The Caves of Steel was first published as a serial from October to December 1953. It followed Asimov's love for robotic science fictio...

The Caves of Steel was first published as a serial from October to December 1953. It followed Asimov's love for robotic science fiction. It also incorporated the detective genre in an attempt by Asimov to prove that science fiction could be applied to any genre. 

The story is set 3000 years in the future where Earth is critically overpopulated. Surrounding planets have been populated by humans, but they are now known as 'Spacers.' 'Spacers' no longer see themselves as Earthlings and thus tensions between Earth and the surrounding colonies are high. 

The Spacer worlds are far less populated and use highly advanced robots as part of their day to day lives. Earth is the complete opposite. 

The story begins with a Spacer death being committed on Earth. The death could potentially start an interplanetary war. Elijah Baley is handed the task of finding the killer and handing him/her over to the Spacers ASAP. Not trusting the humans, the Spacers send R. Daneel, a sophisticated Spacer robot, to help. 

Below are my thoughts on the story.

WHAT I LIKED: 

The relationship between Elijah and R. Daneel oozed intrigue. It always felt as if the two were bonding. However, with frequent accusations flying around and the anti-robot environment the depth of their friendship was always questioned. This uncertainty worked well and kept an edgy atmosphere running through the story. 

The twists and turns are well timed and developed. The suspense was frequently raised and forced page turning. The narrative was steered in different directions, all believable but none predictable. The last act arrived with the killer still at large, but reader interest in his identity at an acute high.

The mixture of science fiction and crime/mystery/thriller was fun. Asimov wanted to create sci-fi work that could fit into any genre and with The Caves of Steel he succeeded. The futuristic setting was brought to life beautifully and was easy to picture. The dynamics between humans and robots was explicit, and added depth to Asimov's world. This added depth created a dimension to the guessing of the murderer. Predictions were laced with the understanding of Asimov's world. Highlighting how immersive Asimov's story telling is.

WHAT I DISLIKED: 

The narration is very straight edged and to the point. At times it lacked the colour and humour of say a Robert Heinlein story. 

WHAT IS THIS SIMILAR TO?:

This is archetypal Asimov. Science fiction cock-tailed with another genre and bold story telling. Very 50s hard science writing, but it's more fun than the work's of Arthur C Clarke and less preachy than Robert Heinlein's ventures.

WOULD I RECOMMEND?: 

This book was very fun. It's full of suspense and interesting events designed to have readers turning the page. It's the first story in Asimov's robot series and a fantastic way to kick of a series. Definitely worth the read!

"I look better when I'm not in my work overalls." He added a smile to his declaration to lubricate his conceit. "It...

"I look better when I'm not in my work overalls." He added a smile to his declaration to lubricate his conceit.

"It's a shame I'll never see you in anything else." She batted back his smile with an inviting grin of her own.

"Well it doesn't have to be that way."

"Oh no?"

A man barged past them, his stomach nearly knocking her into the next street.

"Hey! Watch where you're going. Are you alright?" He walked toward her offering her a hand but she declined it. 

"It's okay. We're standing on the steps of the busiest bank in the country and it's almost opening time." She checked her watched. "We're lucky we're not splattered everywhere." 

He smiled, not at her comment but at the dimples that formed when she stopped talking. She smiled back and re-adjusted her trench coat. It was summer, the sun was preparing to make this day one of the hottest on record, but no one batted an eyelid at her fashion choice. She looked too good for negativity.

"So when can I show you me, not in overalls?"

"In a different lifetime honey." She blew him a kiss, and turned up the stairs toward the bank.

"But I thought we..." The words escaped him. Partly because of the rejection but mainly because she pulled a loaded semi-automatic uzi from her coat.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she climbed the stairs and waltzed into the bank. The sound of bullets mixed with screams escaped from the revolving entrance.

If this was Hollywood he would have stormed into the bank. Somehow saved the day and began a two hour adventure breaking Hollywood records in the process. Setting up a financially successful sequel that was less well received by the critics. 

Not being Hollywood his legs stiffened and his heart beat quicker than a drummer showing off his repertoire. Each bullet and every scream tightened his muscles until there was silence.