Robbie is a science-fiction short story by Isaac Asimov.
Part of the Robot series, it was first published in the September 1940 issue of Super Science Stories as "Strange Playfellow". It was later collected in 1950's I, Robot, 1982's The Complete Robot, 1989's The Asimov Chronicles, and 1990's Robot Visions. It was also republished as the 1989 stand-alone book Robbie.
"Robbie" is the story of a unique bond between a little girl, Gloria Weston, and her non-verbal robot nursemaid, Robbie, set in the near future of 1982 in the original, and 1998 in the revision.
Summary[]
Gloria loves and trusts Robbie as her best friend and protector.
The central conflict arises when Gloria's mother, fearing social stigma and potential danger, convinces her husband to get rid of the robot. Heartbroken and told that Robbie "ran away," Gloria falls into a deep depression. Her parents try everything to cheer her up, including a trip to New York City and a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry, but nothing works.
As a last resort, Gloria's father takes the family on a tour of a robot manufacturing plant, hoping to show her that robots are just machines. During the tour, Gloria spots Robbie among the assembly-line workers and, in her excitement, runs into the path of danger. Robbie instantly breaks from his programmed task to save her, demonstrating the inherent safety of the First Law of Robotics: a robot may not harm a human, or through inaction, allow a human to come to harm. This heroic act convinces Mrs. Weston of Robbie's essential goodness, and the two friends are reunited.
Characters[]
- Gloria Weston
- Robbie
- George Weston
- Mrs. Grace Weston
- Mr. Struthers
- Robot Engineer
- Susan Calvin
- Francis Fran
- Lightning (the dog)
- The Leopard-Men (from the visivox show)
Places[]
- Weston Country
- Weston Country Home
- The Village
- New York City (1998 A.D.)
- U.S. Robots Factory
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Lunar Base (mentioned)
- Mars (mentioned)
Organizations[]
- U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc
- The Labor Unions
Technology[]
- First Law of Robotics
- Talking Robot
- Visivox
- Liner
- Jet-car
- The Tractor (factory vehicle)
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov
External Links[]
- Full text (pdf - Super Science Stories, September 1940 issue)