 First edition cover | |
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Edd Cartier |
| Language | English |
| Series | Robot series |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
Publication date | December 2, 1950 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 253 |
| Followed by | The Rest of the Robots The Complete Robot |
I, Robot is afixup collection ofscience fiction short stories by American writerIsaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazinesSuper Science Stories andAstounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. In 1950, the stories were compiled into a single publication byGnome Press, in an initial edition of 5,000 copies.
In 1982, all the short stories, minus the frame story, were included inThe Complete Robot.
The stories are woven together by aframing narrative in which the fictional Dr.Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter, who serves as the narrator, in the 21st century. Although the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans,robots, andmorality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history ofrobotics.[1]
Several of the stories feature the character of Dr. Calvin, chiefrobopsychologist atU.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., the major manufacturer of robots. Upon their publication in this collection, Asimov wrote aframing sequence presenting the stories as Calvin's reminiscences during an interview with her about her life's work, chiefly concerned with aberrant behaviour of robots and the use of "robopsychology" to sort out what is happening in theirpositronic brain.[2]
The book also contains the short story in which Asimov'sThree Laws of Robotics first appear, which had large influence on later science fiction and had impact on thought onethics of artificial intelligence as well. Other characters that appear in these short stories arePowell and Donovan, a field-testing team which locates flaws in USRMM's prototype models.[3]
The collection shares a title with the then recent short story "I, Robot" (1939) byEando Binder, pseudonym of Earl andOtto Binder, which greatly influenced Asimov. Asimov had wanted to call his collectionMind and Iron, and objected when the publisher made the title the same as Binder's. In his introduction to the story inIsaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories (1979), Asimov wrote:
It certainly caught my attention. Two months after I read it, I began "Robbie", about a sympathetic robot, and that was the start of mypositronic robot series. Eleven years later, when nine of my robot stories were collected into a book, the publisher named the collectionI, Robot over my objections. My book is now the more famous, but Otto's story was there first.
— Isaac Asimov (1979)[4]
In 1951,The New York Times describedI, Robot as "an exciting science thriller [which] could be fun for those whose nerves are not already made raw by the potentialities of the atomic age".[5]
Describing it as "continuously fascinating",Groff Conklin "unreservedly recommended" the book.[6]
P. Schuyler Miller recommended the collection: "For puzzle situations, for humor, for warm character, [and] for most of the values of plain good writing."[7]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1995 Locus Awards | Best Art Book | I, Robot: the Illustrated Screenplay byHarlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov | 3 | [8] |
| 2012 | 2012 Locus Poll | Best 20th Century Short Story | "Robbie" | 29 | [9] |
| "Liar!" | 41 | [9] | |||
| 2016 | 1941 Retro-Hugo Awards | Best Short Story | "Robbie" | Won | [10] |
| 2018 | 1943 Retro-Hugo Awards | Best Short Story | "Runaround" | Nominated | [11] |
At least three of the short stories fromI, Robot have been adapted for television. The first was a 1962 episode ofOut of this World hosted byBoris Karloff called "Little Lost Robot" withMaxine Audley asSusan Calvin. Two short stories from the collection were made into episodes of the British seriesOut of the Unknown. These are "The Prophet" (1967), based on "Reason"; and "Liar!" (1969). Both episodes werewiped by theBBC and are no longer thought to exist, although video clips, audio extracts and still photographs have survived. Repurposed robot costumes fromThe Prophet appeared in the 1968Doctor Who serialThe Mind Robber.[12]
In 1987, the 12th episode of theUSSR science fiction TV seriesThis Fantastic World, titledDon't Joke with Robots, was based on works byAleksandr Belyaev andFredrik Kilander and Asimov's "Liar!" story.[13]
Both theoriginal andrevival series ofThe Outer Limits include episodes named "I, Robot". These are adaptations ofan unrelated work byEarl and Otto Binder under their jointpseudonym "Eando Binder". The Binders' story introduced a recurring character, the robot namedAdam Link.
In August 2023,David S. Goyer revealed that he had gotten permission fromFOX headLachlan Murdoch, a self-professed fan ofApple TV+'sFoundation, to adapt concepts fromI, Robot to the series' 2023 second season, in "tying [Demerzel/Daneel] into theI, Robot laws [and] doing aspin-offmini-series that specifically delves into our version of "The Robot Wars".[14]
In the late 1970s,Warner Bros. acquired theoption to make a film based on the book, but no screenplay was ever accepted. The most notable attempt was one byHarlan Ellison, who collaborated with Asimov himself to create a version which captured the spirit of the original. Asimov is quoted as saying that this screenplay would lead to "the first really adult, complex, worthwhilescience fiction movie ever made." Ellison worked on the project from December 1977 to December 1978. Asimov advised Ellison as to the scientific validity of some elements of the script.
Ellison's script, taking inspiration fromCitizen Kane,[15] began with reporter Robert Bratenahl tracking down information about Susan Calvin's alleged former lover Stephen Byerly. This provided for aframing sequence to adaptations of Asimov's stories. These differ from the originals in that they more strongly center around Calvin as a character. Ellison placed Calvin into stories in which she had not appeared and amplified her role in ones in which she did.
Although well-regarded by critics, the screenplay is generally considered to have been unfilmable for practical reasons, given the technology and average film budgets of the time.[15] Asimov also believed that the film may have been scrapped owing to a conflict between Ellison and the producers: when the producers suggested changes in the script, instead of being diplomatic as advised by Asimov, Ellison "reacted violently" and offended them.[16]
In late 1987, the script was serialized inAsimov's Science Fiction magazine. In 1994, it appeared in book form with illustrations byMark Zug under the titleI, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay, reprinted 2004,ISBN 1-4165-0600-4. Both Ellison and Asimov received credits.
The filmI, Robot, starringWill Smith, was released byTwentieth Century Fox in July 2004 in the United States. Its plot uses elements of "Little Lost Robot",[17] a few of Asimov's character names and theThree Laws. The plot of the movie is original; the screenplayHardwired byJeff Vintar is not based on Asimov's stories.[17] It has been compared to Asimov'sThe Caves of Steel, which revolves around the murder of a roboticist. Unlike the works by Asimov, the movie featured hordes of killer robots.
BBC Radio 4 aired an audio drama adaptation of five of theI, Robot stories on their15 Minute Drama in 2017, dramatized by Richard Kurti and starringHermione Norris.
These also aired in a single program onBBC Radio 4 Extra asIsaac Asimov's 'I, Robot': Omnibus.[23]
The Asimov estate askedMickey Zucker Reichert, best known for the Norse fantasyRenshai series, to write three[24] prequels forI, Robot, since she was a science fiction writer with a medical degree who first met Asimov when she was 23, although she did not know him well.[25] She was the first female writer to be authorized to write stories based on Asimov's novels.[25]
The follow-ups to Asimov'sFoundation series had been written byGregory Benford,Greg Bear, andDavid Brin.[24]
Berkley Books ordered theI, Robot prequels, which included:
 | This sectionmay containirrelevant references topopular culture. Please helpimprove it by removing such content and addingcitations toreliable,independent sources.(January 2024) |
In 2004,The Saturday Evening Post said thatI, Robot'sThree Laws "revolutionized the science fiction genre and made robots far more interesting than they ever had been before."[26]I, Robot has influenced many aspects of modern popular culture, particularly with respect to science fiction and technology. One example of this is in the technology industry. The name of the real-life modem manufacturer namedU.S. Robotics was directly inspired byI, Robot. The name is taken from the name of a robot manufacturer ("United States Robots and Mechanical Men") that appears throughout Asimov's robot short stories.[27]
Many works in the field of science fiction have also paid homage to Asimov's collection.[28]
An episode of the originalStar Trek series, "I, Mudd" (1967), which depicts a planet of androids in need of humans, referencesI, Robot. Another reference appears in the title of aStar Trek: The Next Generation episode, "I, Borg" (1992), in which Geordi La Forge befriends a lost member of the Borg collective and teaches it a sense of individuality and free will.[citation needed]
ADoctor Who story,The Robots of Death (1977), referencesI, Robot with the "First Principle", with one character stating: "Robots can't harm humans. It's the first principle."[29]
In the filmAliens (1986), the synthetic person Bishop paraphrases Asimov's First Law in the line: "It is impossible for me to harm, or by omission of action allow to be harmed, a human being."[30]
An episode ofThe Simpsons entitled "I D'oh Bot" (2004) hasProfessor Frink build a robot named "Smashius Clay" (also named "Killhammad Aieee") that follows all three of Asimov's laws of robotics.[31]
Theanimated science fiction/comedyFuturama makes several references toI, Robot. The title of the episode "I, Roommate" (1999) is a spoof onI, Robot although the plot of the episode has little to do with the original stories.[32] The episode "The Cyber House Rules" included an optician named "Eye Robot" and the episode "Anthology of Interest II" included a segment called "I, Meatbag."[33] In "Bender's Game" (2008) the psychiatrist is shown alogical fallacy and explodes when the assistant shouts "Liar!" a la "Liar!". Leela once told Bender to "cover his ears" so that he would not hear the robot-destroying paradox which she used to destroy Robot Santa (he punishes the bad, he kills people, killing is bad, therefore he must punish himself), causing a total breakdown. Bender has stated that he is Three Laws Safe.[citation needed]
Thepositronic brain, which Asimov named his robots' central processors, is what powersData fromStar Trek: The Next Generation, as well as other Soong type androids. Positronic brains have been referenced in a number of other television shows includingDoctor Who,Once Upon a Time... Space,Perry Rhodan,The Number of the Beast, and others.[citation needed][34]
AuthorCory Doctorow has written a story called "I, Robot" as homage to and critique of Asimov,[35] as well as "I, Row-Boat", both released in the 2007 short story collectionOverclocked: Stories of the Future Present. He has also said, "If I return to this theme, it will be with a story about uplifted cheese sandwiches, called 'I, Rarebit.'"[36]
Other cultural references to the book are less directly related to science fiction and technology. The albumI Robot (1977), byThe Alan Parsons Project, was inspired by Asimov'sI, Robot. In its original conception, the album was to follow the themes and concepts presented in the short story collection. The Alan Parsons Project were not able to obtain the rights in spite of Asimov's enthusiasm; he had already assigned the rights elsewhere. Thus, the album's concept was altered slightly, although the name was kept, minus comma to avoid copyright infringement.[37] An album,I, Human (2009), by Singaporean bandDeus Ex Machina, draws heavily upon Asimov's principles on robotics and applies it to the concept of cloning.[38]
The Indian science fiction filmEndhiran (2010) refers to Asimov's three laws for artificial intelligence for the fictional character "Chitti: The Robot". When a scientist takes in the robot for evaluation, the panel inquires whether the robot was built using the Three Laws of Robotics.[citation needed]
The theme forBurning Man 2018 was "I, Robot".[39]
DavidGoyerFoundation: Will we do anything more with tying Demerzel into theI, Robot laws? Yes, for sure. Keep watching this season. We've even discussed doing a spin-off mini-series that specifically delves into our version of "The Robot Wars". No idea if we'll ever get there or ifApple or the audience have the appetite for it. Depends on S2 reception and beyond. Maybe we do that – or maybe we try to incorporate that storyline within one of the seasonal arcs.
| Series: | Followed by: |
|---|---|
| Robot series Foundation Series | The Rest of the Robots |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
