Caves Of Steel Chapter Summary

1954 novel by Isaac Asimov

The Caves of Steel
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author	Isaac Asimov
Cover artist	Ruth Ray^[ane]
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Robot series
Genre	Mystery Scientific discipline fiction
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	1953 (magazine), Feb four, 1954 (book)^[two]
Media type	Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages	224
Preceded by	"Mother World"
Followed by	The Naked Lord's day

The Caves of Steel is a scientific discipline fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov. It is a detective story and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction tin be applied to whatsoever literary genre, rather than just being a express genre in itself.

The book was first published as a serial in Galaxy magazine, from October to December 1953. A Doubleday hardcover followed in 1954.

At the time of writing, Asimov conceived of The Caves of Steel equally completely distinct from his Foundation Trilogy, published a few years earlier. Decades later, however, Asimov linked them, making the time of Caves of Steel a much before part of an all-encompassing Hereafter history leading up to the rise of the Galactic Empire, its fall and the ascent of 2 Foundations to replace it – with the Robot R. Daneel Olivaw, introduced in Caves of Steel, turning out to have survived over tens of thousands of years and have played a cardinal role in the eras of both the Empire and the Foundation(due south).

Setup [edit]

Isaac Asimov introduces Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw, later his favorite protagonists. They alive roughly three millennia in World's futurity, a time when hyperspace travel has been discovered and a few worlds relatively shut to Earth have been colonized – fifty planets known as the "Spacer worlds". The Spacer worlds are rich, have depression population density (boilerplate population of one hundred meg each), and use robot labor heavily. Meanwhile, Earth is overpopulated with viii billion people, three times that of Asimov's 1950s, with strict rules against robots. In The Caves of Steel and its sequels (the commencement of which is The Naked Sun), Asimov paints a grim situation of an Globe dealing with an extremely large population and of luxury-seeking Spacers, who limit birth to permit great wealth and privacy.

Asimov was a claustrophile: "I wrote a novel in 1953 which pictured a world in which anybody lived in underground cities, comfortably enclosed away from the open up air. People would say, 'How could you imagine such a nightmarish situation?' And I would answer in astonishment, 'What nightmarish situation?'"^[3] The "caves of steel" are vast city complexes covered by huge metallic domes, capable of supporting tens of millions each: the New York City of that era (wherein much of the story is set) encompasses present-day New York Metropolis also as large tracts of New Jersey. Asimov imagines the present day cloak-and-dagger transit connected to malls and apartment blocks, until no one ever exits the domes and most of the population suffer from extreme fearfulness of leaving them. (Even though the Robot and Foundation serial were not made function of the same fictional universe until much later, the "caves of steel" resemble the planet Trantor.)

The novel'due south central plot device is a murder, which takes identify before it opens. (This is an Asimov trademark, which he attributed to his squeamishness plus John Campbell'south advice to brainstorm every bit late in the story as possible.) The victim is Roj Nemmenuh Sarton, a Spacer Ambassador who lives in Spacetown, the Spacer outpost merely outside New York City. For some fourth dimension, he has tried to convince the World government to loosen its anti-robot restrictions. One morning, he is discovered exterior his dwelling house, his chest imploded by an energy equalizer. The New York police commissioner charges Elijah with finding the murderer, in cooperation with a highly advanced robot named R. Daneel Olivaw who is visually identical to a human and is equipped with a scanner that is able to detect man emotions through their encephalographic waves.

Plot [edit]

A faction of Spacers have come to the realization that Spacer culture is effete, stagnating due to negative population growth and longevity. Their solution is to encourage further space exploration and colonization by Earthmen in concert with robots. However, Earthmen would first need to overcome their irrational antagonism toward robots. To this end, the faction have established habitations on Earth through which they hope to innovate humanoid robots to Earth.

New York Urban center Police Commissioner Julius Enderby is secretly a member of the Medievalists, a subversive anti-robot group which pines for the 'olden days' where men did non live in the 'caves of steel'. He uses his position to engineer meetings with Spacer Dr. Sarton under the guise of further cooperation, but he actually intends to destroy R. Daneel - who lives with and resembles Dr. Sarton. Enderby orders R. Sammy to bring a blaster through the unmonitored 'open air' (something that no Earthman could eyebrow), merely in the estrus of the moment Enderby drops his spectacles and fails to distinguish between the human and robot, accidentally shooting the man. Knowing that Baley's wife is too a Medievalist, he assigns Baley to the example, working with R. Daneel who represents the Spacers, and spreads a rumour about humanoid robots amid the subversives to throw suspicion on Baley when Enderby after destroys R. Sammy with radiations. Daneel rules out Enderby every bit the murderer as his brain patterns show him incapable of deliberately killing.

The novel follows Baley and Olivaw as Baley begins to suspect Olivaw but is proved incorrect twice. Olivaw gradually learns more about World humans and starts to display curiosity about aspects of human behaviour and Earth engineering science. As part of the investigation, Baley makes a visit to Spacetown where he meets with Dr. Fastolfe, who injects him with a mildly suggestive drug while speaking about the relative merits and shortcomings of Earth and Spacer guild. Baley is converted to the cause of spreading humanity throughout the galaxy. Although the Spacers deem Baley inadequate to convert enough Earthmen, they notice their target when Baley arrests Clousarr on suspicion of inciting a riot and Olivaw provides him with suggestive statements. Their job accomplished, the Spacers make plans to exit Earth as their continued presence would be to the detriment of their crusade; they accept Dr. Sarton's unsolved decease as a necessary cede. This leaves Baley with xc minutes to discover the killer, which he is convinced volition likewise clear him of the devastation of R. Sammy.

Baley has a wink of inspiration when he connects Enderby's emotional highs and lows to how close or far away Baley was to solving the murder. Obtaining a recording of the law-breaking scene, he manages to demonstrate that fragments of Enderby's glasses remain in situ. Given that the Spacers have already accepted that Sarton'south death is unsolved, they are willing to non prosecute Enderby for the blow if he agrees to work with them to promote colonization of other worlds amongst the Medievalists.

Another recurring theme is the tension between Baley'southward married woman as "Jessie" or "Jezebel", and her resentment at Baley for explaining that the Biblical Jezebel story was misinterpreted, stifling her fantasy.

Characters [edit]

In order of advent, described:

Elijah "Lije" Baley, a plainly-wearing apparel police officer who works on Earth. He is called to solve the murder.
Vince Barrett, a beau whose job was taken over by R. Sammy.
R. Sammy, a robot assigned to the Police Department
Julius Enderby, New York Urban center's Commissioner of Police force, who assigns Baley to the murder case.
Jezebel "Jessie" Navodny Baley, Baley'southward wife
Roj Nemennuh Sarton, a spacer roboticist murdered with a blaster. Baley is assigned to investigate his death.
R. Daneel Olivaw, Baley'due south partner, a humaniform robot created in Sarton'south likeness
Bentley Baley, Baley's son
Han Fastolfe, a roboticist from Aurora, a Spacer earth, who believes Spacers and World dwellers must work together to colonize the milky way and survive in the hereafter.
Dr. Anthony Gerrigel, a roboticist at Washington whom Baley calls
Francis Clousarr, a New Yorker who was arrested for inciting a riot confronting robots 2 years ago. Daneel identifies him as being present at ii incidents.

Reception [edit]

Reviewer Groff Conklin praised the novel for the manner Asimov "combines his interest in robotics with his consuming preoccupation with the sociology of a technology-mad, bureaucratically tethered world of tomorrow."^[four] Boucher and McComas praised The Caves of Steel as "Asimov's best long work to date", saying that it was "the most successful attempt yet to combine" the detective and science fiction novel.^[5] P. Schuyler Miller called it "as honest a combination of science fiction and detection as we've seen."^[6] Villiers Gerson of The New York Times wrote: "Hither is an unusually exciting and engrossing detective story ready in a science fictional background assuredly worked out."^[vii]

In 2004 The Caves of Steel was nominated for a retroactive Hugo Honour for Best Novel for 1954.^[viii]

Adaptations [edit]

The novel was adapted for telly past the BBC and shown in 1964: just a few brusque excerpts withal be. In June 1989, the book was adjusted by Bert Coules as a radio play for the BBC, with Ed Bishop as Elijah Baley and Sam Dastor as R. Daneel Olivaw. In 2016, Akiva Goldsman had been hired to produce a moving-picture show.^[ix]

Television adaptation [edit]

The Caves of Steel
Also known every bit	Story Parade – The Caves of Steel
Genre	Scientific discipline fiction
Written by	Terry Nation
Directed by	Peter Sasdy
Starring	Peter Cushing John Carson
Music by	BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English language
Production
Producer	Eric Tayler
Running fourth dimension	75 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC2
Original release	5 June 1964 (1964-06-05)

An accommodation of The Caves of Steel was produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 on 5 June 1964 every bit part of an anthology strand called Story Parade, which specialized in adaptations of modern novels. It starred Peter Cushing as Elijah Baley and John Carson as R. Daneel Olivaw. The adaptation was the brainchild of Story Parade story editor Irene Shubik, who was an enthusiast of scientific discipline fiction, once describing him every bit "1 of the almost interesting and agreeable men I take ever met".^[10] Shubik had previously devised and story edited the science fiction album series Out of This World, which had adjusted Asimov's short story "Little Lost Robot" in 1962. The adaptation of the novel was handled by Terry Nation, who by now had created the Daleks for Doctor Who.

The screenplay was generally true-blue to the plot of the novel. The only major departure was the conclusion – in the television version the murderer commits suicide when he is unmasked, although in the novel he agrees to work to convince the Medievalists to change their ways. The other major change is that the roboticist Dr. Gerrigel is a female character in the television receiver version.

The Caves of Steel garnered good reviews: The Daily Telegraph said the play "proved once again that science fiction can be heady, carry a message and be intellectually stimulating"^[11] while The Listener, citing the play as the best of the Story Parade series, described it as "a fascinating mixture of science fiction and whodunit which worked remarkably well".^[12] The play was repeated on BBC1 on 28 August 1964. As was common practice at the time, the primary videotapes of The Caves of Steel were wiped some time afterward broadcast and the play remains missing. A few brusk extracts survive: the opening titles and the murder of Sarton; Elijah and Daneel coming together Dr. Gerrigel (Naomi Chance) and Elijah and Daneel confronting the Medievalist Clousarr (John Boyd-Brent).

The success of The Caves of Steel led Irene Shubik to devise the science fiction album series Out of the Unknown, during which she oversaw the adaptation of half dozen more than Asimov stories, including The Caves of Steel 's sequel The Naked Lord's day.

Cast of BBC two Accommodation:

Peter Cushing as Elijah Baley
John Carson as R Daneel Olivaw
Kenneth J. Warren equally Commissioner Julius Enderby
John Wentworth as Dr Han Fastolfe
Ellen McIntosh as Jessie Baley
Ian Trigger as R Sammy
Stanley Walsh as Simpson
John Boyd-Brent as Francis Cloussar
Naomi Run a risk as Dr Gerrigel
Hennie Scott as Bentley Baley
Richard Beale as Controller
Richard Beint every bit Store Manager
Patsy Smart as Customer

Radio accommodation [edit]

In 1989 BBC Radio iv circulate an accommodation by Bert Coules, directed by Matthew Walters and starring Ed Bishop as Baley with Sam Dastor as Olivaw.

Cast of BBC Radio 4 Adaptation:

Ed Bishop as Elijah Baley
Sam Dastor as R Daneel Olivaw
Matt Zimmerman as Commissioner Julius Enderby
Christopher Proficient every bit Dr Han Fastolfe
Beth Porter as Jessie Baley
Ian Michie every bit R Sammy
Vincent Brimble as Simpson
Elizabeth Mansfield as Frances Cloussar
Brian Miller equally the Shopkeeper
Boris Hunker as Bentley Baley
Susan Sheridan as City Journalist

Game adaptation [edit]

In 1988 Kodak produced a VCR game entitled "Isaac Asimov'south Robots" that contained a 45-infinitesimal motion-picture show loosely based on The Caves of Steel. It featured many of the characters and settings from the novel, but an altered plotline to fit the needs of a VCR game. Elements from The Robots of Dawn (including the characters Giskard Reventlov and Kelden Amadiro) were incorporated, as well. Similar to the BBC2 version, Dr. Gerrigel was replaced by a adult female, named Sophia Quintana (subsequently an unrelated character from Robots and Empire).

Cast of Isaac Asimov's Robots:

Valarie Pettiford as Newscaster
Stephen Rowe as Elijah Baley
Richard Levine as R. Sammy
Larry Cake equally Commissioner Julius Enderby
Brent Barrett equally R. Daneel Olivaw
John Henry Cox as Dr. Han Fastolfe
Eric Tull as R. Giskard Reventlov and R. Borgraf
George Merritt as Kelden Amadiro
Darrie Lawrence as Sophia Quintana
Debra Jo Rupp as R. Jane
Eleni Kelakos as Vasilia Fastolfe

References [edit]

^ Publication Listing. Isfdb.org. Retrieved on 2013-xi-02.
^ "Books Published Today". The New York Times: 23. four February 1954.
^ Asimov, Isaac (1969). Nightfall, and other stories. Doubleday. p. 244.
^ "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", Galaxy Scientific discipline Fiction, July 1954, p. 98
^ "Recommended Reading," F&SF, May 1954, p. 88.
^ "The Reference Library", Astounding Science Fiction, November 1954, p. 150
^ Gerson, Villiers (7 March 1954). "Spacers". The New York Times: Section seven, p. xvi.
^ 1954 Retro-Hugo Awards at thehugoawards.org (retrieved 24 April 2016).
^ Akiva Goldsman Writing 'Caves of Steel' Sci-Fi Movie for Fox (Sectional)
^ Cutler 1999.
^ Ward 2004, p. 24.
^ "Story Parade: The Caves of Steel – Press Coverage". 625.org. Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2007.

Sources [edit]

Cutler, Colin (1999). "Story Parade: The Caves of Steel". 625.org. Archived from the original on ii October 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2007.
Ward, Mark (2004). Out of the Unknown: A Guide to the legendary BBC serial. Bristol: Kaleidoscope. ISBNane-900203-10-three.

External links [edit]

The Caves of Steel title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
The Caves of Steel at Open Library
Story Parade – The Caves of Steel at IMDb
The Caves of Steel as serialized in Galaxy, parts 1, 2, and 3 at the Net Archive