New York City, the hometown of Isaac Asimov, appears in several of his stories, primarily within the Robot series, and occasionally as a reference in the broader Galactic Empire and Foundation narratives. In these works, New York serves as a recognizable anchor for Earth in a universe spanning countless planets and centuries. Its depiction ranges from a near-future urban sprawl to a historical reference in far-future narratives.
Appearances in Asimov's Works[]
- "Escape!" (1945) - The headquarters of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc. is located in New York, where the Brain is tested with the hyperspace jump device.
- Robot Stories (I, Robot, 1950; The Complete Robot, 1982) - New York is the location of U.S. Robots headquarters, serving as the administrative hub from which many robot-related operations are managed. Stories such as "Little Lost Robot" reference New York indirectly as the center of Earth-based operations, even when much of the narrative occurs off-world.
- The Caves of Steel (1954) - Set almost entirely in a futuristic, domed-over New York City, the novel depicts the “caves of steel,” massive urban complexes housing millions of humans. Detective Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw navigate this city while solving a murder mystery, exemplifying Asimov’s vision of Earth’s urban future.
- The Naked Sun (1957) - While the story primarily takes place on Solaria, it begins with Elijah Baley in New York, linking Earth's authorities to the off-world investigation.
- The Robots of Dawn (1985) - Again, while the mystery unfolds on Aurora, Elijah Baley's journey starts and is directed from New York City.
- Robots and Empire (1985) - Features New York City as a key location in the final acts of the Robot series, bridging the narrative to the Empire era.
- Foundation and Earth (1986) - The characters Golan Trevize and Janov Pelorat visit Earth's solar system. While they don't land in New York, their mission is to find the forgotten planet of human origin, of which New York was a prime city. Its existence is a central mystery of the plot.