Caves of Steel review, part 1

I’ve already finished reading Caves of Steel, facilitated by a small bit of insomnia a couple of nights ago. There are several topics I find interesting to consider.

First, although I’m not much of a literary critic, this novel from earlier in Asimov’s career seems, to me, a bit simplistic. The plot device he employs in the concluding chapters—wherein the detective delivers a lengthy exposition on the entire case and neatly ties together the facts, clues, and deductions in front of both the perpetrator and several witnesses—is predictable, cliché, and, in some ways, lazy. I also find fault in another plot device, but leave that for the section labeled “Spoilers” below.

Second, the characters are flat stereotypes and detective novel stand-bys: the slightly eccentric professor, the smooth criminal, the politically harried superior officer cum older brother/father figure, the worried wife, etc. Perhaps this and my previous comment should be considered in light of this novel being a detective story as much as a science fiction story. The detective genre definitely has its conventions, in which I admit I’m not that versed.

On the other hand, Asimov does what science fiction writer often do best, by painting a picture of a possible future based in part on projecting the current hopes and fears of a society along emerging trends and technologies. Thus, a novel written in 1953 and taking place a thousand years in the future assumes a complete dependence on nuclear fission for power (technological advancements having solved the waste disposal problem, of course). For me, one of the best parts of reading old science fiction is seeing how well futurists of the past predicted the future. Because video display technology was in its relative infancy at the time, for example, Asimov’s world is full of paper that can be read and produced by machines, but contains little in the way of visually presented information.

My favorite future technology used in the book is the moving sidewalks, or “strips” that have completely replaced personal motor vehicles and streets and highways. Explored by others (including Robert A. Heinlein), the network is something I’d love to experience or see realized in a movie or other visual medium

SPOILER ALERT!! Skip the next paragraph if you don’t want the ending of the novel spoiled!

As I mentioned above, I found the conclusion of the novel a bit formulaic. It was obvious to me early in the book (and not just because I read it 25 years ago) that the culprit would likely be a character who is presented as the least likely to have committed the crime, someone in position of authority.

I’d appreciate any comments on my posts, your opinions of the book, or your interpretations. I think I’ve got one more post about Caves of Steel before moving on to The Naked Sun.