The Caves of Steel

The Caves of Steel was written by Isaac Asimov in 1953. The novel was first published serially in Galaxy magazine, with a hardcover version published in 1954. Set thousands of years in the future, the science fiction mystery follows Elijah Baley as he works to solve a murder with his robot partner, R. Daneel Olivaw. The novel is the first in the Robot series, one of Asimov’s most famous collections. The BBC adapted the book into a television series in 1964. The Caves of Steel received a retroactive nomination for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1954. Like much of Asimov’s work, the novel centers on the ethics of space exploration and the tension between humans and machines.

This guide is based on the 1991 Spectra Reprint edition.

Plot Summary

The Caves of Steel focuses on protagonist Elijah “Lije” Baley as he works to solve the murder of Dr. Roj Nemennuh Sarton. The murder occurs before the story’s opening scene, in which the New York City Police Commissioner, Julius Enderby, begs Lije to take the case. Lije must travel to Spacetown, the settlement of people who come from other worlds to visit Earth, to meet his partner, the humanoid Robot Daneel Olivaw. The animosity between the Earth population and the Spacers, the population from visiting from other planets, has recently grown. Both the New York City police and Spacers know that the case must be solved quickly and quietly for the good of both groups.

Lije and Daneel reenter the City and immediately enter a small riot at a shoe store, where a woman is refusing to be served by robots. The crowd grows more aggressive until Daneel pulls out a blaster (a gun-like weapon) and threatens to shoot anyone who moves. The crowd disperses. Lije questions Daneel’s methods, but Daneel assures Lije that he would never have fired.

The two leave the scene and head to Lije’s home. Jessie, Lije’s wife, and their son, Bentley, 16, greet them. The family eats dinner together. Afterward, Jessie and Bentley depart for the evening, still unaware that Daneel is a robot. Daneel and Lije discuss the case and their theories about who shot Dr. Sarton. Daneel and the Spacers believe that he was killed by a Medievalist, a person who wants to go back to life before the mega-cities. Lije does not think anyone would be willing to cross the countryside expanse between the City and Spacetown, as Earth dwellers never leave the City. People are so used to living in cities where the air is always enclosed and conditioned that no one would face the open sky. Jessie returns early, interrupting their theorizing, agitated from discovering that Daneel is a robot.

Lije and Jessie then have a whispered argument in their bedroom about Daneel. Jessie fears a riot and pleads with Lije to drop the case, even if it means losing his job and being declassified. Lije tells her that it is too late. Lije grew up with a declassified father and couldn’t possibly do that to his family. Lije interrupts Jessie’s argument as he hears Daneel leave the apartment. Lije’s mind reels as he considers Daneel’s motivation for leaving. But he has an idea and falls asleep thinking he has solved the case.

The following day, Lije and Daneel visit Spacetown. Enderby joins them via holographic interview as they speak with Dr. Fastolfe, Dr. Sarton’s partner. Dr. Sarton developed Daneel, who is the only robot of his kind. He looks identical to Sarton. After hearing this, Lije accuses Daneel of being Sarton in disguise.

Fastolfe and Daneel quietly disprove this theory, leaving the Commissioner laughing hysterically and Lije reeling. Lije comes out of his shock with a syringe pricking his arm. From Dr. Fastolfe, Lije learns about the Spacers’ desire for a C/Fe (Carbon/Iron) relationship centered on Earth people settling on a new planet with robots like Daneel. Lije dismisses the idea as impossible, but Fastolfe assures him that the species has done it before and can do it again. Lije and Daneel then take their leave and head back to the City. While in the car on the return journey, Daneel tells Lije that their first suspect was Julius Enderby.

Enderby was the only Earthman on the premises when the crime was committed, so he was the obvious choice. When Lije and Daneel return, they take an apartment in a different section of the City to keep Jessie and Bentley safe. The pair eats dinner in the section’s communal kitchen, and Daneel notices that some of the people are watching them eat. He recognizes them from the shoe store riot the day before.

Lije and Daneel exit the building and then make a harrowing journey on the speeding walkways that traverse the City. They shake off the men and return to their apartment, only to find Bentley show up at their door. Lije and Bentley go to sleep, and Lije dreams of pushing Jessie to her death.

The next day, Lije and Daneel interview the robotics expert, Dr. Gerrigel. Lije takes the opportunity to accuse Daneel of the crime once again; he believes Daneel shot Sarton and hid the blaster in his stomach compartment. Gerrigel laughs at the idea, saying that all robots are built with the Three Laws of Robotics and cannot contradict them under any circumstances. He examines Daneel and finds he is compliant with the First Law. Daneel suggests Jessie is a Medievalist, which is why she knew Daneel was a robot. Lije resists the idea, but then Jessie appears at the station and confesses. Daneel and Lije interview Jessie and identify one of the Medievalist members, Francis Clousarr, who was also at the shoe counter.

Lije and Daneel find Clousarr and interview him at his work. He refuses to touch Daneel, revealing that he knows Daneel is a robot. When they bring him into the station for further questioning, they discover that someone has murdered the Commissioner’s assistant robot, R. Sammy.

The station is in chaos, and the Commissioner is highly agitated. He begins to question Lije’s relationship to R. Sammy, Lije’s whereabouts, and his access to the murder weapon. Lije realizes that he is being framed for R. Sammy’s destruction. He begs off his interview with the Commissioner to get some food. While eating, he asks for Daneel’s help to solve the case. As Baley broods, the solution comes to him.

The Commissioner comes to collect him for his interview. He asks Lije to resign quietly, but Lie refuses, telling Enderby that he is being framed. He then accuses Enderby of the crime. Lije states that Enderby gave his blaster to R. Sammy and sent him across the countryside between New York City and Spacetown. He then met the robot to get the blaster and shot Sarton, thinking Sarton was Daneel. Enderby is a Medievalist and did not want advanced robots integrating with humans. Lije solidifies Enderby’s guilt by noting he found a broken lens from Enderby’s glasses at the scene.

Daneel communicates all of this information to the Fastolfe, who decides he would rather have Enderby encourage the Medievalists to colonize other planets than face incarceration. Daneel agrees. Lije tells Enderby they have all the evidence if he fails to promote future exploration. Daneel and Lije leave the office arm in arm.