Isaac Asimov, I, Robot

Christopher Leslie (New York University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1950

Places

United States (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Science Fiction
Story Collection

Resources

The collection of short stories I, Robot came at a moment of transition both for its author and the literary field he helped develop, social science fiction. The stories in this collection are notable for coining the term “robotics”, establishing the fiction of the positronic brain, developing the character Susan Calvin, and exploring the “Three Laws of Robotics”.

When Asimov began writing, there was a sea change in the way stories about human interaction with autonomous machines were being told. Although Asimov’s contributions are among the best known and most impactful, he was not working alone. Lester Del Rey’s December 1938 story in Astounding Stories, “Helen O’Loy”, is about man who lives a …

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3272 words

Citation: Leslie, Christopher . "I, Robot". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 April 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4562, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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