Product Description

Robots. Intelligent machines, usually bearing at least some resemblance to humans, performing the routine drudgeries of life and freeing mankind for the pursuit of nobler goals. Karel Čapek conceived the term. Isaac Asimov codified their behavior, then spent the next fifty-plus years figuring out ways to get around his rules. Phillip K. Dick humanized them, chillingly. George Lucas and James Cameron, for good or ill, made them pop culture icons. Within these pages, you'll meet robots both familiar and fantastic, from the submicroscopic to large, carnivorous machines. Robots discovering their own humanity... and Man's inhumanity. Subversive inversions of genre that will leave the reader pondering the metaphysics of robotics. What if? There's a lot to answer for in those two little words. Look inside, and see what you discover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #711250 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 260 pages

Customer Reviews

A thinking man's exploration of robotic behaviour
"Robots Beyond" is an apt title for this clever anthology of short stories. Editor Lane Adamson has gathered a series of stories that use Asimov's Laws of Robotics and the codification of "appropriate" robotic behaviour as a jumping off point for an exploration of robotic physics, meta-physics and philosophy that is more mixed, more futuristic and definitely more provocative than Asimov imagined when he first created R Daneel Olivaw.

Do robots have sentience? Do robots have intelligence? Do robots have self-determination? Do robots have emotional lives? Are robots capable of self-determination and government? Could a robot believe in a Supreme Being? Can robots live with humanity and with each other? Can robots become addicted to suitably devised robotic vices?

It would be exciting to say that every story was a hit but, sadly, even if one can say that the plot-lines, themes and story-lines are uniformly creative and thought-provoking, the quality of the writing, the presentation of the ideas and their ultimate resolution is mixed.

For example, Tinman, is a very touching story about WW II comrades in arms, one of whom turns out to be robotic. But, I would suggest that, even though Tinman goes above and beyond the call of duty in protecting the fellow soldiers in his platoon, the story is far too cavalier in allowing Tinman to ignore the First Law and fails to discuss the almost overwhelming internal logic issues that Tinman would have to resolve before he could outright kill an opposing soldier.

How Coyote Made Robot is an amusing little tale that reworks an old native legend.

Crocus is a moving story of a little boy and his robot dog. I agree with another reviewer's thought that the ending was somewhat predictable but it's a fact that if robots ever enter reality, then another reality will be the tragic results of software and hardware failures and breakdowns.

The authors included in Robots Beyond skillfully blend lots of other genres with the basic sci-fi format of the anthology as well - horror, fantasy, spy thriller and alternate history, for example. For me, one of the high points of the anthology was a powerful and very creepy little ditty entitled The Cure, that was much more horror than sci-fi. Editor Lane Adamson characterized the story perfectly when he described it as "a deliciously gory story about what happens when the cure is worse than the disease" - robotic nano-technology that is capable of communicating with the host into which it is injected.

Even if you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan of sci-fi robot fiction, you won't like them all but you'll definitely think some of them are terrific. Even with mixed reviews, Robots Beyond is an enjoyable read that deserves your time and your thought.

Recommended.

Paul Weiss

Surpasses Genre
Yes, it does. Yes, it does. Even if you don't like robots . . . if you are not a fan of Science Fiction, neither is a requirement for reading and enjoying this book. That's not to say that Robots Beyond doesn't have its share of thrills, chills and all out mayhem--see Thom Brannan's Electric Crown for non-stop action. R. Thomas Riley's Surveillance was also a fun read.

The table of contents is arranged in such a way that reading the stories in order is like taking an emotional journey. There are tearjerkers--A Robot Named J35U5 by Matt R. Jones, Be Swift My Soul by Lane Adamson. You'll find humor--How Coyote Made Robot by John W. Oliver. If you're looking for something profound--Nano-Domini by Matthew Baugh is certainly that.

In addition to great stories, there is a lot of good writing here as well. Dave Dunwoody's Other Dreams is a prime example of this.

In closing, I have never reviewed a book on Amazon before, but felt compelled to do so after reading Robots Beyond. There are no fillers here, just great story after great story and that is a rare thing to find in any anthology--Not a bit of wasted space . . .

Robots Hits a Few Out of the Park
Robots Beyond contains nineteen stories dealing with the subject of--you guessed it--robots. Most anthologies are hit and miss and Robots Beyond is no exception. The story quality covers the entire gamut--from 'unreadable' to 'future classic'. I've listed a few of the highlights below:

The Last Protector is an ultra-violent fantasy tale in which an ancient race of robots are revived to fight a ruthless enemy. The finish isn't quite as well set up as it should be--an admittedly tricky task in a short story--but it is still an intriguing tale. Writer, Billy Wong, shows a lot of promise.

Burning Down the House is a fun, futuristic tale of nanites and fungus zombies.

Tinman is a unexpectedly touching story about World War Two soldiers and their brave comrade who is more than he appears to be. This tale suffers from a plethora of unneeded profanity, which makes it unsuitable for young readers, but is nonetheless a very good story.

Crocus is the story of a boy and his robot dog. It's a little bit predictable, but well written and a very entertaining read.

The Strange Affair of the Artisan's Heart is an impeccably written story from Joshua Reynolds. Mix steampunk, an Aztec (Ameriquetzlan) ambassador, a beautiful Countess, political intrigue, and a sacrifice to an ancient god and you get this strange, but tasty tale. Reynolds is fast becoming the master of genre mixing.

How Coyote Made Robot is an amusing riff on legend.

Again, Iabrochium is the story of two wizards sent to assassinate a sorcerer who has somehow managed to resurrect the dread dragon Iabrochium. More than that, it's also a thought provoking reflection on the dangers of seeking knowledge without a guiding moral compass.

Author and editor Lane Adamson manages to imbue the central robots of Be Swift, My Soul with more character and heart than many of those in the unmentioned tales in Robots Beyond. He asks the questions, do robots have souls and is Christ their Savior? And he does this in the context of story more satisfying than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.