The Positronic Man
by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg
Form: Novel
Year: 1992
ID: 900
Publication history:
- ????: L'Homme Bicentenaire, Pocket Mass market paperback, ISBN 2266102389, 243 pp., in French as L'homme bicentenaire
- 1992: The Positronic Man, Gollancz Hard cover book, 223 pp.
- 1993: The Positronic Man, Pan Mass market paperback, ISBN 0330328115
- 1993: The Positronic Man, Doubleday Hard cover book, 259 pp.
- 1993: The Positronic Man, Pan Mass market paperback, 223 pp.
- 1993: The Positronic Man, Science Fiction Book Club Hard cover book, 204 pp.
- 1993: Tout sauf un homme, Plon Hard cover book, in French
- 1995: The Positronic Man, Bantam Mass market paperback, ISBN 0-553-56121-9, 290 pp.
- 1996: Positronisch Brein, Bruna , ISBN 90-229-8081-2, in Dutch
- 1998: Der Positronische Mann, Heyne Mass market paperback, ISBN 3453136969, 313 pp., in German
- 1998: El Robot Humano, Plaza y Jans Mass market paperback, ISBN 8401496772, in Spanish
- 1998: Tout sauf un homme, Pocket Mass market paperback, ISBN 2266087649, 243 pp., in French
- 2000: Der 200-Jahre Mann, Heyne Mass market paperback, ISBN 3453170032, 313 pp., in German
- 2000: アンドリューNDR114, 東京創元社 (Tokyo Sogensya) Mass market paperback, ISBN 978-4488604103, 379 pp., in Japanese
Blurb:
(from Bantam 1995)
In the twenty-first century the creation of the positronic brain leads to the development of robot laborers and revolutionizes life on Earth. But to the Martin family, their household robot NDR-113 is more than a mechanical servant. "Andrew" has become a trusted friend, a confidant, a member of the family. For through some unknown manufacturing glitch, Andrew has been blessed with a capacity for love and a drive toward self-awareness and development that are almost...human.
But almost is not enough. Andrew's dream is to become fully human. Facing human prejudice, the laws of robotics, and his own mechanical limitations, Andrew will use science and law in his terrifying choice: to make his dream a reality, he must pay the ultimate price.
Other resources:
[None on record]
Comments:
Another Asimov collaboration (with Nightfall and The Ugly Little Boy), this one based on Asimov's classic story , and to my mind, the best of the three (best cover art, too).
It gets the following recommendation by email from another Silverberg fan:
The Disney-produced movie called Bicentennial Man is based partly on this book, with Robin Williams in the title role. I can't say I really recommend the movie, as it is (in typical Robin Williams fashion) overly sentimental and loses some of the best points of the original.
Online reviews: