This will be the final R.O.A.R. post of the term... for the book that is. At last, all two-hundred and twenty-four pages have been accounted for. Now, as the book concludes, we begin to get a little peek of the future...
Summary pgs.169-224
"The Evitable Conflict"
Earth is controlled by a group of powerful and sentient contraptions, called the "Machines". These computer-like beings stabilize the entire world's economy and working order, and they do so very well, until they started showing signs of glitches in their systems. Dr. Susan Calvin (the same character from the previous story) addresses the issue, and reports that the Machines purposely concocted up these "glitches" to select various individuals that may pose major threats to the well-being of humanity. The Machines then plot to take control of the human race, the entire world's population, to bring order to all humanity. The story closes at that point, leaving a mystery about what is to come...
...which is later solved in the sequel!
Quotation Explanation
"Between the two was Great Britain, a tongue of the Region licking at Europe" (Asimov 216).
My Reaction
Overall, I must say that I have enjoyed this book. Isaac Asimov's style of writing is definitely meant to keep the reader interested in the content. Although the concept of robots developing human emotions and traits is highly considered as cliche today, this classic novel must have been the first to start this theme.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I, Robot: Post #3
Summary pgs.113-168
"Little Lost Robot"
On a distant asteroid, far away from Earth, was a small military research base dubbed Hyper Base. Gerald Black, one of the scientists there, was developing an android that can obey any human's command. At one point, frustrated with working without rest (and pay), he yells at the robot, telling him to "get lost". Naturally, the little robot obeys his master's command, and does get lost by hiding in one of the many rooms of Hyper Base. Knowing that trouble would eventually ensue with a robot on the loose, Mr. Black, and his colleagues Dr. Susan Calvin and Peter Bogert, formed a crack search party to locate the runaway robot. The trio eventually find him in a storage room for other androids, but here is the catch. Every single one of them was identical to each other. Despite this being a worse case scenario, Dr. Calvin immediately recalled that Mr. Black's robot had a special trait: it will always try to save a human being from any kind of harm. With this in mind, Calvin conducted a test to make the real robot reveal itself, by projecting harmless infrared rays on her body, causing the robot to think that the rays were lethal to its master. Alas, things take an unexpected turn, as the robot confesses that the only way for it to eventually become superior to all other robots is to keep hiding. The robot then makes a move to hurt Dr. Calvin, the one who made it fess up, but Mr. Bogert jumps at her defense, and destroys the robot with a gamma-ray laser pointer before any harm was done.
Quotation Explanation
"Measures on Hyper Base had been taken in a sort of rattling fury - the muscular equivalent of an hysterical shriek" (Asimov 113).
My Reaction
Throughout the story, or better yet, the entire book, there are many occurrences of sentences like the Quotation Explanation above. Asimov's style of writing did not make me feel like I was reading a book, but rather like I was watching an action-packed science fiction movie. I could picture most of the book's events in my mind as if I was watching them. Now that I think about it, perhaps the movie adaptation will be faithful to the true style of the book? Let us hope for the best!
"Little Lost Robot"
On a distant asteroid, far away from Earth, was a small military research base dubbed Hyper Base. Gerald Black, one of the scientists there, was developing an android that can obey any human's command. At one point, frustrated with working without rest (and pay), he yells at the robot, telling him to "get lost". Naturally, the little robot obeys his master's command, and does get lost by hiding in one of the many rooms of Hyper Base. Knowing that trouble would eventually ensue with a robot on the loose, Mr. Black, and his colleagues Dr. Susan Calvin and Peter Bogert, formed a crack search party to locate the runaway robot. The trio eventually find him in a storage room for other androids, but here is the catch. Every single one of them was identical to each other. Despite this being a worse case scenario, Dr. Calvin immediately recalled that Mr. Black's robot had a special trait: it will always try to save a human being from any kind of harm. With this in mind, Calvin conducted a test to make the real robot reveal itself, by projecting harmless infrared rays on her body, causing the robot to think that the rays were lethal to its master. Alas, things take an unexpected turn, as the robot confesses that the only way for it to eventually become superior to all other robots is to keep hiding. The robot then makes a move to hurt Dr. Calvin, the one who made it fess up, but Mr. Bogert jumps at her defense, and destroys the robot with a gamma-ray laser pointer before any harm was done.
Quotation Explanation
"Measures on Hyper Base had been taken in a sort of rattling fury - the muscular equivalent of an hysterical shriek" (Asimov 113).
My Reaction
Throughout the story, or better yet, the entire book, there are many occurrences of sentences like the Quotation Explanation above. Asimov's style of writing did not make me feel like I was reading a book, but rather like I was watching an action-packed science fiction movie. I could picture most of the book's events in my mind as if I was watching them. Now that I think about it, perhaps the movie adaptation will be faithful to the true style of the book? Let us hope for the best!
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