Klorissa Cantoro is a character in Isaac Asimov's Robot series.
About Klorissa[]
Klorissa Cantoro is a Solarian fetal engineer. Klorissa Cantoro was the assistant to the renowned fetologist Rikaine Delmarre and assumed control of Solaria's single, centralized "farm" or fetal engineering institute following his murder. In her late twenties or early thirties, she had an oval face, a bulbous nose, a large chin, and dark, abundant hair which she often wore in two thick braids coiled about her head.
Her appearance was considered unremarkable by Spacer standards, and she was practical, blunt, and somewhat cynical in her demeanor. Cantoro's work was of critical importance to Solaria's society, overseeing the ectogenesis process where fetuses were extracted from mothers one month after conception and raised in artificial nutrient solutions until ready for independent life, all to maintain the planet's strictly controlled population of twenty thousand. Despite the importance of her work, she held a distinct distaste for it, particularly the necessity of occasional personal interaction with the children, whom she referred to as "little animals." She found Delmarre to be a "good Solarian" but also "prissy," noting his strict formality even during viewings.
When Elijah Baley interviewed her in person as part of his murder investigation, she agreed to the meeting with reluctance, insisting he maintain a distance of several meters and stating that the experience was "disgusting." During their conversation, Baley provocatively suggested she had a motive for Delmarre's murder—his death had left her in charge of the vital fetal engineering program—a charge she dismissed with exasperated contempt. She provided Baley with a crucial look into the practical, often grim realities of maintaining Solaria's unique and isolated society.
Appearances[]