We, Robot

November 15, 2010

The title and the text of We, Robot, writer/inventor Meadows's fourth book, are a deliberate homage to sf god Isaac Asimov's I, Robot and his fictional laws of robotics (that prevent harm to humans); laws that, Meadows notes, are now being put into practice. Written as a conversational first-person narrative of the author's trips (principally to Japan and Los Angeles) to see robots, the work is also well researched and footnoted. The chapters are thematic, illustrated by sf film concepts. The first four sections (The Terminator, The Jetsons, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Iron Man) cover current developments, the remaining four chapters (Blade Runner, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Avatar), future trends. More than just a technology book, this work also covers philosophies and ethics surrounding the creation and use of robots. VERDICT An engaging and extensively researched work in a popular tone. It includes some mature language, which may limit it to adult collections, but young adults would enjoy it. Robotics fans and sf heads will go for this.--Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles

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