The Naked Sun

Isaac Asimov
The Naked Sun (1957)

O êxito de The Caves Of Steel, o livro de Asimov que melhor tinha vendido até à data, levou ao aparecimento de uma sequela, que começou a ser escrita nos finais de 1955 e foi serializada na Astounding cerca de um ano depois. Apesar de manter os protagonistas, Elijah Baley e R. Daneel Olivaw, The Naked Sun é como um reflexo inverso daquele livro: se esse era passado numa Terra sobrepovoada e com poucos robôs, a acção decorre agora em Solaria, um dos Mundos Exteriores, escassamente povoado mas enxameado de robôs. Devido à sua eficácia na resolução do caso descrito em The Caves Of Steel, os Spacers de Aurora solicitam a intervenção de Baley na investigação de um estranho assassínio ocorrido em Solaria. E é assim que Baley, com a sua fobia aos espaços abertos e naturais – como todos os Terrestres daquela época – desembarca num mundo onde os humanos tendem a viver isolados em imensas propriedades, rodeados por robôs, e com verdadeira aversão ao contacto directo com outras pessoas, o que torna ainda mais misteriosas as circunstâncias do crime, nesta história de tons policiais.

Leebig’s mouth widened slowly. Baley took it for a snarl at first and then, with considerable surprise, decided that it was the most unsuccessful attempt at a smile that he had ever seen.
Leebig said, “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”
“Why not?”
“Because anything, however small, that encourages distrust of robots is harmful. Distrusting robots is a human disease!”
It was as though he were lecturing a small child. It was as though he were saying something gently that he wanted to yell. It was as though he were trying to persuade when what he really wanted was to enforce on penalty of death.
Leebig said, “Do you know the history of robotics?”
“A little.”
“On Earth, you should. Yes. Do you know robots started with a Frankenstein complex against them? They were suspect. Men distrusted and feared robots. Robotics was almost an undercover science as a result. The Three Laws were first built into robots in an effort to overcome distrust and even so, Earth would never allow a robotic society to develop. One of the reasons the first pioneers left Earth to colonize the rest of the Galaxy was so that they might establish societies in which robots would be allowed to free men of poverty and toil. Even then, there remained a latent suspicion not far below, ready to pop up at any excuse.”
“Have you yourself had to counter distrust of robots?” asked Baley.
“Many times,” said Leebig grimly.
“Is that why you and other roboticists are willing to distort the facts just a little in order to avoid suspicion as much as possible?”
“There is no distortion!”
“For instance, aren’t the Three Laws misquoted?”
“No!”
“I can demonstrate that they are, and unless you convince me otherwise, I will demonstrate it to the whole Galaxy, if I can.”
“You’re mad. Whatever argument you may think you have is fallacious, I assure you.”
“Shall we discuss it?”
“If it does not take too long.”

Li anteriormente:
The Caves of Steel (1954)
I, Robot (1950)
As Correntes do Espaço (1952)