This is a really handsome book and with it's companion (vol. 2) makes a great addition to world lit. on your bookshelf. Some stories are novellas and some are only a page or two long but they're all artfully written and come from old established translations from late 19th century/early 20th. For anyone who wants to tackle WAR AND PEACE or ANNA KARENINA they should read a little of Tolstoy's more accessible short works and they can't go wrong here. My only complaint (and this goes for all Everyman series books) is that the text printed on the other side is annoyingly visible making reading a bit of a chore. This is a major blunder for any series of books purporting to capture the world's best literature but if you can ignore this (or at least get used to it) this would be a smart purchase because the price is right (if you buy it here).

I like Asimov generally, but Susan Calvin has got to be his worst protagonist -- she's arch, acerbic, narrow-minded, and rarely bearable in any form. Its a shame she figures in so much of his work. Even so, there are some good stories in this book, particularly 'The Bicentennial Man,' which manages to have scope and sustain a gentle, forlorn quality throughout.

This book is a great collection of Asimov's robot stories. Robot Visions was intended to be a companion to Robot Dreams. Both collections have older stories with a few new ones written for the book. You can really tell how Asimov thought about his beloved creation, the robots. The various stories show every point of view possible, from a robot's view or a man's. In the back of the novel, Asimov wrote several essays explaining his views on robotics. Definately a pleasurable read, whether you are a sci-fi fan or not.

Wonderful book! It is my most favorite book. His visions of the future are neither disparaging nor overly glossy. The robots seem like actually people instead of being cold metallic objects. It is a must read for anyone who wants to read about robots!

These writers must write by committee. They're imitators, not innovators. This is a poor substitute for a BOOK. This isn't crab meat, it's imitation Krab flavored.

The Gathering Flame is the fourth novel written in the Mageworlds series. At this time, however, it is the third in internal chronological sequence, following A Working of Stars and preceding The Price of the Stars. Five hundred years before, a Great Working was performed to bridge the eiran across The Gap Between. The only surviving Mage from that Circle, Arekhon Khreseio sus-Khalgath sus-Peledaen, had returned to his lover Elaeli Inadi syn-Peledaen, known as the Maestra Elela Rosselin, on Entibor and now serves her descendants as Ser Hafrey, the Armsmaster.

The Mages have begun raiding across the Gap Between and threaten Entibor. Perada Rosselin has just inherited the title of Domina of Entibor and, in the company of Ser Hafrey and Nivome do'Evaan of Rolny, is traveling from Galcen to Entibor to receive her crown. On the way, she takes a side-journey to Waycross on Innish-Kyl in order to converse with Jos Metadi, the leader of a fleet of privateers attacking Mage conveys. Perada wants Jos to command her fleet against the Mages and is offering to take him as her consort if he will become her General of Armies. Metada turns her down and tries to leave, but finds the door locked from the outside. Escaping the building by the back way, Jos and Perada are fired upon by unknown assailants and flee to Metada's ship, the Warhammer. Errec Ransome, an Adept who survived the Mage attack on Ilarna, is the navigator on the Warhammer, Nannla and Tillijen are the gunners, and Ferrdacor the Selvaur is the engineer.

This novel tells the backstory of the First Mage War and the formation of the Republic. It shows why Errec Ransome is called the Breaker of Circles, how Entibor was Lost, and what caused the Rolny enmity toward the Rosselin-Metadi clan. It also gives some background on the other planets involved in the original trilogy.

This novel may be a prequel, but it throughly enjoyable in itself. Recommended for all Mageworlds fans and anyone who enjoys interstellar politics and intrigue.

The story of Mom and Dad; both the Domina and Jos are every bit as fascinating as their three children. Only one snag bothered me, when the Domina tells Jos that Ari isn't his biological son, they obviously ignored the previously written Price of The Stars, in which they credited Ari's physical build to one of Jos Metadi's unknown parents. Otherwise, still a delightful action-adventure-scifi-fantasy-mystery;)