Robot Dreams

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

In a career spanning nearly 50 years, Isaac Asimov - science writer, historian, and futurist - accurately predicted how technological breakthroughs would be developed and utilized, years before they became reality. His foresight envisioned calculators, computerized cars, and advances in the field of robotics as chronicled in such popular books as I, Robot; Robots and Empire; and The Robots of Dawn.

Robot Dreams spans the body of his fiction from the 1940s to the mid ’80s, featuring all of the classic Asimovian themes - from the scientific puzzle and the extraterrestrial thriller to the psychological discourse. In addition to the title story (a Locus poll winner and Hugo and Nebula Award finalist), this collection features several of Asimov’s robot tales. A robopsychologist must outwit a machine determined to stay hidden in "Little Lost Robot"; a woman’s talent for "Light Verse" overshadows her true accomplishments with her robot servants; "The Last Question" presented to computer after computer over a hundred billion years may remain forever unanswered…and 17 more future visions from the grand master of science fiction.

©1986 Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc., Isaac Asimov (P)2014 Recorded Books

love it

Isaac Asimov remains among my favorite if not my most favorite science fiction authors. Unfortunately I zoom off was of a generation of Science Fiction writers who for the most part gave into the traditional stereotypes and conventions of race and gender. I'll be it still he was a master for science fiction writer as will be conveyed through this book. It is also clear that I truly loved mystery and detective novels. But R. Danielle novels also convey that. Read it you enjoy it.

Asimov creativity is one of a kind

I love Sci-Fi.
I read and heard hundreds of Sci-Fi books and many hundreds of short sci-fi stories.
This collection blew my mind.
thank you Isaac.
the narration was hard to listen, but not horrible.

Once in a lifetime mind

Only Asimov could create stories like the ones exhibited in this collection. Each story more enveloping than the previous one.

Wonderful!

Robot Dreams is great! Isaac Asimov was a science fiction genius. This collection of his short stories is not exclusively about robots. The stories will make you think.

The narrator does a great job. The sound quality is good. He makes the characters come to life.

There are no sexual references or graphic violence. There are a few mild curse words and brief descriptions of violence. I highly recommend this audiobook for older children, teens, and adults.

Great collection

There are some very well written and insightful stories in here. I usually am not satisfied with the length of short stories but the ideas make up for the brevity. The narration was excellent.

didn't like all the stories but overall good

some stories were made too intricate for no purpose, some had uninteresting endings but overall a mixed bag of interesting stories. not so interesting ones were also at the least originals and required ingenuity.

Let's talk about how to rate a book!

1 Star is awful (and to be diss'ed and shunned and spread as thus through out the Audible Universe!): Couldn't be PAID Enough to finish book.
2 Stars is poor (and not worth the credit or the listen): Finished book ONLY because it was Free and Won't buy the next book.
3 Stars is OK (the usual listen I encounter on Audible): Meh, it's ok; may or may not have got the next book just meh.
4 Stars is good (given only to interesting and well-written books): Good book, bought next book, and enjoyed series.
5 Stars is great (I rarely give this rating): This is your crack! You are collecting the Author's Complete Work's & listen to them again & again & again & again... Examples are Asimov, Crichton, Heinlein, Tolkien, etc.

Far more than just robot stories

Most of us know of Isaac Asimov's robot-related stories or his big Foundation series. But books like this are a reminder that there's a lot more to him than just robots - so much more. This collection of short stories is very rich one. It starts with a robot story as that is the natural expectation given the author and the title. But as you work your way through the chapters, you'll get great examples of Asimov's ability to write about so many different science fiction concepts - some now feeling more like predictions of what we're already experiencing as our present.

The audiobook is proficiently narrated but it isn't necessarily an exceptional or a particularly immersive manner of reading things. Still a solid audiobook, provided you have the time to invest in listening.

Classic, original Asimov, all else is dirivitive

This is a book of Asimov's early short stories that explore the beginnings of robot production and the rise of robopsychologist Susan Calvin, early concepts of the Three Laws and their actual implementation, even time travel, the nature of God, inter-species cultural differences, the consequences of dependence on computers, and much much more. Many of Asimov's scientific/space/robotic/propulsion principles are accepted today as fact, and can be seen in most movies in the genre, especially perhaps, the Star Trek movies and shows.

Just a few of the ideas here have fallen short of reality, but the stories are still wonderful to read. George Guidall does his usual fine job of giving voice to both the humans and the robots.

Story collection

Isaac Asimov's Robot Dreams is a collection of short stories, novelettes, and one novella that span the late 40's through the early 80's with a couple nominated for short fiction awards. As such these tales display the evolution from his early focus on robots, through interplanetary travel to eventually some fundamentally philosophical musings on the nature of the underlying structure of the universe itself. From the creation of the universe to the butterfly effect, Asimov brings an engaging writing style to effective storytelling.

The narration is excellent with superb character distinction as well as tone and mood aligned with the various distinct plots.