Released in 1954, The Caves of Steel is the first in the Robot mystery series by Isaac Asimov. It is a detective story and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction can be applied to any literary genre, rather than just being a limited genre in itself. It remains one of Asimov's beloved novels. It remains a tremendously satisfying reading experience (hence my reading it twice) but there are sequences where the book shows its age a bit. But as a mid-twentieth century sci-fi classic, it endures the test of time.

The story is a nifty murder mystery set in a distant future Earth in which humanity now lives in enclosed city-sized buildings known as, of course, Cities or "caves of steel". Between the people of Earth and the Spacers, human emigrants from Earth who live among the 50 independent colonized planets (because Earth’s inability to support 8 billion humans), there exists R's (robots). They are designed and perfected among the Spacer colonies to do all the menial tasks humans do, freeing up humans for a life of leisure and pleasure. At least, that's how it works off-world. In the Cities of Earth, as robots became integrated into Earth's rigidly heirarchical society, and some of them began taking sorely needed jobs away from people, hostilities erupted into riotous frenzy. Now, robot integration is a slower process, though one that meets with no less hatred. In the story there exists a group called the Medievalists. The Medievalists are a subversive anti-robot group which pine for the 'olden days' where men did not live in the 'caves of steel' and weren't in competition with robots. He uses his position to engineer meetings with Spacer Dr. Sarton under the guise of further cooperation, but he actually intends to destroy R. Daneel - who lives with and resembles Dr. Sarton

Our main character is Elijah Baley. Elijah is a police detective whose commissioner, Julius Enderby, calls on him to solve the murder of a prominent Spacer scientists (Dr. Sarton) in a cordoned-off sector of New York called simply Spacetown. At the Spacers' insistence, Baley is partnered with a mechanical lowlife! - a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, created by robotics engineer Dr. Sarton. And yet Olivaw is the first of a whole new breed of R's. Nearly human in appearance and demeanor, Olivaw was in fact invented by the murder victim, a Spacer scientist actually sympathetic to Earth people who hoped the new generation of human-like robots would improve the pace of Earth's technological growth and help Earth overcome its aversion to robots. The Spacers, and Olivaw, believe the scientist was murdered by an underground anti-Spacer organization which knew of these plans, and, to say the least, disapproved strongly (perhaps a member of the Medievalists?). But despite Earthfolks' hatred of Spacers, Baley knows of no organized terrorist cells dedicated to their destruction and Baley even assumes it could be a follow Robot. Yet as Baley and Olivaw pursue the case, clues mount up which point to a conspiracy that Baley doesn't want to confront that those closest to him maybe the culprit. Is the murderer his wife? His boss?

You'll have to read to find out.

This is an excellent whodunnit and fascinating sci-fi tale, even if it has a few flaws. Here are my two main complaints: 1.) The dialogue has more of place in the 1950s rather than three millenniums from now. 2.) Baley's wife is sadly not written well and is given to melodrama. But I guess we don't read Asimov for strong female characters....

And despite these flaws, this is a classic.

More than merely an entertaining whodunnit, this novel is ultimately about humanity's need to overcome the fears and prejudices which senselessly prevent our own betterment as a species. It's a message that has remained important (just look at the current unrest in America). For this reason alone, this is a timeless novel even if it does show a bit of age. ( )

“The point isn’t stressed. Spacetown wishes to convince Earthmen of the usefulness of such as myself, not of our weaknesses.”

“Then why tell me?”

R. Daneel turned his eyes full on his human companion. “You are my partner, Elijah. It is well that you know my weaknesses and shortcomings.”

( )

A formative book for adolescent me ( )

Always a pleasure to re-read one of my favorite books of all time, starring one of my favorite characters of all time (Daneel). A pretty straight forward murder mystery in a SF Asimov future. Always engrossing. ( )

recenzie pe larg pe bloguldesefe.ro (curând).
Per total, cu toate că am rămas oarecum dezamăgit ca scriitură, în principal fiindcă am recitit recent și „Fundația” și acolo am fost mult mai tare re-impresionat, la recitire după 30 de ani „Caverne de oțel” mi-a dovedit că rămâne un roman foarte modern în idei, extrem de eficient în anticipație (și pe tehnic și pe social) și foarte eficient în a prezenta pe larg și a judeca profund o societate întreagă, deși este o carte doar medie spre scurtă ca lungime (acesta fiind pentru mine un plus). ( )