Stepping stone for Robot City Series!!
Written: Nov 18 '05 (Updated Nov 18 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Aliens at last in Asimov series!!
Cons: Not much innovative ideas, lacks a in depth plot!!
The Bottom Line: Odyssey is the first novel in the Robot City series and authors just seem to be setting up the series and next novel in this book!!
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| ram_cv's Full Review: |
Introduction
Robot City is a series of stories approved by the Estate of Isaac Asimov to build stories around the robot series developed by the late maestro. Luckily for the authors of this series, Isaac Asimov was alive to guide them unlike the authors of the Second Foundation Trilogy who started their work after the demise of the maestro.
The Plot
A human wakes up on a space life saving pod remembering absolutely nothing about his present or his past. He starts looking around and tries to clues to identify who he is and all he comes to know is that his name might be Derec and that he had an in depth knowledge of the workings of robot and their psychology.
His lifepod lands on a planet and there he finds robots. His hopes of rescue are crushed when he comes to know that the planet is entirely run by robots and there are no humans around. Even so, he is at least safe for some time. Then unexpectedly a spaceship arrives on the scene and starts attacking the planet.
Derec becomes unconscious and wakes up in an alien ship. The ship is of one Aranimas an alien and his slave companion Wolruf. Aranimas wants Derec to build him robots to help him in his work. On ship Derec finds other aliens working for Aranimas in the fear of his powers and realizes that he needs to escape and pretty soon.
How will Derec escape from a species he knows nothing about? What about the robots on the planet and what were they doing all alone? Check out this first novel in the Robot City series for the details.
Critic's Viewpoint
Odyssey is the first book in the Robot-City series and is written by Michael P.Kube Mcdowell and Mike McQuay. The book has a nice little foreword by Asimov where he tries to set the expectation for his greenhorn disciples. This also represents the first time that Asimov allowed anybody to quote his Three Laws of Robotics.
Odyssey starts very well and we have Derec looking for his identity and finding himself equipped with some brilliant skills. The storyline draws comparisons with Bourne Identity and Currents of Space where the maestro himself had weaved a story starting from the same origins of a person lost on his history.
The authors have done well to weave a nice little story without reaching any hieghts of Science fiction. One thing that they have sought to introduce new to Asimov's series is the concept of the aliens. But, alas, the aliens in Odyssey are no match to the aliens described in the Star Trek or the Star Wars series. So the aliens are mere humanoids and cananoids with minor differences from humans and dogs. Another flip side is that the aliens have also been shown as a stupid at that, making it all very flimsy.
The story does not have much depth, and all that it does is set the next novel in the series quite nicely. The novel ends in a unsolved mystery which would be addressed in Suspicion which is the second novel in the Robot City series.
Summary
The book is neither a disappointment nor a revealation. It is an average book and does not rise to the hieghts of the maestro. But it does have some interesting moments about it and also sets up the next novel in the series nicely.
So for Odyssey the first novel in the Robot City series, I give a 3 star rating.
Other novels approved by the Estate of Isaac Asimov
Foundation's Fear: The first novel in the Second Foundation Trilogy written by Gregory Benford. Trace Hari Seldon's rise to First ministership in this novel. Check out the full review at http://www.epinions.com/content_195472821892.
Foundation and Chaos: The second novel in the Second Foundation Trilogy written by Greg Bear. Trace the development of pschyohistory and the origins of the idea for Foundations in this novel. Check out the full review at http://www.epinions.com/content_209523740292.
Foundation's Triumph: The final novel in the Second Foundation Trilogy is written by David Brin. This book traces the formation of the Foundations. Check out the full review at http://www.epinions.com/content_210495966852
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ram_cv
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Location: India
Reviews written: 273
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
A movie, sports, travel and books buff
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