I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

  1. Revy
    Revy
    If you've seen the movie I, Robot it's nothing like the book, although some parts of I, Robot are based on the book, most of it is actually based on an unrelated screenplay originally titled "Hard Wired". They renamed it to I, Robot to appeal to sci-fi fanbase as well as emphasise the robot storyline. I'm not saying this because I hated the movie, it was decent and carries its own compelling issues, although the main character's nostalgia for the 2000s is a bit annoying (it also seemed like a cheap marketing ploy).

    The book itself is an anthology of short stories, which take place in different settings but sometimes have the same characters. I think if the book were to get a genuine adaptation, it could not be a movie, but a TV miniseries.

    Although the book was written in 1950, and the writing style seems rather dated, the issues explored are amazingly thought-provoking and I recommend the book to anyone.
    Asimov did overestimate the technological progress that would be made, predicting that in the current decade we are in (the 2000s), we would have bases and mines on other planets.

    I'm not going to give any spoilers away, though I will comment on some things. The economic issue involved with the use of robots for labor is brushed off and only mentioned a few times. It is assumed that things will work themselves out on that end, ignoring the contradictions that poses under a capitalist system. But I, Robot isn't meant to be a grand portrait of societal changes, but a look into the experiences of a few individuals, and the plot is from the POV of humans always, which makes the title ironic.

    the global society in I, Robot is a collection of sovereign Regions with elected "Regional Co-ordinators". Eventually, they moved toward a world federation with a World Co-ordinator.

    but yeah, if you happen to ever get ahold of it, enjoy the story.