Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot

Norby The Mixed-Up Robot (1983) is the first book in the Norby series by Janet Asimov and Isaac Asimov. In it, Jefferson Wells and Norby stop Ing from taking over the Solar System with the help of Jeff's brother Fargo Wells, police officer Albany Jones, and Admiral Boris Yobo. According to Isaac Asimov, although Janet Asimov did 90% of the work, his "name was wanted on the book for the betterment of sales [and he] went over the manuscript and polished it a bit."^[1]

Plot summary

The book starts with Jeff in need of a teaching robot. He buys Norby only to discover that it has the only mini-anti-gravity device in existence. They go to the park where the evil villain Ing's henchmen are after Fargo Wells, Jeff's brother. Norby and Jeff stop the henchmen who are captured by the police. Ing manages to take over Manhattan Island, but Norby and Jeff start a revolt against him. They go to the planet Jamya using a hyperdrive, never before done and creating a subplot for the second book in the series Norby's Other Secret. After enlisting Admiral Yobo in their quest to stop Ing, the three take Admiral Yobo's ship and, via hyperspace, literally park it above Ing's head, forcing him to a humiliating surrender. The book ends with Jeff saying Norby is his Mixed-Up Robot.

Characters

Themes & Issues

References

1. ^ I. Asimov: A Memoir. Isaac Asimov. Bantam Books. 1995. pp. 367. ISBN 055356997x