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I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov Stitching together short stories written over a number of years, this volume presents so
many ideas that are foundational to the rest of the field of sci-fi writing that it's hard
to even keep up. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Asimov's writing, which others hold up as a
weakness, is his spare prose and his rapid pace. To me, that indicates a writer who is beset
with so many ideas, and has such a grand picture in mind, that they simply cannot wait to get
it committed to the page. In 200 some pages, we progress from the earliest robots up to ones
so humanoid they cannot be distinguished in any way, physical or behavioral. We learn of the key
company, the managers, the comedic duo (another perfect architype) of Donovon and Powell and follow
them on close-calls across the galaxy as they help us internalize the important 3 rules of robotics. All
of it done without belaboring points or wasting 10,000 words on a single plot aspect that other writers
often are transparently so fond or proud of.
That Asimov has published works in all but one of the categories of the Dewey Decimal System confirms the
speed and scope of his intellect, and his approach to speculative fiction is a perfect reflection and outgrowth of that mind.
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