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btbnnyr
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02 Jun 2011, 8:27 pm

Has anyone read Asimov's "Robot" series?

The second book, "The Naked Sun", takes place on the planet Solaria, where the inhabitants live on giant estates, one person per estate, and robots do all the work, and there are thousands of robots for every human. The humans only contact each other through holographic viewing systems, and they never meet in person except for reproductive purposes. If two people want to have dinner together, they will eat in separate dining rooms, and maintain communication through the viewing system. In the physical presence of people, especially Earthmen, they wear nose filters and gloves and stay six feet away at all times. This "seeing" is very distressing to them, and they prefer "viewing". There's a "No Touching" policy. The idea of crowds on Earth is disturbing. Art is geometric shapes and colors. Gladia, the main female character, associates colors and shapes with words. She's really into nature and runs around naked on her estate. Novels with kissing are dirty. Children are raised by robots and get their own estates when they grow up. Eventually, the Solarians move underground, pretend that they've died out, cut off contact with rest of the galaxy, engage in intellectual pursuits, power their estates through their thoughts, and kill anyone who lands on their planet.

I identify with the Solarians. Anyone else want to move to Solaria?


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danandlouie
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02 Jun 2011, 11:16 pm

if you haven't already done so, check out' foundation and earth'. a section of the book concerns a solarian named bander and his/her offspring created by......well i don't want to spoil it for you.

asimov was such a genius, it's a shame he wasn't a long lived robot.



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03 Jun 2011, 1:25 am

The running around naked part I can identify with.

I'm reading the first book in the Foundation series. Haven't finished it yet. Asimov is a great writer. I don't think I'll ever be able to get through all of his works though.


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03 Jun 2011, 2:45 am

danandlouie wrote:
if you haven't already done so, check out' foundation and earth'. a section of the book concerns a solarian named bander and his/her offspring created by......well i don't want to spoil it for you.

asimov was such a genius, it's a shame he wasn't a long lived robot.

I've read though the whole Asimov series, if I know well... Some books more than once, including the Baily stories, Solaria is one of them.

I think she's already read that, because Bander is one of the Solarians who pretend to died out, and he/she powers his estates mentally.

There were 50.000 habitants on Solaria, and kids were regarded as "little animals" because they weren't able to live in isolation.


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btbnnyr
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03 Jun 2011, 3:03 am

I've read all the Asimov books I could get my dirty little paws on, and I'm still obsessed with the wonders of Solaria. I really like this "viewing" during meals, because I really hate eating noises, and I bet there would be way to block those out through the communication system.

I love how Gladia freaks out every time human contact is mentioned.

"T-t-t-ouch-h-hing..."

"Ch-ch-childr-dr-dren..."


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cyberdad
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03 Jun 2011, 3:03 am

btbnnyr wrote:
Has anyone read Asimov's "Robot" series?The second book, "The Naked Sun", takes place on the planet Solaria, where the inhabitants live on giant estates, one person per estate, and robots do all the work, and there are thousands of robots for every human. The humans only contact each other through holographic viewing systems, and they never meet in person except for reproductive purposes. If two people want to have dinner together, they will eat in separate dining rooms, and maintain communication through the viewing system. In the physical presence of people, especially Earthmen, they wear nose filters and gloves and stay six feet away at all times. This "seeing" is very distressing to them, and they prefer "viewing". There's a "No Touching" policy. The idea of crowds on Earth is disturbing. Art is geometric shapes and colors. Gladia, the main female character, associates colors and shapes with words. She's really into nature and runs around naked on her estate. Novels with kissing are dirty. Children are raised by robots and get their own estates when they grow up. Eventually, the Solarians move underground, pretend that they've died out, cut off contact with rest of the galaxy, engage in intellectual pursuits, power their estates through their thoughts, and kill anyone who lands on their planet.


Except for the killing bit



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03 Jun 2011, 3:08 am

I actually just finished the Foundation trilogy today (well, yesterday now) and was going to start on The Naked Sun, but started The Caves of Steel first. I hope to read about these Solarians soon, though, they sound like my kind of people.