The Naked Sun

Bantam Spectra, December 1991 edition
originally published 1956
Series: The Robot Series #2
Intended Audience: Adult
Sexual content: N
Ace/Genderqueer characters: Y
Rating: PG
Writing style: 4/5
Likable characters: 4/5
Plot/Concepts: 4/5

At the end of The Caves of Steel, Daneel and Lije went their separate ways, the murder solved and the shaky peace between Earth and the Spacers salvaged. In The Naked Sun, a few years have passed and things are going pretty well for Lije, until he is shipped off to the planet Solaria with very little explanation other than the fact that another murder requires solving. Luckily, he is reunited with Daneel, who happens to be familiar with Solarian society.

As far as entertainment value goes, this book is just as strong as The Caves of Steel. I had forgotten until I leafed through it today just how much is going on aside from the murder mystery. Not only are Lije's exasperated reactions to Solarian culture amusing, but his reunion with Daneel leaves him a bit puzzled about how he managed to develop such fondness for a robot. As partners they work in close tandem through most of the book, although they are also set at odds due to Daneel's overprotective nature. It's hard enough for Lije to conquer his agoraphobia without Daneel hovering over him and asking if he's alright every few minutes, but Lije is determined to not let his fear interfere with the investigation.

I say there is no sexual content in this book. Well, there are some awkward moments… for example, the new female character, Gladia, answers a video call in the nude. But the narrative doesn't go into detail and Lije quickly shrugs off any attraction he feels. It's not a central element of the story. Gladia excuses herself because in Solarian society, "viewing" (holographic video-calls), and "seeing" are quite different; what is acceptable in one instance is inconceivable in the other. Solarian society could almost be interpreted as asexual, since Solarians rarely have sex unless they want to produce children, but the sweeping of sexuality under the rug is more a symptom of Solarian phobia toward being in the same physical space in general. So, while it is interesting to see the tables turned for once—a character feeling broken for being sexually attracted to another person at all—Solarian culture doesn't really count as representation. We still have to look to the robots for ace characters.

As far as interesting humans go, Lije is still far and away the best, but the little side characters in this book have some life to them, and Lije and Daneel's interactions are particularly entertaining, which is why I upped the rating to 4/5.

Overall, The Naked Sun is a very close second to The Caves of Steel when it comes to character development, pacing and engaging descriptions. There is a bit less info-dumping in the narrative in this one—instead, aspects of the world are revealed through dialogue as Lije asks questions in the course of the investigation. However there are one or two moments where characters react unrealistically, and that is what keeps this from surpassing its predecessor.