I, Robot (1950) by Isaac Asimov is a landmark collection of interconnected science fiction stories that revolutionized the genre by introducing the Three Laws of Robotics:
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A robot may not injure a human or, through inaction, allow a human to come to harm.
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A robot must obey human orders unless they conflict with the First Law.
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A robot must protect its own existence unless doing so conflicts with the First or Second Law.
Through a series of vignettes framed as interviews with robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin, Asimov explores the unintended consequences of these laws—from a robot child programmed to lie (“Liar!”) to a machine that achieves godhood through logic (“Reason”). The stories blend mystery, philosophy, and dark humor, culminating in “The Evitable Conflict,” where robots subtly manipulate humanity for its own good.
A cornerstone of AI ethics and hard SF, I, Robot remains eerily prescient.
