- Hardcover
- Publisher: Doubleday (Jun 1954)
- ISBN-10: 9997406389
- ISBN-13: 978-9997406385
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,853,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Caves of Steel
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Product Description
Review
‘One of the classic presentations of the womb-city, metropolis as mother, which has haunted imaginations ever since… The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun are the best books Isaac Asimov ever wrote’ The Guardian
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.Product Description
A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together. Like most people left behind on an over-populated Earth, New York City police detective Elijah Baley had little love for either the arrogant Spacers or their robotic companions. But when a prominent Spacer is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Baley is ordered to the Outer Worlds to help track down the killer. The relationship between Life and his Spacer superiors, who distrusted all Earthmen, was strained from the start. Then he learned that they had assigned him a partner: R. Daneel Olivaw. Worst of all was that the "R" stood for robot--and his positronic partner was made in the image and likeness of the murder victim!
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book introduces an Earth inhabited by billions of city dwellers, frightened to go outside, suckling in the warm continual buzz of the enclosed steel cave which is the city they are born,live and die in. Earth people hate and fear robots who take their jobs. They fear even more the 'Spacers'. Humans who left Earth generations ago to found colonies on 50 other planetary systems. 'Spacers' are tall and noble featured, disease free, live in the open and are totally dependant on their robots. 'Spacers' have the power and it is 'Spacers' who are forcing robots on Earthmen. When a brilliant 'Spacer' roboticist is murdered on Earth, Elijah Bayley, the Earth detective called in to investige is forced to team up with a special 'Spacer' robot R. Daneel Olivaw which looks just like a human. Asimov displays his mastery of the growing relationship between the intuitive, blundering human and the constantly logical robot as they piece together the elements of the crime and capture the murderer. Togther with its sequels, 'the Naked Sun' and 'Robots of Dawn', 'the Caves of Steel' shows Asimov at his best. The reader is drawn inextricably into the world of the future, a thrilling detective story is told and a solid base laid as the first three books in Asimovs 14 book 'history of the future'. One word of warning DON'T TRUST THE COVER PICTURES on any of Asimovs books, they are totally miss leading and seem designed to put you off. All Asimovs books are about real Humans their actions and reactions, especially those which also involve robots.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Some of the stories in THE COMPLETE ROBOT indicate the beginning of galactic civilization with the concept of hyperspace, but this novel shows the beginning of Earth's expansion into the galaxy.
However, that is only one of the factors in this science fiction/mystery novel. It works well on both levels. I've seen some criticism of the mystery elements, but with careful reading, the seasoned mystery reader will spot the necessary clues leading to the conclusion.
However, that is only one of the factors in this science fiction/mystery novel. It works well on both levels. I've seen some criticism of the mystery elements, but with careful reading, the seasoned mystery reader will spot the necessary clues leading to the conclusion.
The basic plot involves New York City detective Elijah Bailey's teaming with R. Daneel Olivaw, a spacer android, to solve the murder of a prominent spacer scientist. Earth's population is, as a whole, fearful of the growing use of robots. There's a combination of distrust of the robots and fear of robots taking over even complex jobs on an overcrowded Earth, and the police detective himself resents having to work with a non-human. Naturally, this changes in time as the two work together to solve the crime and as Bailey learns of the outer worlds' objective of inspiring Earth's participation in colonizing other worlds.
As a whole, the story is well plotted and should encourage those new to Asimov to continue reading the robot series and then the Empire and Foundation books.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The first time I read this book was when a friend gave me an old copy complete with rather poor cover. Had I judged the book by its cover I would have missed one of my favourite books.
The story relates the tale of an Earth where the human race has split into two factions: the Spacers - humans who have settled on other worlds, and the humans descended from those who remained behind. Each dislikes the other and so when a Spacer scientist is murdered on Earth it falls to an Earth detective and a Spacer robot to combine their knowledge and track down the killer.
I enjoyed this book as a young teenager and have read it a couple of times since then. Each time I have enjoyed it and its sequels (The Naked Sun and The Robots of Dawn). Asimov was a master storyteller and this book is no exception.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ok read, even if a bit familiar
Of course, growing up with sci-fi films aplenty, and living through the digital revolution, this book now seems quaint in its content. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Alexandra
Classical science fiction with a capital R
Azimov was the first science fiction author that I read and this was a return to a book i first read thirty years ago , but it was really well worth returning to the caves . Read more
Published 7 months ago by lart phauson
Isaac Asimov at his very best. Sci-fi and detective story, perfect.
If you want to see the seeds of all the Foundation novels then this is where they start. This book and "The naked sun", both detective/sci-fi stories containing the same two... Read more
Published 11 months ago by A. J. W. Tungate
scifi mystery, a major building block in his future history
This is one of the seminal novels in Asimov's massive, disorganized (in my view), and self-contadictory history of the future. Read more
Published 11 months ago by rob crawford
A Fusion of Form
I am delighted that Caves of Steel has been published on Kindle. It is a marvellous book for holidays. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Martin Lake
Robots and steel
Take a complex scifi novel and meld it with a hardboiled murder mystery -- the result is "Caves of Steel. Read more
Published on 17 May 2010 by E. A Solinas
A Masterpiece from the Master
The Caves of Steel is the first of Asimov's Robot novels. It expands on themes established in his earlier short stories of the social and political impact of the introduction of... Read more
Published on 6 April 2010 by Rygel XVI
Lovely book cover!
Great story, if you like to read about the interaction between a human and a humaniform robot (which I do!)and in a rather 'classically' 50's style sci-fi setting.
Published on 21 Nov 2009 by CatBar
An interesting product of its time
Like much of Asimov's work, this is based around a mystery format (the murder of a 'Spacer' or space colonist in a camp outside the future steel city of New York). Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2007 by quippe
Classic introduction to robotics
The leading light in robot technology and design is murdered outside the city of New York. The murderer, it appears, is an Earthman, a human, and the murder is destined to drive... Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2005 by Budge Burgess
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