Spread over 30 years, these books comprise Asimovs robot detective stories starring Lije Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw. (The R. stands for Robot) All are murder mysteries of a sort that are premised upon a paradox that is caused by the three Laws of Robotics that regulate the behavior of robots. In each, Baley solves the dilemma and smoothes over inter-galactic tactility but manages to allow the culprit to escape castigation.
William B. (LoneReader) -
A very good mystery-Si-Fi book. Would that there were more of them.......... .......
A millennium into the future, two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. On the beautiful Outer World planet of Solaria, a handful of human colonists lead a hermit-like existence, their every need attended to by their faithful robot servants. To this strange and provocative planet comes Detective Elijah Baley, sent from the streets of New York with his positronic partner, the robot R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve an incredible murder that has rocked Solaria to its foundations. The victim had been so reclusive that he appeared to his associates only through holographic projection. Yet someone had gotten close enough to bludgeon him to death while robots looked on. Now Baley and Olivaw are faced with two clear impossibilities: Either the Solarian was killed by one of his robots--unthinkable under the laws of Robotics--or he was killed by the woman who loved him so much that she never came into his presence!
This book was a good mix of science fiction and mystery. There was a theme of overcoming fears throughout the book, whether it was Lije's fear of the outdoors or the Solarian's fear of personal presence. I look forward to reading the first book in the series, The Caves of Steel.
