Category: Science Fiction
Publisher: Bantam Books
ISBN-13: 9780553293401
Series: Robot, #1
Pub. Date: November 1991 (reprint)
Date Read: May 2009
"Man was born on Mother Earth, do you hear? Earth's the world that gave him birth, do you hear? Spacer, get you off the face Of Mother Earth and into space. Dirty Spacer, do you hear?"
Just like this verse there were hundreds of others, some witty and some just obscene, but all captured the contempt for which the citizens of Earth felt for the Spacers in this tale that takes place some three millenia into Earth's future.
Space travel is the norm, a labor force heavily comprised of robot labor has taken over much of the workplace and cities are overpopulated, but one thing that hasn't changed is that some people are still driven to murder.
When a prominent Spacer is murdered, New York City police officer, Elijah Baley, is tasked with heading the investigation but the Spacers want him to take on R. Daneel Olivaw as his partner. Daneel being a robot and one who is the mirror image of the Spacer murdered.
Elijah resents having to work with a Robot, after all Robots seem to be taking jobs from everyone, but if all goes well this could mean a promotion for Elijah and would allow him and his family to have more privileges.
As the investigation deepens, Elijah will jump to various conclusions not just about Elijah but his boss, Comissioner Enderby, the Medievalists who want to keep with the old traditions and the relationship with the Spacers.
The book succeeds in being a solid detective story while also creating a fascinating look at what could be the future of Earth.