Robbie (short story)
| "Robbie" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Robot series |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction short story |
| Published in | Super Science Stories |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Popular Publications |
| Media type | Print (magazine, hardback, paperback) |
| Publication date | September 1940 |
| Followed by | "Robot AL-76 Goes Astray" |
"Robbie" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was his first robot story and writing commenced on June 10, 1939. It was first published in the September 1940 issue Super Science Stories magazine as "Strange Playfellow", a title that was chosen by editor Frederik Pohl and described as "distasteful" by Asimov. A revised version of Robbie was reprinted under Asimov's original title in the collections I, Robot (1950), The Complete Robot (1982), and Robot Visions (1990). "Robbie" was the fourteenth story written by Asimov, and the ninth to be published. The story is also part of Asimov's Robot series, and was the first of Asimov's positronic robot stories to see publication.
The story centers on the technophobia that surrounds robots, and how it is misplaced. Almost all previously published science fiction stories featuring robots followed the theme 'robot turns against creator'; Asimov has consistently held the belief that the Frankenstein complex was a misplaced fear, and the majority of his works attempted to provide examples of the help that robots could provide humanity.
In 1996 (1982 in the original magazine version), a mute RB series robot, nicknamed Robbie, is owned by the Weston family as a nursemaid for their daughter, Gloria. Gloria's mother, however, is a local socialite whose opinions are guided by those of the surrounding populace. When publicly available robots were the newest craze, she basked in the prestige of owning Robbie. However, anti-robot sentiment quickly rose throughout the world (a combination of religious fanaticism and labor unions) and suddenly Mrs. Weston becomes concerned about the effect a robot nursemaid would have on her daughter, since Gloria is more interested in playing with Robbie than with the other children and might not learn proper social skills. Two years after purchasing Robbie, Mr. Weston gives in to his wife's badgering and returns Robbie to the factory.
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