Dr. Roj Nemenuh Sarton is a character from Isaac Asimov's Robot series.
About Dr. Sarton[]
Dr. Roj Nemennuh Sarton is a pioneering Auroran roboticist and the colleague of Dr. Han Fastolfe. Dr. Sarton was a key figure in the development of humaniform robots on the planet Aurora. Working in close partnership with Dr. Han Fastolfe, who provided the fundamental mathematical theory, Sarton was responsible for the practical application and physical design of the first humaniform robots. He served as the physical model for R. Daneel Olivaw, the first successful unit of its kind. Their second creation was the robot R. Jander Panell. Sarton's work was conducted from Spacetown, an extraterrestrial settlement on Earth, where he was stationed to study Earthly society and facilitate the Aurora-sponsored project of introducing C/Fe (human-robot) integration to the planet.
His career and life were cut short when he was murdered in Spacetown. The crime was committed by Earth's Police Commissioner, Julius Enderby, who, manipulated by Medievalist conspirators, mistakenly identified Sarton as the robot Daneel and killed him in an attempt to halt Spacer influence on Earth. This event directly triggered the investigation pairing Elijah Baley with R. Daneel Olivaw, who was forced to impersonate his creator to solve the case.
Sarton's death had profound and lasting consequences. It effectively halted the production of new humaniform robots, as Fastolfe, though possessing the theoretical knowledge, lacked his partner's practical design skills and chose not to continue alone. Fastolfe frequently referenced Sarton in later years, stating that while Sarton understood Daneel's construction, he did not grasp the underlying theory as deeply as its creator. Their partnership was close but not without friction; an incident was recalled where a young Vasilia Fastolfe interrupted a crucial design session, causing Sarton to leave in indignation. His murder and the subsequent failure of the Spacer project on Earth led directly to the decommissioning of Spacetown, a significant political victory for Earth and a setback for Auroran expansionist policies.
Appearances[]
- The Caves of Steel
- The Robots of Dawn (mentioned)