Robot Visions

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: Graham Winton

Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

From the writer whose name is synonymous with the science of robotics comes five decades of robot visions - 36 landmark stories and essays, plus three rare tales - gathered together in one volume.

Meet all of Asimov's most famous creations: Robbie, the very first robot that his imagination brought to life; Susan Calvin, the original robot physchologist; Stephen Byerley, the humanoid robot; and the famous human-robot detective team of Lije Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw, who appeared in such best-selling novels as The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire. Let the master himself guide you through the key moments in the fictional history of robot-human relations - from the most primitive computers and mobile machines to the first robot to become a man.

©1990 Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. (P)2015 Recorded Books

Minor Spoilers Ahead

At the end of the short stories there are a few essays by Asimov about robots. Be aware that some excerpts from the 'Robot' and 'Foundation' series are included. It is precisely because of those essays that this is a must read for any Asimov fan.

Thought provoking

Stories and essays about the future interactions between people and robots (including robots with no bodies called computers). The stories are fun with logic, and essays are made me laugh with surprise at how accurate his visions of the future were.

Fascinating reviewing Asimov’s thought processes.

This is a book that the Foundation TV series’ (Apple TV) Showrunner, David S. Goyer, does not seem to have read. The plots and characters he wrote for TV, are so far off the mark, his TV series should be called something other than Foundation.
This is a wonderful book to read that links Asimov’ Robot and Foundation universes.

Seminal works, but dated

Asimov was a genius in pop clothing. His Robot short stories and later novels laid the groundwork, and even produced some of the vernacular, that we now take for granted regarding robotics and artificial intelligence. He got the whole ball rolling. (It IS interesting that I don't remember him ever using the term "artificial intelligence" even when he explicitly wrote about it.)

However, over 50 years since he wrote these groundbreaking works, his prescience can be seen to have its limits. It is certainly not fair to be amused by his description of a strip of paper with holes in it as a way to program a positronic brain. But, it seems, it's the little things that make a story seem antiquated. On the other hand, who knows how quaint the books of William Gibson will seem in another 30 years?

Dated references aside, it remains timeless that Asimov could also spin some pretty good stories!

Foresight

The Stories are great but the essays are the real jewel of this crown collection

I learned a lot about Asimov's robots in his essay

several essays from 1950s to 1980s explained a lot about Asimov's and his ideas about robots. Asimov's fans read.

Awesome collection

This book had stories I listened to in I Robot, but many more. My favorite was Bicentennial Man.

I do love Isaac's Robot stories.

The Essays at the end give a nice incite to his thinking. The story are varied and hold the interest. I have not read the "Robot City's" stories. I do hope you publish that set .

from 1939 to 1990 Asimov is sci-fi's best

Asimov provides a glimpse of his history and humanity in describing the robot and goals. Remember his first robot story came out in 1939 - long before computers were even a serious thought.

great as always

a good listen . Asimov is always entertaining plus I love the robot series.