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 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. Said reputation seems most focussed upon the different spin this novel places upon those to come chronologically, but written some thirty years prior. Fortunately I wasn't so invested in my prior impression for this to bother me.

Some 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. ( )

Another excellent entry in Asimov's Robot universe. This book really starts to connect the Foundation and Robots series. ( )

I find the newer Asimovs harder to read for some reason -- I think it might be because they are more inclined to introspection that the earlier ones, but that might not be all of it. Overall I enjoyed this book, although I did find that I lost enthusiasm briefly in the middle. Overall, worth the effort though.

You can tell that Asimov was getting old at the time that he wrote this book, as he dwells extensively on the importance of living an interesting and worthwhile life, instead of necessarily a long life. Overall he makes the argument that this is what is wrong with Spacer society -- life is so long that its inconceivable to take risks early in life that might shorten that life. Later in life its too late however, as you are by then trapped in your comfortable rut. Its an interesting concept, and one which bears further consideration.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/Isaac_Asi... ( )

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, and The Currents of Space). This novel mostly sets in place the events leading to the irradiated and devastated 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 and 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 means 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 home world, 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 annoying 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. ( )

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 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. ( )