Book Review: The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asmiov

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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!

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