Books With Flair

The development of robot technology to a state of perfection by future civilizations is explored in nine science fiction stories.

The development of robot technology to a state of perfection by future civilizations is explored in nine science fiction stories

Oxford Bookworms offer students at all levels the opportunity to extend their reading and appreciation of English. There are six stages, taking students from elementary to advanced level. At the lower stages, many of the texts have been specially written for the series, to provide elementary and lower-intermediate students with an introduction to real reading in English. At the higher stages, most of the books have been adapted from works originally published for native speakers.

Inspired by Science Fiction Grand Master Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot stories. 2037: Robotic technology has evolved into the realm of self-aware, sentient mechanical entities. But despite the safeguards programmed into the very core of a robot’s artificial intelligence, humanity’s most brilliant creation can still fall prey to those who believe the Three Laws of Robotics were made to be broken... N8-C, better known as Nate, has been Manhattan Hasbro Hospital’s resident robot for more than twenty years. A prototype, humanoid in appearance, he was created to interact with people. While some staff accepted working alongside an anthropomorphic robot, Nate’s very existence terrified most people, leaving the robot utilized for menial tasks and generally ignored. Until one of the hospital’s physicians is found brutally murdered with Nate standing over the corpse, a blood-smeared utility bar clutched in his hand. As designer and programmer of Nate’s positronic brain, Lawrence Robertson is responsible for his creation’s actions and arrested for the crime. Susan Calvin knows the Three Laws of Robotics make it impossible for Nate to harm a human being. But to prove both Nate’s and Lawrence’s innocence, she has to consider the possibility that someone somehow manipulated the laws to commit murder...

Susan Calvin is about to enter her second year as a psych resident at the Manhattan Hasbro teaching hospital when a violent crime strikes very close to home. When she was young, Susan lost her mother in a terrible car wreck that also badly injured her father. She now believes the accident was orchestrated by government officials who wanted her parents dead. Susan has always known there was a faction of the U.S. government that wanted to hijack her father’s work for military use. Now it seems that faction is back. As she struggles to overcome her pain and confusion, as well as deal with her studies, Susan finds herself hunted by violent antitech vigilantes who would revert mankind to the Dark Ages—and at the same time she’s being watched very closely by extremists who want high-tech genocide. Somehow she must find a way to stop them both.

In this technothriller, a Japanese detective stumbles onto deployment of military robots. With cutting-edge technology, I, Robot is a fast read.

This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart. “A must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike.”—The Guardian I, Robot, the first and most widely read book in Asimov’s Robot series, forever changed the world’s perception of artificial intelligence. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world—all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov’s trademark. The Three Laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov formulated the laws governing robots’ behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future—a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. “Tremendously exciting and entertaining . . . Asimov dramatizes an interesting question: How can we live with machines that, generation by generation, grow more intelligent than their creators and not eventually clash with our own invention?”—The Chicago Tribune

What do we mean when we talk about artificial intelligence? Are we talking about beings more intelligent than humans? Wiser? Would we be able to coexist with such beings and overcome our presumption of superiority? These and other questions are what Isaac Asimov explores in his legendary stories of robots. And what Raúl Cuadrado has now dared to illustrate.

The only tie-in book for USA’s award-winning series MR. ROBOT, Elliot’s journal—Red Wheelbarrow—is written by show creator Sam Esmail and show writer Courtney Looney. Before and during the events of season two, Elliot recorded his most private thoughts in this journal—and now you can hold this piece of the series in your hands. Experience Elliot’s battles to gain control of his life and his struggles to survive increasingly dangerous circumstances, in a brand-new story rendered in his own words. The notebook also holds seven removable artifacts—a ripped-out page, a newspaper clipping, a mysterious envelope, and more—along with sketches throughout the book. You’ll discover the story behind MR. ROBOT season two and hints of what is to come. This book is the ultimate journey into the world of the show—and a key to hacking the mind of its main character. MR. ROBOT is a psychological thriller that follows Elliot (Rami Malek, The Pacific), a young programmer, who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and as a vigilante hacker by night. Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader (Christian Slater, Adderall Diaries) of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the firm he is paid to protect. Praise for MR. ROBOT: “Relentless, sensational, and unabashedly suspenseful” —The New York Times “. . . most narratively and visually daring drama series on television . . .” —Entertainment Weekly “Terrific” —The New Yorker “Sam Esmail is one of the most innovative creators to make his mark on television in a long time.” —Rolling Stone “A modern classic” —Forbes “MR. ROBOT has the potential to be one of the defining shows of our age.” —TIME “Brilliant” —The Huffington Post Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series, Drama, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Christian Slater) Critics’ Choice® Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series (Rami Malek), and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Christian Slater) Emmy Award® for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Rami Malek) Five Emmy® nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series

2035: Robotic technology has evolved into the realm of self-aware, sentient mechanical entities. The future of the human race is to be inevitably linked with its most brilliant creation. But there are some who do not want the future to arrive.... Intelligent and driven, Dr. Susan Calvin is beginning her residency in psychiatry at Manhattan Hasbro teaching hospital, where a select group of patients is receiving the latest in diagnostic advancements--nanotechnology ... But what no one knows is that a technology that promised to improve life is now under the control of those who seek to spread only death...