Utopia - Caliban 3

Allen ( Ring of Charon ), with the imprimatur of the late SF legend, offers here a reflection on what would happen if robots did not follow Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. Those Laws build into robots a code of behavior through which they cannot harm humans. Here, the world of Inferno has become so dependent on robotic servants that humans have lost even the motivation to save their planet from impending ecological collapse. When a leading robotics scientist is mysteriously attacked and her experimental, lawless robot Caliban is let loose on the planet, the sheltered world of the Infernals is destined never to be the same. Political intrigue, love triangles, some smart detective work and Caliban's search for a robotic identity beyond being a servant to humans keep the story always interesting as it wends its way to an exciting conclusion. Unfortunately, Allen misses many opportunities to delve into how robots, programmed not to harm humans, can allow the long-term safety of their masters to be put in jeopardy through robotic dependence.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The viability of the planet Inferno depends on the coexistence of two antagonistic human societies: the Spacers, who depend on robots for everything, and the Settlers, who eschew artificial intelligence. When authorities begin to suspect the existence of a rogue robot, created without the Three Laws that ensure subservience to humans, the delicate partnership begins to unravel. Based on a discussion with the late Asimov, Allen's ( Orphancy Creation , Baen Bks., dist by S. & S., 1988) latest work is a detective novel cum literary tribute that might have been written by the master himself. A good choice for large sf collections.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.