The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
"The Caves of Steel" and its sequel "The Naked Sun" are science fiction novels by Isaac Asimov that explore themes of societal division and human-robot interaction in a futuristic setting. The stories depict a world where humanity is split between the overcrowded, enclosed cities of Earth, inhabited by those fearful of open spaces, and the sparsely populated, technologically advanced planets of the Spacers. Central to the narrative is detective Elijah "Lije" Baley, who is forced to confront his prejudices and fears as he partners with a humanoid robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve murders in both Earth and Spacer societies.
In "The Caves of Steel," Lije investigates the murder of a Spacer robot scientist, navigating complex societal tensions between Earthmen and Spacers. The sequel, "The Naked Sun," shifts the action to Solaria, where Lije grapples with his agoraphobia while unearthing a murder plot that reflects the Solarians' own fears of human interaction. Throughout both novels, Asimov delves into the nature of fear, prejudice, and the potential for coexistence, challenging readers to consider the implications of technology and societal evolution. These works are pivotal in the science fiction genre, raising profound questions about humanity's future and our relationship with artificial intelligence.
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The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun
First published:The Caves of Steel (1954; serial form, Galaxy, October-December, 1953) and The Naked Sun (1957; serial form, Astounding Science-Fiction, October-December, 1956)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Science fiction—artificial intelligence
Time of work: About c.e. 5000
Locale: New York City and the planet Solaria
The Plot
Isaac Asimov wrote The Caves of Steel, under the persuasion of Horace Gold of Galaxy magazine, as a follow-up to his popular robot short stories. Following its success, Asimov wrote a sequel, The Naked Sun, for rival magazine publisher John Campbell, Jr., and for Doubleday Books.
The novels envision a future humanity split into two antagonistic groups. Those remaining on Earth have developed a fear of open spaces. They live in covered megacities, the “caves of steel” of the title, resigned to extreme overcrowding and rationing of virtually all amenities. The Spacers, descendants of the colonizers of fifty “Outer Worlds,” have much longer life spans and superior technology on their sparsely populated planets, and they forbid “disease-ridden” earthlings from immigrating to their worlds.
Spacers make extensive use of robots. The more primitive models permitted on Earth are violently hated by most City dwellers, especially “Medievalists,” who yearn sentimentally for pre-City days. The only contact between Spacers and Earthmen is through Spacetown, a diplomatic/military base at the western edge of New York City.
As The Caves of Steel opens, police detective Elijah “Lije” Baley is summoned by his Medievalist boss, Commissioner Julius Enderby, to investigate a murder. A Spacer robot scientist named Sarton has been shot in Spacetown, presumably by an Earthman. Baley must accept as a partner a Spacer robot created by Sarton. The robot, named R. Daneel Olivaw, looks human enough to “pass” among hostile Earthmen.
In the course of the investigation, Lije makes a number of embarrassing wrong guesses. He first supposes that Daneel is really Sarton in disguise but is convinced when Daneel exposes the machinery beneath his skin. Later, he guesses that Daneel is the killer. An expert convinces the Earthman that the Three Laws of Robotics built into a robot’s positronic brain absolutely prevent it from intentionally harming a human. Lije is dismayed to find that his wife works for a secret Medievalist society, though she appears innocent of the crime. Finally, Lije proves that Enderby is the killer. Daneel reveals that the Spacers’ ultimate goal on Earth is to convince Earthmen to break out of their stagnant cities to colonize uninhabited planets, with the help of robots.
The Naked Sun shifts the setting to the planet Solaria, where Lije and Daneel attempt to solve another murder. Lije is extremely reluctant to accept the assignment because of his Earthman’s agoraphobia, but his boss orders him to do so because his observations can be invaluable to Earth intelligence. Dr. Rikaine Delmarre has been clubbed to death with a blunt object, which is now missing. His wife, Gladia, was found in a faint near the body, and a robot witness’s positronic brain has gone haywire. Solarian security chief Hannis Gruer believes that Gladia is connected to a plot against the human race that Delmarre was uncovering. Gruer himself is the victim of a nearly fatal poisoning.
Lije is pleased to be reunited with Daneel and startled to learn that Solarians have a phobia of their own: Living alone on large estates, communicating via holographic projections, they have a horror of physical human contact or even presence. Marriage and procreation are seen as distasteful necessities, fetuses are removed for incubation, and children are raised on “baby farms.”
In the course of the novel, Lije feels drawn to Gladia, who seems to have a repressed interest in close contact with a fellow human. Lije seeks to overcome his fear of open spaces under a “naked sun.” Escaping from Daneel, who wishes to keep him “from harm” (as the Three Laws of Robotics direct) by not letting him travel out of doors, Lije contacts five suspects—a family doctor, a sociologist, the acting security chief, a supervisor at the baby farm, and a roboticist. He brings them and Gladia into one room (holographically), in classic detective fashion, for the denouement. The villain turns out to be the roboticist, Jothan Leebig, who has found ways of circumventing the Three Laws of Robotics and tricking robots into becoming agents of crime. He also has manipulated Gladia. Gladia moves to the planet Aurora so that she can obtain human company, and Lije makes a plea to his supervisor concerning the need for Earthmen to overcome their own fears and colonize the stars.
Bibliography
Goble, Neil. Asimov Analyzed. Baltimore: Mirage, 1972.
Gunn, James. Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2005.
Hassler, Donald M. Reader’s Guide to Isaac Asimov. Mercer Island, Wash.: Starmont, 1991.
Moskowitz, Sam. “Isaac Asimov.” In Seekers of Tomorrow: Masters of Modern Science Fiction. Cleveland: World, 1966.
Olander, Joseph D., and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. Isaac Asimov. New York: Taplinger, 1977.
Patrouch, Joseph F. The Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974.