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darri_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think the people with low ratings are missing the part where Isaac Asimov states that this is a project written by different authors inspired by his works. A fanfiction if you will. This is what this book felt like. And I found it actually kind of good.
For a slow paced book there was enough action to keep me hooked and wanting to keep reading, which props to that because I have a terrible time at reading slow paced books. The characters were interesting enough. I cling to the robots so much, they're so fun and each have a noticeable personality. I was genuinely sad when that thing happened with Monitor 5. I wondered what happed to Alpha. I also really liked Wolruf (Rrullf) and Aranimas. The settings the plot takes place in are also interesting and the author, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, does a great job at naturally allowing the reader to explore with the characters.
My only real critiques are around Derec and his character. I found him really annoying for most of the book. He really only became interesting after he met Kate, to which case his entire character does a 180 and is suddenly a different person. It wasn't a natural change, but I didn't hate it. I think Derec needed to have his whole character changed, because I found his attitude towards certain characters to be painfully annoying and uncalled for.
Here are my notes during reading. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
-Derec started off an okay character until he was rude to Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 when all they were doing was what they were programmed to do, keep the human alive.
-Genuinely sad that Monitor 5 didn't make it.
-Aranimas is a better character than Derec, even though he's the Raider Leader and tortured Derec.
-"Eat space and die" would have been a great quote if it weren't for the context of the situation that ruined it. Rrullf is just doing her job, man.
-To further that point, Derec changed the name of Rrullf's name to Wolruf. He didn't even TRY to pronounce her name, he just told her what he was going to call her.
-If Derec betrays Rrullf I don't know what I'll do, but I will be angry.
-Derec can't seem to do anything for himself.
-There's a woman involved now. Let's see if he's a suck up. I'm guessing enemies to lovers.
-"You woke me up to ask me for my insurance card?"
-Self aware foreshadowing?
-Why is Derec now considering robots as equals as if he hadn't gone the whole plot not caring if the robots lived or died and only toys to be played with?
-Rrullf! I'm so glad to see her!
-The author really went and through Derec's "I don't give a shit" personality right out the window the second he brought in the bad bitch Kate.
-If their little stunt killed Rrullf I am going to scream.
-Rrullf is fine, thank the Gods.
-Kathrine and Derec are married (not canon) and Rrullf is their adopted daughter/puppy.
-Maybe Monitor 5 gave Derec the key because Monitor 5 knew what it was and what it could do and considering Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 were working so hard to keep Derec safe, Monitor 5 knew the key could do that. Just a thought, DEREC.
For a slow paced book there was enough action to keep me hooked and wanting to keep reading, which props to that because I have a terrible time at reading slow paced books. The characters were interesting enough. I cling to the robots so much, they're so fun and each have a noticeable personality. I was genuinely sad when that thing happened with Monitor 5. I wondered what happed to Alpha. I also really liked Wolruf (Rrullf) and Aranimas. The settings the plot takes place in are also interesting and the author, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, does a great job at naturally allowing the reader to explore with the characters.
My only real critiques are around Derec and his character. I found him really annoying for most of the book. He really only became interesting after he met Kate, to which case his entire character does a 180 and is suddenly a different person. It wasn't a natural change, but I didn't hate it. I think Derec needed to have his whole character changed, because I found his attitude towards certain characters to be painfully annoying and uncalled for.
Here are my notes during reading. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
-Derec started off an okay character until he was rude to Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 when all they were doing was what they were programmed to do, keep the human alive.
-Genuinely sad that Monitor 5 didn't make it.
-Aranimas is a better character than Derec, even though he's the Raider Leader and tortured Derec.
-"Eat space and die" would have been a great quote if it weren't for the context of the situation that ruined it. Rrullf is just doing her job, man.
-To further that point, Derec changed the name of Rrullf's name to Wolruf. He didn't even TRY to pronounce her name, he just told her what he was going to call her.
-If Derec betrays Rrullf I don't know what I'll do, but I will be angry.
-Derec can't seem to do anything for himself.
-There's a woman involved now. Let's see if he's a suck up. I'm guessing enemies to lovers.
-"You woke me up to ask me for my insurance card?"
-Self aware foreshadowing?
-Why is Derec now considering robots as equals as if he hadn't gone the whole plot not caring if the robots lived or died and only toys to be played with?
-Rrullf! I'm so glad to see her!
-The author really went and through Derec's "I don't give a shit" personality right out the window the second he brought in the bad bitch Kate.
-If their little stunt killed Rrullf I am going to scream.
-Rrullf is fine, thank the Gods.
-Kathrine and Derec are married (not canon) and Rrullf is their adopted daughter/puppy.
-Maybe Monitor 5 gave Derec the key because Monitor 5 knew what it was and what it could do and considering Monitor 5 and Analyst 17 were working so hard to keep Derec safe, Monitor 5 knew the key could do that. Just a thought, DEREC.
quoththegirl's review against another edition
2.0
I'm going to review the first three books of Robot City here, since my complaints are the same for all of them.
I inherited the first three books of the series when I got married, and both my husband and I had assumed that these were actually by Isaac Asimov. NOT SO. Asimov writes the intros, and the stories are very, very loosely set in his universe, but that's it. I was still prepared to enjoy the series...until I realized the quality was terrible.
In all fairness to the authors, a lot of the flaws may well be due to the fact that each author wrote a single book in a sprawling, interminably long story. I can only imagine the frustration in writing a chunk of story that someone else started and a third someone else would finish. The result is some of the dullest, jarring scifi I've read. The characters are, without exception, unlikable, mercurial, and wildly unpredictable and unnatural in their reactions. I never really did get a handle on them. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is unfair to the speedier varieties of snails out there. Subplots are ignored for whole books at a time (again, understandable when books are written by different authors.) The mysteries put forward aren't particularly interesting, and I had no desire to read past the three books we already owned.
I did read the synopses for the remaining four books--yes, that's right, they managed to spin this threadbare little story out into seven books in total--and was very glad I hadn't bothered to read the rest.
This wouldn't even have warranted two stars if not for the robots themselves, who are by far and away the most interesting characters in the book, which really isn't saying much.
I inherited the first three books of the series when I got married, and both my husband and I had assumed that these were actually by Isaac Asimov. NOT SO. Asimov writes the intros, and the stories are very, very loosely set in his universe, but that's it. I was still prepared to enjoy the series...until I realized the quality was terrible.
In all fairness to the authors, a lot of the flaws may well be due to the fact that each author wrote a single book in a sprawling, interminably long story. I can only imagine the frustration in writing a chunk of story that someone else started and a third someone else would finish. The result is some of the dullest, jarring scifi I've read. The characters are, without exception, unlikable, mercurial, and wildly unpredictable and unnatural in their reactions. I never really did get a handle on them. To say the plot moved at a snail's pace is unfair to the speedier varieties of snails out there. Subplots are ignored for whole books at a time (again, understandable when books are written by different authors.) The mysteries put forward aren't particularly interesting, and I had no desire to read past the three books we already owned.
I did read the synopses for the remaining four books--yes, that's right, they managed to spin this threadbare little story out into seven books in total--and was very glad I hadn't bothered to read the rest.
This wouldn't even have warranted two stars if not for the robots themselves, who are by far and away the most interesting characters in the book, which really isn't saying much.
jay4iitkgp's review against another edition
2.0
A perversion of Isaac Asimov's legacy and ideology, in my opinion. The cliffhanger ending, and 7 part novel (none of which can give a clear picture) in addition with countless plot twists and deviations from Asimov's universe have frustrated me to the hilt. The foreword by Asimov himself made it clear that he has green lit the project, and yet when I see the final result, I can't help draw a comparison between this one and the countless Robot novels written by the legend. Needless to say, this one falls way off the mark.
waden34's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good book to start off this series. That being said, don't read it unless you want to get invested in the series as the story is left completely open at the end and nothing is resolved.
Following Darec along as he tries to discover what has happened to himself was a lot of fun.
It was a very quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves Asimov's universe.
Following Darec along as he tries to discover what has happened to himself was a lot of fun.
It was a very quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves Asimov's universe.
tome15's review against another edition
4.0
Kube-McDowell, Michael. Odyssey. Isaac Asimov’s Robot City No. 1. Ace, 1987.
In the late 1980s, franchised out part of his robot universe to a group of six young writers. This first novel in the series has an open ending that hands off to the writer doing the second installment. To get the whole story, you need to be familiar with Asimov’s originals and with the whole sequence of novels in the series. Asimov introduces each novel and explains what he thinks it adds to his original ideas. We begin with a man with amnesia waking up in a starship life pod. Eventually, he lands in a city run by Asimovian robots. You can take it from there.
In the late 1980s, franchised out part of his robot universe to a group of six young writers. This first novel in the series has an open ending that hands off to the writer doing the second installment. To get the whole story, you need to be familiar with Asimov’s originals and with the whole sequence of novels in the series. Asimov introduces each novel and explains what he thinks it adds to his original ideas. We begin with a man with amnesia waking up in a starship life pod. Eventually, he lands in a city run by Asimovian robots. You can take it from there.
ajlewis2's review against another edition
5.0
Great story of mystery and robots. There is no conclusion to the story with this book, but having been hooked since page 1, I'll be reading the rest of the series.
Isaac Asimov introduces the series telling us that he has set down guidelines for it. I'm happy to find that this book does follow in the great tradition of robot stories that he began.
Isaac Asimov introduces the series telling us that he has set down guidelines for it. I'm happy to find that this book does follow in the great tradition of robot stories that he began.
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