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I have reread "The Burning City" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I wholehearlily recommend reading this book. It is very well written, the plot is very interesting, the characters development is very nice and there is something behind the story. Have I mentioned great sense of humour?

Ad rem. The reason I write this (beside recommending some good reading; unfortunately as far as I know not available legally for free on-line) is that in this book one of the "characters" is god of fire, Yagen-Atep. One of his traits is the ability to detect the fires... he can draw energy (mana) from them. Gods in the book can possess a man; the ability to detect where the fires (bonefires and torches) are would be great if someone [hint, hint] needs to know if there is (and where) an army after him. I hope this is not much a spoiler...

Modify: changed title

I was thinking of going and getting the Orignal I, Robot again just to re-read it, From the previews for the movie of the same name, it doesn't click anything to me, Or maybe I've just read too much of the Robot series that I just don't remeber the robots going pycho in I, Robot...

Someone's making an I, Robot movie? Oy, this is what I get for not keeping up with TV N all that.

I haven't read I, Robot in a while, so I may not be recalling correctly. That said, I believe there's a tale about a robot who (as a military experiment, or something like that) had its three rules fiddled with so that it wouldn't concern itself with protecting human life.

Fiddling with the three rules causes instability in general, but messing with rule #1 is *really* not a good idea. The robot didn't go insane per se, but it grew a major superiority complex. It escaped and hid itself among a larger group of robots, all of the same model. The 'main character' of that short story was a pair of detectives (I think?) sent to find it. Eventually they used it's own superiority complex against it and tricked it into revealing itself.

I really really liked that book.

Mark, The Movie Star's Wil Smith.. And from the previews it looks like the entire line of those robots go nuts and start attacking everyone.. (check Hollywood.com, they should have the trailer up on it.)

"I, Robot" the book? I seem to remember the short story by Isaac Asimov about escaped robot with modified #1 rule and superiority complex, starring Susan Calvin (I hope I didn't messed her name).

Short story/book, same thing

Still, I think my favourite robotic story by Isaac Asimov is "Bicentennial man". (The movie is also nice).

BTW. I hoped the talk will develop in the direction of books/stories which have something in common with "Felverses" (Fel universes). Like "The Burning City" with it's god of fire. But I like good discussion and pointers to good books nevertheless...

I always loved the Foundation series and the Robot series, and how he tied them both together.