The Robots of Dawn

Written almost 30 years after The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun this novel starts to link the other major works of Asimov (Empire and Foundation). There is also a nod to the past with mentions of Susan Calvin and reference to Andrew Martin (Bicentennial Man) which having read all the short stories prior to this was not lost.

Sex is a prominent theme throughout, and is often dealt with only in dialogue in a very cold and sterile way. This comes about when the clash of cultures and practises collide (Earth, Aurora and Solaria) where living arrangements are all very different.

Elijah is called to Aurora by the eminent Roboticist and politician Han Fastolfe - whom we all met in Caves of Steel. The 'murder' this time is of a Humaniform robot in his service. By his own admission Fastolfe is the only person who could have killed the robot in the manner in which it was killed, but he vehemently denies doing it.

So Elijah has to solve the puzzle yet again. This time he is in the middle of political muddle, as Fastolfe's opposition are rocking the boat, Fastolfe is in favour of settling new worlds using humans (in the same way Earth settled the 'Spacer' planets). Whilst the Robotics Institute of Aurora wants to use Humaniform robots to do the settling first. The only problem is Fastolfe is the only Spacer who has made these type of robots and the blueprints are all in his head.

Overall this book is OK, and I can see where this will link the other Worlds of Isaac Asimov. However it was hard going, and a bit too one dimensional. Had it not been for the final 20 or so pages I think I would have been deeply disappointed with this one. The closing stages do however set up the possibility of an interesting final instalment. On to Robots and Empire then.