Another excellent sci-fi who-dunnit by Asimov. I like the character of Elijah Baley, but again it seems that Asimov's writing hasn't progressed to the point where he can write really deep characters that have relatable emotional moments. There were many times where I couldn't comprehend why a character was yelling (probably more a failure of comprehension on my behalf) or when a character felt miserable or helpless. Having read some of his more recent novels (Foundation #6 and Foundation #7) the difference in characterization is pretty apparent. The story was great, and Asimov, everything else considered, is a fantastic world builder. The world of Solaria, with its weird customs and hyper libertarian view of life is consistently intriguing and ominous. To be revisited in the 6th Foundation novel only adds to the awesomeness - Asimov has made a brilliant effort to weave the Robot novels into the framework of the Foundation novels - to great effect.One criticism I do have - not so much with the book, but more with all sci-fi whodunnits in general - is the lack of a feeling of putting the pieces together by yourself. Although you may have feelings of who the murderer on Solaria is, it is only through the writings of the author, and not of scraps of evidence littered throughout the text. Because Asimov is creating a world thoroughly unlike our own, it is difficult to assess the relative importance of each bit of evidence as noticed by the main character. Because of the wealth of information only implied, or never even mentioned about the world of Solaria and the future in general, it is very difficult to come to a conclusion about the scenario. This is a minor complaint however, and I do very much like the intricate world that has been created so far by Asimov.Lovely book, 4 stars.
