If the phrase "I, Robot" makes you think of a movie with lots of chase scenes and retro-looking robots...have I got a book for you. No, I, Robot wasn't created to be a vehicle for Will Smith, it's the groundbreaking collection of short stories written throughout the 1940s by the one, the only, the late great Isaac Asimov.

Even if you haven't seen the movie, you know more about I, Robot than you think, because Asimov's ideas about robots have become part of our consciousness. Especially when it comes to the Three Laws of Robotics, first articulated in these stories.

The Laws of Robotics are:

"A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

"A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

"A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law."

Sound familiar? I'm not surprised if many of you say yes. In fact, I think every science fiction fan should read this book at least once, because it laid the path for so many science fiction tropes we take for granted today.

For example, Asimov led the charge away from the dominant theme of "how technology will destroy the world." His robots are the creations of humanity, the guardians, the assistants, even the nursemaids. They are complex and fascinating, as fascinating as any human.

I also feel certain that all of you have seen or read a story in which a machine is forced to self-destruct because of an encounter with a logical paradox. Well, I don't know if Asimov did it first but he definitely did it best. Trust me, you won't find any "Everything I say is a lie" paradoxes here.

But this book is more than groundbreaking--it's also a lot of fun. In fact, I, Robot was one of the first pieces of science fiction I read as a kid, when I found it on my father's bookshelf. (I think I absconded with his copy of the book and, uh, I've never returned it. Sorry, Dad! You can pick it up next Thursday, okay?)

I, Robot is a series of short stories, which is nice if you don't have a lot of time to read, but the stories are connected, bringing out different aspects of a world filled with robots possessing a positronic brain. Together the stories draw a fascinating picture of robot-human interaction and human nature.

Each story is framed by the conversations of a journalist with robopsychologist Susan Calvin. She's just one of the unforgettable characters you'll meet in this book, like the cranky and amusing troubleshooting team of Powell and Donovan, and robots such as Robbie the nursemaid and telepathic Herbie. (Oh, and let's not forget Cutie, the "robot Descartes." You've got to read it to believe it.)

Asimov also took this opportunity to show off his skill at writing science fiction mysteries, most often giving the characters and the reader various mysteries of robot behavior to solve, generally relating to some interpretation of the Laws of Robotics. You're unlikely to forget, while reading this book, that Asimov was himself a scientist who was chronically interested in absolutely everything.

The book runs the gamut from humor to pathos, touching down at various places in between. "Robbie" never fails to touch my heart, and I can't help laughing as I follow Powell and Donovan as they accidentally become the first humans to travel outside the solar system in "Escape!"

Mind you, as much as I love it, I, Robot isn't perfect. You have to remember that the stories were written in the 1940s and published in 1950, and while they depict the "future," they are still products of their time.

I've always been most disturbed by Asimov's depiction of Susan Calvin, and I suspect many of you might be as well.

I think the best way to describe her would be to suggest you picture the typical caricature of a working woman and feminist, focused on career rather than "womanly things." Yeah, that's Susan. (I've always wondered what Asimov's wives thought of her...) But don't let that turn you off reading this book, because I think you'll like Susan nonetheless.

And sadly, this book doesn't exactly feature an abundance of non-white characters. In fact, I can't seem to find any at all until the final story, but at least here we finally see that the world isn't entirely run by white people. Whew. Hey, it's something, at least.

Yes, the book has flaws, mostly related to the era, but it truly is a classic, a series of independent ideas, with each story leading to a conclusion that...well, you might see it coming with the benefit of decades of science fiction behind you, but let me assure you it was new when Asimov wrote it.

Read I, Robot and you'll find your mind expanded as you consider what the future might look like. And what might happen when humanity finally creates machines that can think for themselves.