I, Robot.

The first time we were told of the three laws of robotics.

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Now these have become a easily-recognized part of science fiction society.

This collection of nine short stories tells of a future where robots have become a central part of the world, stemming from the company U.S. Robots. While at first glance, the stories have nothing in common with each other, other than the fact that they tell the history of robotics, pieces of dialogue in between the stories says otherwise. One person, however, connects all of the recollections. Susan Calvin is a woman who, at the end of her life has seen every step of the journey towards robots becoming more powerful that they ever could have been without her help. While it is a very short book, I, Robot sets the groundwork for not only other Isaac Asimov classics, but for science fiction in general. Anyone who has even a slight interest in science fiction or even real life robotics should read this, as they will be entertained through every story.