Asimov—Future Present

When I’m asked who my favorite author is, my immediate response is Isaac Asimov. Usually, their response is, who or, he writes sci-fi? I never read that stuff. If I ask why not, there are usually several stock answers. None of it makes any sense. I prefer real-life stories, not people flying around between planets. Romance is my thing, not little green men. They usually follow all these responses with, how can you read that junk?

I know everyone thinks their point is valid, so let me use Asimov’s work to at least open some minds and show how relevant sci-fi is. Most of his books were written from the early forties through the seventies. However, he continued to write until his death in 1992. There are two series, Foundation and Robots that he is most famous for.

The robot series features the main character, R Daneel Olivaw, a humaniform robot. He is the central figure in five of the six books in the series. Daneel is a thinking, feeling, and always learning being. His main purpose for existing is to help humanity help themselves while always abiding by the three laws of robotics. What are the three laws?

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law

• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws

What relevance does this have in today’s world, you may ask? The answer is everything. Robots are becoming increasingly involved in our everyday lives. From Alexa to Chat-gpt, automated checkout stations to the amazing machines being developed by Boston Dynamics, robots are in our lives. These semi-autonomous inventions will need a set of rules to guide them. Asimov has provided those rules. The term Positronic brain, which is being used in robotics today, comes from this series.

As the centuries pass, Daneel goes from assisting a detective in solving a murder to becoming a trusted advisor to an emperor. There are other robots as advanced as Daneel that Asimov introduces over time, but he remains the central character. When it comes to the concept of AI and Robotics, Isaac Asimov was decades ahead of his time.

The Foundation Series, the authors’ next collection of stories, is loosely based on the fall of the Roman Empire. Each book has its own collection of characters, but it’s Hari Seldon and his development of psychohistory that ties all the books together. The books take the reader on a magnificent journey from the destruction of one empire and the eventual reconstruction of a second one.

One of many fascinating elements in the series is that Earth has become a mythical place. Even though it’s widely accepted that Earth is where humans originated, it’s been lost in time. Finally, in the last book, Foundation and Earth, the home planet is rediscovered.

Unfortunately, Earth is a glowing ball of radiation that will never again be inhabited.

Azimov ties both series together on Earth’s moon. That’s where the explorers find R Daneel Olivaw continuing to help humankind make the right choices and prosper. It’s a long and winding road to get to this point, but a fascinating one.

For those that say they hate sci-fi, I have this to offer. If you’re looking for adventure, romance, complicated plots, and even memoirs, this genre has it all. I hope that my review of just one of the many great sci-fi writers has nudged you into taking a second look.