Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel: A Cold Lump of Steel.
Written: Jul 30 '03 (Updated Aug 14 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Blend of Science-Fiction and Mystery. One of the first of its kind.
Cons: Plot and characters mostly flat and two-dimensional.
The Bottom Line: Fusion of Science Fiction and Mystery Fiction. Lacks the three-dimensional characters and plot required to make such an undertaking successful. Though it has some good elements of classic Sci-Fi.
avepythagoras's Full Review: Isaac Asimov - The Caves of Steel
This is my seventh Isaac Asimov review. As I continue to plow through the entire Robot/Foundation oeuvre of one of the pioneering fathers of Science Fiction. The Caves of Steel is the first of Asimov's Robot trilogy and the second Robot novel published by Bantam Spectra. It is also the second book in Asimov's mammoth Robot/Foundation series, spanning nearly the entire history of the Human race from the late 20th Century onward to some 40,000 years later--that is, if my reckoning is correct. The Caves of Steel is a good place to start if you want to begin the Asimov experience as I, Robot is nothing more than a collection of loosely based short stories recounting the early discoveries and breakthroughs of the Positronic revolution wherein fully active Robots become a reality, one in which Humans must learn to cope: just as we are, now, with the outrageous growth of the computer revolution.
A thousand years after the early research and success of robot technology Earth has descended into a veritable Dark Age. Earth is radically overpopulated, a sprawling mass of mindlessly large cities, vast cavernous shells of towering skyscrapers, literally Caves of Steel. Earth-dwelling humanity has lost itself in the cold, sheltered lives among the walled enclosures, and has even developed phobias of the outdoors, fearing the vast open space that blue sky provides. Xenophobic, the remaining Earthlings have an intense distrust of Spacers--those humans who have taken to the Stars and populated the outreaches of known and unknown space--and their Robot lackeys. This distrust has closed the minds of Earthlings and many technological advances have gone unheeded--namely Robots and Space-faring technology. Earth is in a culture crisis: powerless and behind the times, if offers nothing to the future growth of the human race and seems soon to be left-behind, antiquated, a mere historical footnote to the human conquest of out Milky-Way galaxy.
Enter Elijah Baley, a talented detective from New York recently assigned to investigate a murder in Spacer held territory on Earth. He is forced to open his mind and overcome his xenophobia when he is told his new partner will be none other than one of the most advanced Robots created, one so human, so real, that he begins to doubt everything he has ever thought about Robots. Thus the novel unfolds: what can Elijah learn from his new partner R. Daneel Olivaw. The murder victim is none other than Olivaw's creator, and Olivaw was casted in the exact likeness of the murder victim. Can Elijah solve the case? And what, if anything, can he learn from his positronic partner?
In my...ahem...humble opinion
Needless to say, this novel seemed to have potential. It attempts to fuse together elements of high science-fiction dialogue with the suspense of solving a befuddling mystery. What would the killer gain from his murder? Is someone trying to start a war between the Spacers and Earthlings and alienate Earth further from any attempt at reconciling its phobia with technology? But the best mysteries require good, solid characters, characters that develop as the plot begins to thicken. Who are, at first, just as confused as the readers, yet begin to find the patterns that will ultimately unwind the mystery, unmasking the subtle forces as work behind the scenes. Similar to the experience Dorothy had as she unhinged the smoke and mirrors guise of 'Wizard of Oz'. Asimov can't handle characters. Regardless, he tries to add depth and feeling to Elijah. We see Elijah struggle with his preconceived notion of Robots and Spacers, and the cognitive dissonance that his new experiences provide. He begins to see his robot companion as more than just a hunk of metal, something more than a machine yet less than human. But it just isn't convincing. It seems shallow and Elijah's internal dialogue lacks the sharpness that one would expect. It doesn't seem real. And, as with Asimov's other novels, his attempt to create full-blooded characters doesn't add up. Asimov is better with shorter stories, novels that don't require character development. Like any of the original Foundation series, as the novels themselves are nothing more than shorter stories and historical anecdotes building the grandiose Foundation universe as they progress. And Asimov is good at creating these worlds. But when he writes a novel that focuses on the personality and development of one or two characters he falters. Like in Prelude to Foundation. He just never got a grip on the necessary qualities of writing required to capture the subtleties of the human experience.
But its not a total loss...or is it?
I hated this novel. It took a little extra effort to push myself to finish it. Even with the obvious flaws in the character development, the plot doesn't provide that page turning suspense of most well written mystery novels. And by the end of the novel, I really didn't care who did it, in fact, I wasn't really surprised at all. Everything seemed obvious. There wasn't an 'Agatha Christie' moment, where everything just stops, the revelations are made, and you say to yourself, 'Wow, that was clever.' And you proceed wordless, pondering the great enlightening moment for the next few minutes. No, there was none of that. The mystery wasn't that mysterious, the motive all but obvious, and the end a pastiche of boring self-discovery, as Elijah begins to resolve his societal phobias and moves into a more fulfilling, open-minded life.
If you like science fiction, one of those hardcore fans, you'll probably disagree with my analysis and review. But, we all have opinions, and mine is just one of many. So, if you do like science fiction, this book has some worth. After all, Asimov is a genius in world-building. The child-like inquisitiveness of Olivaw, as he tries to understand and empathize with humans, is an obvious influence for characters such as Data from Star Trek: TNG, as well as countless other Positronic rip-offs. Also, Asimov's idea concerning The Caves of Steel, massive urban sprawl, has inspired everything from Blade Runner to The Fifth Element--need I even mention AI. And other such movies and novels. But as a novel, a clever attempt to fuse science fiction and mystery, it fails.
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