Robot books (novels)

In article <qkir30hps9rsgae37otal0ud48eh2u2qmf.DeleteThis@4ax.com>,
Nick <nixdk.DeleteThis@yahoo.dk> writes:

 >Hello,
 >
 >I am just getting started with Asimov and his robot books. I am
 >really enjoying "I, Robot" which I understand is a collection of
 > shorts.
 >
 >Can anyone help me with a list of Asimov titles that are similar?
 >
 >I really only want to read more robot stories, but I don't know where
 >to start, and living abroad, I can't just pop in a local book store
 >and browse the back covers ...
 >
 >I would prefer novels, but I will read anything. I think hes an
 >extraordinary writer.
 >
 >TIA,
 >
 >Nick

If you can find it, I recommend that you obtain the
classic science fiction novel "City" by Clifford D. Simak.
This awardwinning c1952 novel is both well-written and
insightful. To my knowledge, "City" is the _first_ prediction
of computer viruses in science fiction. "City" also predicts
the 21st Century travel-adverse social phenomenon known
as 'cocooning', a situation where telecommunications and
videotelephones replace person-to-person contact and where
people increasingly fear to leave the safety of their homes
(i.e., social agoraphobia).

"City" features the domestic robot 'Webster', a dutiful
artificial intelligence that our 21st Century technology
has not succeeded in producing.

'Hope that helps.

Richard Ballard MSEE CNA4 KD0AZ
--
Consultant specializing in computer networks, imaging & security
Listed as rjballard in "Friends & Favorites" at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.amazon.com" target="_blank">www.amazon.com</a>
Last book review: "Guerrilla Television" by Michael Shamberg<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels) 

On 26 Feb 2004 11:36:58 GMT, rball84213.RemoveThis@aol.com (Richard Ballard)
wrote:

 >In article <qkir30hps9rsgae37otal0ud48eh2u2qmf.RemoveThis@4ax.com>,
 >Nick <nixdk.RemoveThis@yahoo.dk> writes:
 >
  >>Hello,
  >>
  >>I am just getting started with Asimov and his robot books. I am
  >>really enjoying "I, Robot" which I understand is a collection of
  >> shorts.
  >>
  >>Can anyone help me with a list of Asimov titles that are similar?
  >>
  >>I really only want to read more robot stories, but I don't know where
  >>to start, and living abroad, I can't just pop in a local book store
  >>and browse the back covers ...
  >>
  >>I would prefer novels, but I will read anything. I think hes an
  >>extraordinary writer.
  >>
  >>TIA,
  >>
  >>Nick

Sounds like an interesting setting .. what's it about?

-nick

 >
 >If you can find it, I recommend that you obtain the
 >classic science fiction novel "City" by Clifford D. Simak.
 >This awardwinning c1952 novel is both well-written and
 >insightful. To my knowledge, "City" is the _first_ prediction
 >of computer viruses in science fiction. "City" also predicts
 >the 21st Century travel-adverse social phenomenon known
 >as 'cocooning', a situation where telecommunications and
 >videotelephones replace person-to-person contact and where
 >people increasingly fear to leave the safety of their homes
 >(i.e., social agoraphobia).
 >
 >"City" features the domestic robot 'Webster', a dutiful
 >artificial intelligence that our 21st Century technology
 >has not succeeded in producing.
 >
 >'Hope that helps.
 >
 >Richard Ballard MSEE CNA4 KD0AZ<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels) 

In article <ugqr30dvu2cdp00tev369o6qmdtfen3118 DeleteThis @4ax.com>,
Nick <nixdk DeleteThis @yahoo.dk> writes:

 >On 26 Feb 2004 11:36:58 GMT,
 >rball84213@aol.com (Richard Ballard) wrote:
 >
  >>In article <qkir30hps9rsgae37otal0ud48eh2u2qmf DeleteThis @4ax.com>,
  >>Nick <nixdk DeleteThis @yahoo.dk> writes:
  >>
   >>>Hello,
   >>>
   >>>I am just getting started with Asimov and his robot books. I am
   >>>really enjoying "I, Robot" which I understand is a collection of
   >>> shorts.
   >>>
   >>>Can anyone help me with a list of Asimov titles that are similar?
   >>>
   >>>I really only want to read more robot stories, but I don't know
   >>>where to start, and living abroad, I can't just pop in a local
   >>>book store and browse the back covers ...
   >>>
   >>>I would prefer novels, but I will read anything. I think hes an
   >>>extraordinary writer.
   >>>
   >>>TIA,
   >>>
   >>>Nick
 >
 >Sounds like an interesting setting .. what's it about?
 >
 >-nick
 >
  >>If you can find it, I recommend that you obtain the
  >>classic science fiction novel "City" by Clifford D. Simak.
  >>This awardwinning c1952 novel is both well-written and
  >>insightful. To my knowledge, "City" is the _first_ prediction
  >>of computer viruses in science fiction. "City" also predicts
  >>the 21st Century travel-adverse social phenomenon known
  >>as 'cocooning', a situation where telecommunications and
  >>videotelephones replace person-to-person contact and where
  >>people increasingly fear to leave the safety of their homes
  >>(i.e., social agoraphobia).
  >>
  >>"City" features the domestic robot 'Webster', a dutiful
  >>artificial intelligence that our 21st Century technology
  >>has not succeeded in producing.

"City" covers 10,000 years of human civilization, from
antique gasoline-powered lawnmowers to routine manned
settlement of the solar system.

Mr. Simak obviously was optimistic about technology and
did not foresee resource shortages.

A different c1938 robot-related short story you might appreciate:
"Helen O'Loy" by Lester Del Ray. Some themes are timeless.

The c1963 short story "A Rose For Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny
addresses Martians [in a religious setting with (IMO) some
similarities to Islam] rather than robots, yet shares the theme
of "Helen O'Loy".

The theme? Nerds are romantics, and they never get their revenge.
(My apologies to Hollywood.)

I got no problems.
Other people got problems.
00: 21 _8 02 03/35 06 09

Richard Ballard MSEE CNA4 KD0AZ
--
Consultant specializing in computer networks, imaging & security
Listed as rjballard in "Friends & Favorites" at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.amazon.com" target="_blank">www.amazon.com</a>
Last book review: "Guerrilla Television" by Michael Shamberg<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels) 

Nick <nixdk.RemoveThis@yahoo.dk> wrote:
 > I am just getting started with Asimov and his robot books. I am really
 > enjoying "I, Robot" which I understand is a collection of shorts.
 >
 > Can anyone help me with a list of Asimov titles that are similar?

Someone already mentioned the Asimov FAQ, which will give you much
more titles, but the "official" sequel to I, Robot is:
The Rest of the Robots,
but mostly it is better (and more easy obtainable) to get:
The complete Robot, which is a collection with MOST of his robot stories
(no, not all <grin>), including the ones from I, Robot and The Rest of the
Robots. And then quite some more (and some more were published after this
book was released, so it is still not "complete").

The story then goes on with the Robot NOVELS:
The Caves of Steel
The naked Sun and
The Robots of Dawn
(and after that you get into the Trantor/Foundation universe with
Robots and Empire, you may not want to go that far as that
Trantor/Foundation universe is another 3 (empire novels) + 5 (the actual
Foundation series, a trilogy and 2 later sequels) + 2 (prequels) +
3 (2nd Foundation trilogy written AFTER A's death by "the killer B's")
novels, so 13 in total!!
 >
 > I really only want to read more robot stories, but I don't know where
 > to start, and living abroad, I can't just pop in a local book store
 > and browse the back covers ...
 >
 > I would prefer novels, but I will read anything. I think hes an
 > extraordinary writer.
 >
 > TIA,
 >
 > Nick

--
********************************************************************
** Eef Hartman, Delft University of Technology, dept. EWI/TW **
** e-mail: E.J.M.Hartman.RemoveThis@math.tudelft.nl, fax: +31-15-278 7295 **
** snail-mail: P.O. Box 5031, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands **
********************************************************************<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels) 

Nick wrote:
 > Hello,
 >
 > I am just getting started with Asimov and his robot books. I am really
 > enjoying "I, Robot" which I understand is a collection of shorts.
 >
 > Can anyone help me with a list of Asimov titles that are similar?
 >
 > I really only want to read more robot stories, but I don't know where
 > to start, and living abroad, I can't just pop in a local book store
 > and browse the back covers ...
 >
 > I would prefer novels, but I will read anything. I think hes an
 > extraordinary writer.
 >
 > TIA,
 >
 > Nick

Read The Caves of Steel (the first robot novel). It's a must.

Matt<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels) 

rball84213 DeleteThis @aol.com (Richard Ballard) writes:

  [ Clifford Simak's ``City'' ]
 >"City" covers 10,000 years of human civilization, from
 >antique gasoline-powered lawnmowers to routine manned
 >settlement of the solar system.

 >Mr. Simak obviously was optimistic about technology and
 >did not foresee resource shortages.

  It also features widespread transformations of humanity into
exotic beings designed to live on Jupiter, and remarkably that's in
only the first half of the book. (It's a collection of short stories
patched together pretty well.) And Simak of course is one of Asimov's
big literary influences.


 >A different c1938 robot-related short story you might appreciate:
 >"Helen O'Loy" by Lester Del Ray. Some themes are timeless.

 >The c1963 short story "A Rose For Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny
 >addresses Martians [in a religious setting with (IMO) some
 >similarities to Islam] rather than robots, yet shares the theme
 >of "Helen O'Loy".

  As long as we're venturing into non-Asimov but related robots
I'd like to put in a good word for Fritz Leibner's ``The Silver
Eggheads'', one of those novels that works as well as serious science
fiction and as humor. The plot: in the near future writing machines
are so good at predicting the logical succession to the current text
that authors just need to write the first word of their books, let the
machines do the rest, and pose for dramatic book-jacket covers. Until
a bunch of novelists decide to overthrow the system, smash the machines
and write the old-fashioned way, which they've never exactly done but
have heard great things about.

  Robots, quite sympathetic and rather fond of Saint Isaac, play
key roles; as do a dozen or so disembodied brains taken from the last
era of real writers.

--
    Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Robot books (novels)