fastolfe, and he wonders if by any chance, his ancestor was Bailey. The other is Bailey's true descendant, D. G. Bailey.

He commissions Gladia to help on a reconnaissance mission to Solaria, where sometime in its past, all the Solarians disappeared. Being the only know Solarian around, he thinks that she be able to help figure out why all previous recon parties have gone missing.

Conflicting worlds and their politics make every step of the way difficult, but soon they discover that the Solarians have discovered a way to redefine what it is to be human for their robots, and thus generate a robot that is seemingly capable of violating the Three Laws of Robotics.

In an effort to prevent intergalactic war between the Settlers and the Spacers, D. G. and Gladia must be very careful not to upset the fragile balance between the worlds.

This novel successfully bridges the gap between Asimov's Robot novels and Asimov's Empire novels.

Good for all fans of Asimov, especially fans of the Lije Bailey series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
Another excellent entry in Asimov's Robot universe. This book really starts to connect the Foundation and Robots series.
LibraryThing member Cecrow
I was intending to put this off until I was ready to read the Empire novels, but after stumbling across a copy (it wasn't easy to find, for some reason - this one and 'Foundation and Earth' don't turn up often), I couldn't resist.

Who else but Asimov could write a novel around literally emotionless
Show More
characters and still make it this compelling? The mystery element is gone here, along with Elijah Baley other than in flashbacks, and the new focus moves to the political strategems that formed the background of the other novels. Just the same it's entirely readable, and I can't understand the bad reputation I'd heard of prior to reading it for myself.

I suppose some people might find the conversations and characters dry, particularly the robots, but I find them absolutely fascinating. This is the fourth and last of the Robot novels, and I regret there couldn't be a dozen more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member weakley
A more "serious" read than the rest of the robot novels. I guess it had to be in order to setup the Galactic Empire series and the Foundation books, but it wasn't as much fun or done in the same vein as the earlier works. It was good enough.
LibraryThing member Fosforus
A satisfying story, though it feels deeply formulaic and the dialogue is often dull.
LibraryThing member tronella
A reread from about 2008? I always forget a) how long Asimov books take to read because of all the politics and exposition and b) how dramatic and action-y they can be! I enjoyed this a lot and fortunately I had managed to forget the ending since last time. Now I'm moving on to the Empire books,
Show More
which I don't think I've ever read before! How exciting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tronella
I always forget a) how long Asimov books take to read because of all the politics and exposition and b) how dramatic and action-y they can be! I enjoyed this a lot and fortunately I had managed to forget the ending since last time. Now I'm moving on to the Empire books, which I don't think I've
Show More
ever read before! How exciting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
This is the book that pulls the the Robots series into the Foundation series. As I've said elsewhere, I don't think this was very successful.

It's an Elijah Bailey book, even though he is long dead, because his memories are stored and because R. Daneel Olivaw is the major character. It's a
Show More
Foundation novel because it sets up the events of Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth.
Show Less
LibraryThing member empress8411
This is the conclusion to the Robot Series written by Asimov. It was intriguing, and I liked that the characters were from the previous books. My only qualm is the ending. It felt like there should be another book. I know Asimov's Foundation series is set in the same universe, and perhaps that is
Show More
the continuation. But this book ended on a sad, troubling note. But the very fact I feel that way shows how power this book was, so I don't think it's a bad thing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Asimov's great robot series is a wonderful one. Making a robot into a hero (R. Daneel) who is essentially immortal, is a wonderful device.
LibraryThing member IAmAndyPieters
20 centuries after the death of plainclothesman Elijah Bailey, Gladia is asked by G.D. Bailey to accompany him to Solaria, her birth planet, to investigate their apparent abandonment and to help him retrieve some of the ubiquitous robots so that he might make a fortune selling them.
R. Daneel, and R
Show More
Giskard are still with Gladia and are secretly more and more aware of a dark and sinister plot afoot in the galaxy to bring about the destruction of Earth. A classical space opera with love and adventure, and duels, and 2 robots that are much more human than anyone realises...
Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
Another of Asimov's Christie meets robots novels. A step up from its predecessor, because there is a bit less explicit '80s sex. All Asimov's books have an element of the mystery novel, where one person after another relates their interpretation of the events and is refuted by the next person.
Show More
Unfortunately, the presence of a telepathic robot messes everything up badly, and feels like a big cheat.
Show Less
LibraryThing member johnwbeha
This felt just like the old times. I hesitated a bit when this one fell off the shelves onto my reading pile. It's a long time ago since I read both the Foundation and the Robot Books and I was worried I would not remember. But ten pages in I was back in my twenties and totally immersed in Asimov's
Show More
greatest creations. I sped through this book, remembering Elijah Baley and becoming re-acquainted with R. Daneel Olivaw. Within the context of a space opera, this book debates the problems that the 3 Laws of Robotics could create and is a worthy successor to both the earlier series. If you've ever enjoyed Asimov, you will enjoy this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Razinha
Of his Robot Novels, I think I liked this one the best. Yes, it was written to tie the canon together, and as such had deliberate foreshadowing of the later books, but it was still adventurous and and an interesting twist there at the end. Now on to the Galactic Empire novels...
LibraryThing member hskey
This series continues to be among my all time favorites. Reading it for the first time instills so many incredible feelings - humanity's settling of the stars, the psychology behind growing old, nature vs. nurture, class warfare and the future. The callbacks to previous books had enormous emotional
Show More
impact, Daneel and Giskard are fascinating protagonists, Gladia and DG are magnificent in their own right. I've rarely read a book that so easily painted a picture in my head of what everybody would look like, what every scene felt like. A terrific ending, and a very satisfying conclusion to the Robots Series. Onto Empire!
Show Less
LibraryThing member DanielSTJ
This was my favourite book of the Robot series by far. The characters felt more vital and life-like in this one and I was clearly able to follow the action from inception to climax. I liked the story a lot, and felt that Asimov did wonders with his already established universe and that the climax
Show More
was a particularly eventful treat. All in all, a good novel and a worthy finish to a good series!

4 stars!
Show Less
LibraryThing member majackson
The individual parts of the book--3 different stories, or rather 3 different time/action episodes of the same story--piece together to complete each other. The problem is that Asimov gets kludgy in trying to tie too many concepts/themes together: namely the links to the Foundation Trilogy are too
Show More
contrived to be believable (along with the romantic interest). Except for his explanation of how the Earth, in "The Second Foundation", became radioactive. Meanwhile, there are a couple of physical action episodes to offset the main thrust of Asimov's verbal struggles that form his primary source of excitement.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kurt.Rocourt
I enjoyed this book though it's not one of the better Asimov books. This book may cause some issues with continuity problems for some people. I don't mind that, much. I don't like the way way the end doesn't wrap up the story of certain characters. There's a jump from one character being nice to
Show More
another character. To than being a in love with them, out of the blue. The point of this book is to connect the robot novels to the Empire and Foundation novels. It does that but it's not very satisfying.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Redthing
I didn't like this one as much as the first three novels, mainly because Elijah Baley was 200 years dead. Still a great mystery though, with spacers and one of Baley's decendents being the main characters.
LibraryThing member Daniel_M_Oz
The 5th in what can be seen as the "extended" 15 book Foundation Series. This book introduces "Elijah Bailey's" descendant "D.G. Bailey". This book is important in regards the "Foundation Series" as it provides the story of how Earth fits into its role within the Foundation trilogy. Also, the
Show More
concept of the Zeroth Law of Robotics is introduced - modifying the "3 Laws of Robotics". This new law is key to the role R. Daniel plays , especially on the later written books of the Foundation Series, following on from the Foundation Trilogy
Show Less

Language

Barcode

9125
Page: 0.7913 seconds