"I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

 I, Robot is a fixup novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950 and were then compiled into a book for stand-alone publication by Gnome Press in 1950, in an initial edition of 5,000 copies. The stories are woven together by a framing narrative in which the fictional Dr. Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter (who serves as the narrator) in the 21st century. Although the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots, and morality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics.

Several of the stories feature the character of Dr. Calvin, chief robopsychologist at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., the major manufacturer of robots. Upon their publication in this collection, Asimov wrote a framing sequence presenting the stories as Calvin's reminiscences during an interview with her about her life's work, chiefly concerned with aberrant behaviour of robots and the use of "robopsychology" to sort out what is happening in their positronic brain. The book also contains the short story in which Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics first appear, which had large influence on later science fiction and had impact on thought on ethics of artificial intelligence as well. Other characters that appear in these short stories are Powell and Donovan, a field-testing team which locates flaws in USRMM's prototype models.

The collection shares a title with the 1939 short story "I, Robot" by Eando Binder (pseudonym of Earl and Otto Binder), which greatly influenced Asimov. Asimov had wanted to call his collection Mind and Iron and objected when the publisher made the title the same as Binder's.

Can you imagine living in a world where the sight of human-like robots roaming the streets isn’t unusual? That might be a world we’re going to have to adapt to soon. Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov expresses the benefits and flaws of such a fascinating world in his 1942 short story collection I, Robot.

Considering that the robots in Asimov’s novel have a high level of intelligence, who do you think should dictate in the future: man or machine? Or are they equals? Well, the human beings in the stories ensure that the robots are for specific work only, and that mankind will not become subordinates of the thinking automatons. Thus, the robots are bound by the Three Laws of Robotics:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given by a human being unless it conflicts with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection won’t conflict with the First or Second Law.

The Laws were open for interpretation by the robots and therefore created many contradictory situations. In all the short stories, you will begin to notice that the robots become more advanced and increasingly independent; mankind’s grip on the machines starts to loosen. I especially enjoyed when some of the robots start to make a name for themselves among people by becoming officials in Asimov’s futuristic international government. I also liked the bit where an NS-2 robot persuaded other robots to think radically.

I, Robot is a must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike, for it throws ideas at us about Artificial Intelligence, and all of us live in a golden age of technology when the field of robotics is expanding at a speedy rate. However, even readers who don’t connect the book to our world will enjoy it because of the thrilling plot. In a nutshell, I, Robot is a thought-provoking, thrilling, and enjoyable book. (The Guardian)