![]() ![]() ![]() "I, Robot" is a short, fun read, as is almost everything Asimov wrote. Spoilers for those who haven't read the series. Other books, like Roger MacBride Allen's "Caliban" novels, can be enjoyed off to the side, as they don't really forward the story arcs of the rest of the series. Similarly, the three "Empire" novels, set in the very early days of the Empire-they're not up to the level of quality that the other books achieve, and can safely be read after finishing the main series-if at all. ![]() (If anyone disagrees, please tell me why I'd be willing to reconsider this point, but haven't read those books since they came out.) While they're good, they do very little to add to the fabric of the story, and can be viewed as bonus reading material for later on. I've left out the two prequel foundation books that Asimov wrote. Think of Susan Calvin and the Mule and you may see my point. This may sound odd, as the robot and Foundation tales are meant to illustrate great sweeps of history, but in my opinion, the strongest tales here are those that are small and intimate. This allows one to emphasize the building of themes within the books, rather than individual plot threads.Īt their heart, these stories work best when they focus on individual people. The series was never quite finished, so I feel that a non-linear approach is the best choice here. Here's the order I think makes the most sense for maximum enjoyment of the books. I think that neither published order nor chronological order quite does the series justice. ![]()
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