The opening novel of my favorite SF series. It's hard to take any one book in the series on its own any more, because so much of what makes the series and its characters memorable is the growth and changes in them over the course of their expanding tale. Asimov over the course of the series presents us with the question of what it means to be human, as both Daneel and Elijah in their own ways uncover the humanness within themselves thanks to their friendship. The human, indeed, triumphs: Elijah solves the case with the one mental capacity Daneel can't match -- an intuitive mental leap.

The mystery around which all this revolves isn't bad, either. There's pleasure (even for a Holmes fan) in seeing a real human being try the Holmesian Great Reveal and have it blow up in his face -- twice. It makes the rather thorny Elijah a lot more human and likable, laying ground work for the later changes in how he views the universe. It's also a lesson in deduction and the distance investigators have to maintain; until he stops trying to prove who didn't do it and starts trying to prove who did, he runs into blank walls again and again. It's a lot to be had in a quick and occasionally quite funny read, and is why this remain a favorite book of mine through many years (I first read it over 30 years ago.). ( )

The story is not just sci-fi, it's a detective story set within a futuristic world, and a pretty engaging detective story at that. Sure, there are some moralistic tones throughout (i.e. there is commentary/criticism on population overgrowth, food shortages, etc), but they don't overcome the story itself.

It's significantly better than other 70s sci-fi I've read recently (Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang, Hellstrom's Hive) and I will someday read more in the series. ( )

My favorite Asimov novel. I'm not saying it is his best; just my personal favorite. It is that rare combination -- a science fiction mystery, the twin protagonists, a human and robotic detective who learn to work together.

I really enjoyed the cross between detective story and sci-fi - what Asimov intended I believe, and the pairing of man and robot. However, I was so blown away when I read the original Foundation trilogy that this seemed a little disappointing. Enjoyable, certainly, but just not up there with the previous novels of his I've read, though still better than many others ( )

A fictional cop usually will get the partner that annoys him the most, to start with.

At least here, the detective type gets to work with a robot, not Eddie Murphy. Not everyone is a big fan of the robot, as it looks like they will replace people's jobs.

This ill-matched dueo has to investigate the murder of a prominent citizen of one of the colonized Spacer worlds.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/07... ( )