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    The Robots of Dawn
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    The Robots of Dawn
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    The Robots of Dawn
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Robots of Dawn

    Written by Isaac Asimov

    Narrated by William Dufris

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A millennium into the future two advances 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.

    Detective Elijah Baiey is called to the Spacer world Aurora to solve a bizarre case of roboticide. The prime suspect is a gifted roboticist who had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to commit the crime. There's only one catch: Baley and his positronic partner, R. Daneel Olivaw, must prove the man innocent. For in a case of political intrigue and love between woman and robot gone tragically wrong, there's more at stake than simple justice. This time Baley's career, his life, and Earth's right to pioneer the Galaxy lie in the delicate balance.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 15, 2014
    ISBN9780804191241
    Unavailable
    The Robots of Dawn
    Author

    Isaac Asimov

    Isaac Asimov was the Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the founder of robot ethics, the world’s most prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. The Good Doctor’s fiction has been enjoyed by millions for more than half a century.

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    Reviews for The Robots of Dawn

    4/5

    1,248 ratings41 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Audio version was very good for the first 3 books in this series. I especially liked the voice of the various robots. I enjoyed following the plot along and being surprised at the end.

      I'm looking forward to the final book, Robots and Empire, and then on into the Foundation series once again.
    • 5/5
      Possibly even better than Caves of Steel, or the Naked Sun. This still retains the feel of classic, yet progressive science fiction - terrific dialogue, masterful transmissions of exposition and internal monologues, rational conclusions, not overused action and an ending that gave me goosebumps and had me dreaming of the stars. Absolutely fantastic.
    • 4/5
      This is the third of Asimov's novels featuring Earth detective Elijah Bailey and Robot Daneel Olivaw. The first two were fairly short novels published in the 1950s, whereas this one was published in the 1980s and is twice as long. It is still distinctively Asimov, with the classic extensive exploration of the three laws of robotics and the differences between customs and attitudes of Earth and the Spacer world of Aurora, though it lacks the tight plotting of its predecessors, and some of the scenes are too drawn out. This is a novel of ideas par excellence, and sets the scene, very far into the future, for Asimov's Galactic Empire and Foundation series. Very good, though as a novel in its own right, not in the same class as The Naked Sun.
    • 5/5
      This was another good science fiction mystery and, better yet, it was totally new to me. Elijah and Daneel make good partners. The book kept me guessing about the solution to the mystery. The only problem I had is that the book felt a tad contrived with the social situation, forming the triad between the other two settings. That was a minor niggle in the grand scheme of things.If you like science fiction and mysteries, start with The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun and follow up with this one. While it can be read as a stand-alone, some richness is lost.
    • 4/5
      Another enjoyable read from the Robots series. Though it is a new planet it continues to contain Asimov's belief in progress through technology and the American Dream.
    • 4/5
      Some of the issues raised in this novel were years ahead of their time. A good read. So far, my favorite among the three Robots books.
    • 5/5
      There are a lot of interesting concepts in this book, esp regarding the use of robots. Some issues include robot vs human exploration of space, as companions, and varying levels of artificial intelligence. Asimov crafts a brilliant society on Aurora, and the contrast w the other Spacer planets and Earth are insightful as to where we are headed as a planet.
    • 3/5
      Progressing through the Foundation Universe. This one took a long time as I kept setting it aside for others.
    • 4/5
      Lije Baley returns to Aurora (scene of the second robot mystery The Naked Sun) to investigate the murder of a humaniform robot
    • 4/5
      I ,3 <3 <3 Isaac Asimov. He is one of my top 3 favorite authors of all time. He did not disappoint with this book. Really. You have to read it. Especially if you love robots. And ponies. Especially magical ponies.
    • 4/5
      A very good read. Typical Asimov, I love the set up for typing things together with Foundation. This was a audio book for me.
    • 4/5
      I see why I loved the book when I first read it: it explored our culture from the outside and drew us along as it, in turn, explored an outside culture. In fact, without meaning to do so, I think Asimov gave me a beginner's lesson in both sociology and logic.But looking at this book as a purely "mystery" genre, it is fairly tedious. I'm not sure how I would have felt if I began with this series. Instead, I began with the [Foundation Trilogy] and was hooked forever after. So much so that I can face a little tedium in my decision to retread Asimov's Robot/Foundation oeuvre.
    • 4/5
      This is a great detective story. When entwined with the workings of robots and Earth vs. Spacer culture, it is exceptional. I really enjoyed the process of progression. There where some adult topics and situations that where more descriptive than necessary, but the detective work of Elijah Baley of Earth overshadows the lowest points. I enjoyed this book a great deal.
    • 3/5
      Substance: Mystery on Aurora not as convincing as previous two, because no one should really care that Dr. Fastolfe "killed" one of his own robots, even if it was humaniform.Style: Because of the time gap, contains lots of internal self-references to Asimov's robot stories, by way of creating a "universe" connection.
    • 4/5
      A more modern novel that keeps the 50's classic feel of the first two books. Great twist at the end that sets us up for the Foundation series.
    • 4/5
      The last of the Elijah Baley trilogy, in which New York City detective Lije Baley must deal with the culture of the spacers -- humans whose ancestors abandoned earth to form a galactic empire, who have become much more powerful than the crowded millions who remain on Earth. In so doing, he must cooperate with the robot detective, R. Daneel Olivaw. In this last in the series, Lije is middle aged, and must go to the planet Aurora -- center of the spacer world -- to solve a murder. He is reunited with the gorgeous Gladia, and the plot thickens to a point where Earth's fate hangs in the balance.
    • 4/5
      Since his trip off-world to the planet Solaria, plainclothesman Elijah Baley has founded a group of people who go outside the cities in their spare time. Although he still finds being outside difficult, he hopes that the younger members of the group, such as his son Bentley will one day get the chance to settle on another planet.Since he has been trying unsuccessfully to get permission to travel to the planet Aurora, Elijah Baley is pleased to be summoned there to find out who 'killed' a humaniform robot, and he is even happier to meet up with his old friend R. Daneel Olivaw again. But the case has political ramifications, and failure to clear Hans Fastolfe's name could mean that Earthmen will never get the chance to live on other worlds.
    • 4/5
      A robot/scifi mystery. Lije Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw must travel far from Earth to solve a robot related mystery. Exactly what happened on Aurora? A fun exploration of the relation of human to robot and the 3 Laws of Robotics.
    • 4/5
      Lije Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw return in a third book. This time, they're sent to the Spacer world of Aurora, and are investigating a case of roboticide, in which a robot resembling the humaniform Daneel has been deactivated beyond the point of repair.Plots within plots untangle as Lije and Daniel weave their way through each tale spun by the suspects. Though is the real robotocidist who we think it is?A wonderful book for fans of Asimov, especially other books of Lije and Daneel. Also recommended for science fiction mystery buffs.
    • 5/5
      This was a pleasant surprise. I half expected him to turn the series on its head like he did with the Foundation trilogy in "Foundation's Edge". Instead it was true to form, recapturing all the character and style of the original novels from thirty years earlier - a major (and welcome) accomplishment. I'm very glad I read all three Robot novels back-to-back (starting with "The Caves of Steel"). I've heard 'Robots and Empire' is a bridging novel to the Empire trilogy (although linkages to that and the Foundation novels have already begun to appear) that isn't quite the same as these, so I'll save that for when I need another Asimov fix in the future.
    • 2/5
      I consider myself an Asimov fan, and I recognize that he's generally an author you come to looking for great ideas more than great characters. Having said that, this book really didn't work for me on any level. I found it contrived and long-winded. If you cut out all of the references to the design and use of "personals" (i.e., bathrooms), as well as the almost comically bad sex and clueless ruminations thereon, you would have a significantly shorter and moderately better novel. As I was reading the second half of this book I couldn't get out of my head the notion that Asimov had written an 84 point outline of the plot, and then turned the project over to a robot with the assignment to write a chapter on each. At least there were a couple of scenes that left me chuckling thinking about a Daneel/Elijah slash treatment. This is my 27th science fiction book read to date this year; maybe a little break would be in order?
    • 4/5
      I'm not usually a fan of detective novels, but an Asimov detective novel in which many of the main characters are robots? I'm totally sold.Also: Elijah/Daneel omg so in love.
    • 5/5
      Read The Caves of Steel before this one!Elijah Baley takes off to Aurora to solve a crime (In my opinion, his most difficult investigation). Highly reccommended for any SF reader!
    • 4/5
      Yet another robotics science-fiction mystery story.
    • 4/5
      Excellent job by Asimov. It was a whodunit that kept me guessing almost to the page it was explained. Asimov seems to enjoy taking parts of our society and basing a whole society on it, and showing the foibles of to narrow a view.Extremes are dangerous and should not be followed by a society at large. Instead it should use them as posts to guide down the middle.
    • 4/5
      My wife prefers the Robot novels while I prefer the Foundation ones. In this book, the two begin to merge. That is not to say that the future Foundation books do not read like Foundation books, or that this novel seems more like a Foundation one, but it is here that the Robot books begin to write the history of the Foundation ones. Psychohistory makes its beginnings here, as does the concept of a Galactic Empire.Standing on its own, this mystery is the best of the Lije Baley and Daneel Olivaw (I adopt the custom of Aurora by leaving the "R." off Daneel's name) books, though it honestly starts off weak. Yet the second half of the book is exciting, stimulating, and more human than most of Asimov's books (I do love his work, but his great flaw is the coldness of his characters). The solution is clever, and better than most mystery novels offer. A good and thoughtful read.
    • 4/5
      Great ending to the Robot Series. Very typical of Asimov's style. This was the wordiest of the series and I think Asimov put in a lot of unneeded dialog.
    • 3/5
      This was a decent Asimov novel with a few surprises thrown in for good measure and a steady, layered style and type of writing that explores a wide range of ideas, themes, and concepts. I was pleased with what I read and will continue, down the line, to read more Asimov to explore him as a writer.3.25 stars.
    • 4/5
      This series is extremely interesting. Asimov does a wonderful job of imaging how different societies would react to each other. The ending was a surprise to me and very interesting.
    • 4/5
      This is the third of the Elijah Baley/R. Daneel Olivaw murder mystery novels, and the one that opened the door for connecting the robot series with the Foundation series. It is better than many of the Robot-Foundation crossovers, though the crime to be solved also probably the weakest of the three Robot mysteries, but contains a frightening depiction of the dysfunctional spacer society.The mystery at the heart of the book concerns the destruction of the humaniform robot Jander on the planet Aurora. Once again, Lige Baley is teamed with Olivaw to hunt down the culprit, but the mystery serves mostly as a vehicle to explore the oddity of the spacer culture. Once on the outwardly utopian Aurora, Lige delves further into dysfunctional nature of spacer society revealed in The Naked Sun. Gladia, introduced in The Naked Sun, turns out to be Jander's owner, and is so distanced from human contact that she took Jander as her lover and "husband". The murder mystery leads Lidge into Auroran politics, featuring a struggle between Aurorans who believe that colonizing the galaxy is their destiny, and others opposed to such a goal.Along the way, Lidge discovers attempts to construct further humaniform robots to further the goal of colonizing the galaxy, the seeds of the idea that will be developed by Hari Seldon as psychohistory, and a love triangle. The intersection of these elements, especially the attempts to construct humaniform robots without the assistance of the one roboticist who knows the secret of their construction, proves to be the thread that ties together the answer to the mystery. Unfortunately, the answer, and Baley's handling of the denoument of the book is mostly just a set up for the various Foundation-Robot cross overs that came later.The weakness of this book is not necessarily contained in the story or characters in the book, but the implications that the story has for other Asimov works. The introduction of psychohistory here, thousands of years before Seldon, lessens the "revolutionary" insight that got Seldon arrested and put on trial in Foundation. The introduction of Olivaw and Giskard are more or less benevolent robot-gods shepherding humanity through a crisis begins the process that ends with the omniscient robot guardian of Foundation and Earth. While the story contained within the book itself is well-crafted, the connections it makes with other works serves only to cheapen them.