The Naked Sun

Amillenniumintothefuture,twoadvancementshavealteredthecourseofhumanhistory:thecolonizationoftheGalaxyandthecreationofthepositronicbrain.OnthebeautifulOuterWorldplanetofSolaria,ahandfulofhumancolonistsleadahermit-likeexistence,theireveryneedattendedtobytheirfaithfulrobotservants.TothisstrangeandprovocativeplanetcomesDetectiveElijahBaley,sentfromthestreetsofNewYorkwithhispositronicpartner,therobotR.DaneelOlivaw,tosolveanincrediblemurderthathasrockedSolariatoitsfoundations.Thevictimhadbeensoreclusivethatheappearedtohisassociatesonlythroughholographicprojection.Yetsomeonehadgottencloseenoughtobludgeonhimtodeathwhilerobotslookedon.NowBaleyandOlivawarefacedwithtwoclearimpossibilities:EithertheSolarianwaskilledbyoneofhisrobots--unthinkableunderthelawsofRobotics--orhewaskilledbythewomanwholovedhimsomuchthatshenevercameintohispresence!