I, Robot, to say the least, has been one of the most well-known and influential science-fiction works of the 20th Century. Written by visionary Isaac Asimov, the book is famous for introducing key concepts of artificial intelligence, such as the 3 Laws of Robotics, that continue to influence the development of both science fiction and the ethics of artificial intelligence. It’s had such an impact on literature, that even today, the book still holds up quite well, and is cited by many as inspiration for their own works.

Consisting of 9 connected short stories spanning over more than half a century, Asimov serves to bring across to his audience what he perceives to be the evolution of robotics-from mute, crude automatons to massive artificial brains that dictate the flow of society- and express his hopes for mankind’s future with robotics. Granted, the stories were published in the 1940s, and so some of the story’s elements might seem dated, or even bizarre, but the basic themes and ideas remain just as relevant today, in an era where artificial intelligence is getting more intelligent than ever. 

Throughout the different scenarios presented in each story, Asimov aims to show how robots could help improve mankind, as long as their actions can all stay within the ‘three laws of robotics,’ and ensure that no harm can come to any man. As straightforward as it sounds, Asimov skilfully creates differing situations, such as a robot gone mad due to over-exposure to sunlight, that demonstrate how these laws could be bent or upheld in the most bizarre of ways. I wish I could explain it a bit more, but the scenarios are unfortunately too complex to summarise in two lines, and I’m afraid you’re going to read through the book to understand the very intellectual arguments put forward by Asimov.

While I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but realise that perhaps, instead of the human or non-human characters populating the different stories, Asimov intended for the three laws themselves to be the main character of the book as a whole. After all, they formulate the basis of discussion around whether robots benefit humans or not, and despite the never-ending evolution of robots throughout the course of the book, the words that comprise of these laws remain the same, and continue to form the basis for robotics’ advancement. At times like these, I wonder if Asimov was trying to predict the future, and urging us to place these safeguards in place for all types of artificial intelligence, lest a Skynet-esque incident occurs within our lifetimes. Given his intelligence, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was.

So, to sum up my review in a few words, if you want to understand artificial intelligence, or if you fear the advent of robotics, read this book if you want to understand more about these subjects, or at least to soothe your fears. Don’t worry, robots aren’t here to take our jobs, they’re here to improve humanity.

TL;DR:

The Good: Interesting theories regarding the development of robotics and artificial intelligence, 9 fascinating stories, a holy grail for sci-fi fans

The Bad: Can get very philosophical, quite a bit dated

The ‘Eh’: The plot is spread out across 9 stories and 50 years, the robots aren’t the main characters (for those who do want them to be)

Conclusion: Pick this book up. In the 21st Century, its core message is probably more relevant than ever

I’ve always been fascinated with science-fiction since I was a small child. From reading fantastical stories of men on the moon to building massive LEGO models of TIE fighters to binge-watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it’s safe to say that sci-fi had a profound influence on my early childhood days. 

As I grew up, this draw towards futuristic worlds continued to linger one within me, and I continued to be a sci-fi superfan, with sci-fi literature and merchandise still occupying most of my room.

Star Wars, for one, had a lot of sway when it came to captivating my hunger for sci-fi. Its simple yet rich story, likeable characters, fun technology and intriguing setting made up for why I liked it so much. In fact, I’m still trying to hunt down more Thrawn trilogy books from Timothy Zahn at the moment, who did quite a bit of work when it came to expanding the galaxy beyond a farmboy and a smuggler running around shooting and slicing people up while tagging a furball and a princess along. 

Don’t get me wrong, I still like Star Wars, and I do wish the franchise a bright future. But then, while searching for stuff on the Internet one day, I stumbled across something better. A lot better.

That, my friends, is the subject of this review, Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

For the uninitiated, LOGH, as I’ll call it from now on, started out as a series of 10 novels from Japanese author Yoshiki Tanaka written in the 1980s. Its claim to fame, however, lay in its anime adaptation of the same name of the 1990s, spanning across more than 100 episodes and quite a few movies, becoming one of the longest anime to date. 

As obscure as it is, both the anime and the novels have been critically acclaimed by almost everyone who has seen it since its release. The novel series, for instance, won the Seiun awards in 1988 (basically the Japanese Hugo awards), while the anime consistently ranks as one of the best in polls made even 20 years after the series ended. If you don’t believe me, search LOGH up, and you’ll find yourself gawking at the abnormally high ratings given by the anime fandom. Yes, it’s that good.

Unfortunately, due to the extreme length of the anime, the series remained obscure to the Western world, that is, until 2016, when Viz Media started to translate the novels into English for the first time. They originally said they would only be translating the first three novels, but given how they’re now at number 8, I’d assume that the books are selling like hot cakes. Also, there’s a new anime adaptation going on at the moment, Die Neue These, which considerably picks up the pace of the story, though at the expense of some of the plot.

So, with all the history out of the way, let’s dive into the review itself.

Set nearly 1000 years into the future, where mankind has colonised and moved to countless planets in space, the novel kicks off by dividing the known galaxy into two factions-the tyrannical, autocratic, but strong Galactic Empire, and the democratic, yet corrupt, Free Planets Alliance. Both have hated each other with fervour since they sprouted up, but given the exhaustive resources it would take to invade each other, they have been in a stalemate for 150 years, with the exception of tiny border skirmishes. Oh, and there’s also a third faction, Phezzan, which is basically the galactic equivalent of Switzerland, where everyone stores their money and people profit off of their neutrality.

The previously-mentioned stalemate, however, is quickly broken when two men on opposing sides quickly climb through their respective ranks. On the imperial side, we have Reinhard von Lohengramm, a ‘young brat’, as his admirals call him, a cunning military strategist and political idealist with a tendency to obliterate every fleet that stands before him. On the FPA, meanwhile, we have Yang Wen-li, a mildly older, but comparatively young (he’s only 30), tactician and strategist, with a strikingly calm and laid-back demeanor. On the surface, the two seem to have similar traits and abilities, but when one looks closer, they can’t be any more different. While Reinhard wishes to overthrow the current dynasty and become emperor himself, ushering in a new era of benevolent tyranny and creating a better world for his sister to live in, Yang didn’t even want to join the military in the first place, wishing to get a chance to resign and become a historian. 

Over the course of the novel, we see how the two develop their political leanings and demonstrate their abilities through epic battles and tension-filled political incidents, but since this is just volume 1 of 10, they don’t exactly go full-on with their actions, rather taking time to interact with the world they inhabit and sow the seeds for the subsequent plot. Along the way, we get to see countless side characters, such as Reinhard’s childhood friend, Siegfried Kircheis, and Yang’s adopted ward, Julian Mintz, a young war orphan, that aid or impede the main characters’ actions.

As you read this review, you might be wondering how this is better than other sci-fi properties, like Star Wars. Let me put it this way. In Star Wars, you get rather black and white factions, in the form of the evil Empire and the heroic Rebel Alliance. In LOGH, however, the situation is a lot more muted, and it’s a lot more grey-on-grey than one might expect it to be. Almost every character on either side is worth sympathising with, having their own understandable goals and thought processes, and if anything, both forms of government are depicted in equal light.

The comparison between democracy and autocracy is a strong theme, and will continue to prevail throughout the series as a whole. Through the eyes of the characters, we get to see how there is no perfect form of government. An autocracy would restrict one’s freedoms, but in the right hands, could lead to a strong and powerful country. A democracy, meanwhile, would grant everyone freedom, yet allow for mass abuse of power and corruption, with the massive discord in opinions resulting in not much being done while the people suffer. It’s subtle comparisons like these that really draw me into the story, and compel me to keep on reading. Add into the mix unrivalled technical detail (Mao, Jesus and Genghis Khan are all mentioned as hailing from the distant past), and blatantly obvious historical parallels between the plot and 19th century warfare, and you get something truly intellectual yet enjoyable at the same time.

Granted, the breadth of the content we’re talking about in this book might not interest everyone, and admittedly, the pace can drag on a lot if it wanted to. You might even get lost in the sea of characters bombarding you. But if you find yourself enjoying Star Wars, and want something better, check this series out. This is just volume one, and things only get better from here.

TL;DR:

The Good: Unrivalled technical detail, intriguing setting, fascinating characterisations, interesting (and intellectual) comparison of politics, wonderfully crafted story

The Bad: The pacing can get out of hand

The ‘Eh’: The equivalent of an army of characters can get confusing at first, historical references might fly over your head, and it can get very long

Conclusion: Highly recommended to everyone. If you can’t stand reading, watch the anime. You won’t be disappointed.

BTW, Here’s the intro to the new anime adaptation for those who are interested: