I, Impressed!. Review on I, Robot - Isaac Asimov

A collection of some of Asimov's earliest works, this is a must-read for sci-fans who expect more than light sabers and warp drives.

Isaac Asimov had been one of sci-fi's most respected writers, especially with his innovative take on the future. His stories may be about cultures and worlds yet unrealized, but they share the same basic ingredient... the human intellect. Filled with rational paradoxes and myriad characters, Asimov's works entertain without degenerating into a soap opera.

''I, Robot'' came to me in the form of a slightly haggard copy from my local library. Once I started reading, it was love at first 'sight'. Complex characters, unique situations and excellent logic make for a racy read that manages to make you sit back and think.

This book also introduces the ''Three Laws of Robotics'', a concept so stunningly simple - of providing robots with unchangable ''moral'' guidelines to safeguard the flesh-and-bone types - that it is accepted as a taken by today's robotic pioneers.

The stories mainly deal with logical mysteries, especially when it seems a robot is doing something, or behaving in a manner, that a pre-programmed machine just should not be! Yet, never fear, the resolutions are grounded in 'sherlockian' reasoning. You won't find many red herrings or last minute reversals in this book.

I heartily recommend ''I, Robot'' to all who appreciate character-based sci-fi... or just a nice brain-teaser of a mystery!