History Literature / TheRobotsOfDawn

* CanonWelding: This book marks the beginning of Asimov welding the Robot stories with his ''{{Foundation}}'' series. Numerous references are made to "psychohistory" and humanity creating a "Galactic Empire." Also, for anyone in doubt as to whether the Lije Baily/R. Daneel Olivaw books have any connection to his other robot stories, references are made to [[Literature/IRobot Susan Calvin]] (in particular the short story "Liar"), as well as "BicentennialMan".

* BigGood: Han Fastolfe, though his demeanor is highly worrying.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: Previous books have held up Aurora as a utopian society emblematic of the "superior" Spacer culture. After a relatively brief look on Lije's part demonstrates [[FreeLoveFuture certain]] [[EpiphanicPrison aspects]] of that culture, he (and likely the reader) comes to the conclusion that this is so much CulturalPosturing and hogwash.

* [[spoiler:ShootTheDog: Giskard induced Jader into stasis to prevent Amadiro from completing his experimentation on him.]]

* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:R. Giskard Reventlov. He used his psychic abilities to prevent Amadiro from utilizing R. Jader Panell for his plan, subtly influence Gladia, Fastolfe and the Chairman to allow Baley to work on the case, while keeping himself beyond suspicion. He did this to test and examine Baley to see for himself if Fastolfe was right in his belief that Earth's people are humanity's hope in populating the galaxy and developing a more stable society.]]

* BigBad: Kelden Amadiro, Fastolfe's rival, has ill intentions toward earth, and targets Lije and Fastolfe as symbols of his intentions.

* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - The story of Baley's previous investigation was made into a "hyperwave drama". Consequently, everybody who he meets Baley tells him that he doesn't look like the actor playing him (who was [[HistoricalBeautyUpdate younger and more handsome]]).

* INeverSaidItWasPoison: [[spoiler:Amadiro slips up when he refers to Jander as Gladia's husband, since it proves he had been in contact with Jander. The only other person who could have told him that fact was Gladia herself, and it was widely known that the two were ''not'' on speaking terms.]]

* AlmightyJanitor - [[spoiler:Giskard]]
* AndroidsAndDetectives - While the actual partnering aspect is downplayed in this novel, the dichotomy between Lije and Daneel (as well as Lije and Giskard) is still in full effect.
* AlwaysMurder - With the twist this time - the victim is a humanoid robot, like Daneel.

* AndManGrewProud - Fastolfe says that this is the way the Spacers are headed.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion - "How did you know that [[spoiler: Gladia thought of Jander as her husband]]?"
* AuthorFilibuster - Asimov (through Gladia) goes on at some length a couple times in the book on the nature of sex.

* BigBad - Kelden Amadiro, Fastolfe's rival, has ill intentions toward earth, and targets Lije and Fastolfe as symbols of his intentions.
* BigGood - Han Fastolfe, though his demeanor is highly worrying.
* BluffingTheMurderer - Lije tricks Amadiro into [[spoiler:stating he conducted experiments on Jander]] in front of witnesses.
* CanonWelding - This book marks the beginning of Asimov welding the Robot stories with his ''{{Foundation}}'' series. Numerous references are made to "psychohistory" and humanity creating a "Galactic Empire." Also, for anyone in doubt as to whether the Lije Baily/R. Daneel Olivaw books have any connection to his other robot stories, references are made to [[Literature/IRobot Susan Calvin]] (in particular the short story "Liar"), as well as "BicentennialMan".
* ChekhovsGun - [[spoiler:Giskard came to Lije's rescue during an agoraphobic panic attack on the spaceship approaching Aurora, even though he was outside and Daneel was inside the room at the time.]]

* TheDeterminator - Lije. Having to face his most crippling fears may slow him down, but they will not stop him.
* EpiphanicPrison - [[spoiler:Giskard]]'s opinion is that Earth's people are the ones who'll have to colonize the Galaxy... because they, at least, can see the walls of their prison.
* EverybodySmokes - Subverted, since Elijah quit after the second book.

* ForeignCuisine - Baley has trouble stomaching Auroran coffee. The rest of the time, it's subverted.
* FreeLoveFuture - Aurora is a completely sexually open society, so much that (according to Gladia), sex became pretty much boring with no emotional contact. Dr. Fastolfe insisted that she exaggerates (being a desperate woman who came from NoSexAllowed society), and in reality, sex is not taken ''that'' lightly. He, himself, is considered somewhat weird for being monogamous while married. On the other hand his 'current wife' is invisible throughout the crisis as he sees no reason to inflict his troubles on her - which pretty much shows how deep marital commitment isn't on Aurora. The fact that his refusal to have sex with his own daughter after raising her himself is seen as weird even by the doctor is another hint that things are... off there.
* GuileHero - Lije, of course. He's a detective, and has very little in the way of resources to work with.
* IJustWantMyBelovedToBeHappy - Lije to Gladia.
* INeverSaidItWasPoison - [[spoiler:Amadiro slips up when he refers to Jander as Gladia's husband, since it proves he had been in contact with Jander. The only other person who could have told him that fact was Gladia herself, and it was widely known that the two were ''not'' on speaking terms.]]
* MacGuffin - The BigBad wants Daneel, the first (and, to some, best) humanoid robot for study purposes.
* MythologyGag - Fastolfe refers to an incident mentioned in the ''IRobot'' books, about the robot that, through an accident, became psychic, and ended up with his brain fried when he was caught in a paradox where, whatever he did, he would harm someone. [[spoiler:Serves as a ChekhovsGun when it turns out that Giskard is actually psychic, and [[RobotsAndEmpire the next book]] states that it is because he was experimented on.]]
* [[spoiler:PsychicPowers - The final plot twist is that Giskard is both the real killer and a psychic robot. He puts a lock on Lije's mind, preventing Lije from ever revealing Giskard's powers, even accidentally.]] This is also what makes this book softer on the MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness than its predecessors.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots - Daneel is humanoid in appearance and somewhat in behavior, but unlike on Solaria and Earth, where such a robot would be unimaginable, the Aurorans are not fooled in the least.
* RoboticSpouse - Examined. Gladia comes to think of Jander as her husband, but keeps it secret. Despite Aurora's sexual liberalism, robots are looked at purely as tools, and an emotionally intimate relationship with one is strange enough that Gladia fears being stigmatized for it. It doesn't help that the Auroran definition of marriage implies the possibility of having children, and Jander isn't nearly ''that'' advanced.

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans - Amadiro doesn't much care who gets hurt in his quest to populate the Galaxy with Aurora colonies indistinguishable from the original.
* WhiteAndGreyMorality - While Amadiro is clearly the bad guy, he is a WellIntentionedExtremist at worst. He does what he does in the novel not for power, but because he honestly believes it's the best solution for his beloved homeland.
* XanatosSpeedChess - Amadiro attempts this in the novel. [[spoiler: It doesn't work out for him.]]

* RoboticSpouse - Examined. Gladia comes to think of Jander as her husband, but keeps it secret. Despite Aurora's sexual liberalism, robots are looked at purely as tools, and an emotionally intimate relationship with one is strange enough that Gladia fears being stigmatized for it.

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: [[spoiler:Gladia on Elijah, while Elijah is half asleep.]]

* FreudWasRight - Played with. Vasilia [[UnusualEuphemism offers herself]] (i.e. proposes sexual intercourse) to [[IncestIsRelative her father]], Han Fastolfe, though she insists that this was because he was the only man she knew up to that point. He himself believed it was natural for her, since he was close to her and [[TheTalk educated her on the subject]], and for the life of him couldn't figure out why he refused.

* FreeLoveFuture - Aurora is a completely sexually open society, so much that (according to Gladia), sex became pretty much boring with no emotional contact. Dr. Fastolfe insisted that she exaggerates (being a desperate woman who came from NoSexAllowed society), and in reality, sex is not taken ''that'' lightly. He, himself, is considered somewhat weird for being monogamous while married. On the other hand his 'current wife' is invisible throughout the crisis as he sees no reason to inflict his troubles on her - which pretty much shows how deep marital commitment isn't on Aurora.

** The trope is subverted a bit: Lije Bailey assumes that nothing but a murder would be sufficient reason to allow himself, an Earthman, onto a Spacer world. When he points out that the victim was a machine and thus 'destruction of property' is closer to the case, he's introduced to a Spacer concept, ''roboticide.''

* BigBad - Kelden Amadiro, Fastolfe's rival, has ill intentions toward earth, and targets Lije and Falstolfe as symbols of his intentions.

* AlwaysMurder - With the twist this time - the victim is humanoid robot, like Daneel.

* FreeLoveFuture - Aurora is a completely sexually open society, so much that (according to Gladia), sex became pretty much boring with no emotional contact. Dr. Fastolfe insisted that she exaggerates (being a desperate woman who came from NoSexAllowed society), and in reality, sex is not taken ''that'' lightly. He, himself, is considered somewhat weird for being monogamous while married.

The third book in IsaacAsimov's "Robot Trilogy". Elijah "Lije" Baley, now a leader in a movement encouraging humans on Earth to learn to live outside the confines of their domed cities, is summoned to the ''de facto'' capital world of the Spacers, Aurora to solve a [[AlwaysMurder murder mystery]]. Once again he will partner with R. Daneel Olivaw (the "R" stands for "Robot") and once again will he face political intrigue alongside seemingly impossible circumstances to solve the crime and get his man.

* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - The story of Baley's previous investigation was made into a "hyperwave drama". Consequently, everybody who he meets Baley tells him that he doesn't look like the actor playing him (who was [[HistoricalBeautyUpdate younger and more handsome]]).

* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - The story of Baley's previous investigation was made into a "hyperwave drama". Consequently, everybody who he meets Baley tells him that he doesn't look like the actor playing him (who was younger and more handsome).

* ExpectingSomeoneTaller - he story of Baley's previous investigation was made into a "hyperwave drama". Consequently, everybody who he meets Baley tells him that he doesn't look like the actor playing him (who was younger and more handsome).

* RapeIsOkWhenItIsFemaleOnMale - [[spoiler:Gladia on Elijah, while Elijah is sleeping.]]

* RapeIsOkWhenItIsFemaleOnMale - [[spoiler:Gladia on Elijah, while Elijah is sleeping.]]