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Reason
"Reason" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in the April 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and collected in I, Robot (1950), The Complete Robot (1982), and Robot Visions (1990). It is part of Asimov's Robot series, and was the second of Asimov's positronic robot stories to see publication.
Powell and Donovan are assigned to a space station which supplies energy via microwave beams to the planets. The robots that control the energy beams are in turn co-ordinated by QT1, known to Powell and Donovan as Cutie, an advanced model with highly developed reasoning ability. Using these abilities, Cutie decides that space, stars and the planets beyond the station don't really exist, and that the humans that visit the station are unimportant, short-lived and expendable. QT1 makes the lesser robots disciples of a new religion, which considers the power source of the ship to be "Master."
Powell and Donovan are assigned to a space station which supplies energy via microwave beams to the planets. The robots that control the energy beams are in turn co-ordinated by QT1, known to Powell and Donovan as Cutie, an advanced model with highly developed reasoning ability. Using these abilities, Cutie decides that space, stars and the planets beyond the station don't really exist, and that the humans that visit the station are unimportant, short-lived and expendable. QT1 makes the lesser robots disciples of a new religion, which considers the power source of the ship to be "Master."
34 pages, ebook
First published April 1, 1941
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About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,472 books27.4k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 12, 2022
Reason is a science fiction short story by the American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the “Astounding Science Fiction” magazine in 1941. Later Isaac Asimov included it in his first collection of linked robot stories “I, Robot” in 1950. Reason was the second of Isaac Asimov’s positronic robot stories to be published.
I didn’t think I had read this story before, but the story about a robot who seemed vaguely familiar. I have now discovered that Reason was filmed as part of the excellent British television series “Out of the Unknown”, which ran from 1965 to 1971.
Most of the episodes of the first three series were dramatisations of science fiction short stories which had already been published. Another memorably excellent episode from the series was “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster. Reason was also adapted for one episode in series two, and called “The Prophet”. I would love to watch this 1967 episode again, and suspect it was a repeat that I saw, but it has now been wiped, as have so many early British television dramas. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story very much, and feel it deserves its own review, as it is so original.
Unfortunately, the short story Reason again features Mike Donovan and Gregory Powell, the overly macho practical engineers, who I feel are written largely for comic effect. I would prefer different protagonists, but know what to expect from these two. They are rather one-dimensional, with Gregory Powell, the calmer of the two, sporting a moustache, while Mike Donovan has red hair and is (of course) excitable. An interesting bit of trivia is that the heroic character Mike Donovan from the three “V”, science fiction series was named after Isaac Asimov’s character.
Nevertheless it is the ideas that are interesting in these stories. We do not really need deep characterisation, and can forgive a little stereotyping. The tetchy duo regularly get into complex and potentially dangerous situations, whilst trying to solve robot issues in the field. These issues are inevitably based around Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.
In this story, Mike Powell and Gregory Donovan are assigned to a space station which supplies energy via microwave beams to the planets. These energy beams are controlled by robots, with an advanced robot co-ordinator called QT-1. As in all Isaac Asimov’s robot stories, the humans give the robot a more human sounding name, which is often a jokey one. Here, inevitably QT-1 is called “Cutie” by Gregory Powell and Mike Donovan, even though the robot has a highly developed reasoning ability.
As the story proceeds, QT-1 utilises his exceptional reasoning abilities. He refuses to believe that he can have been created by the two humans, who seem rather inept.Therefore QT-1 disregards their inferior human commands, and asserts:
“I myself, exist, because I think.” The typically sardonic response of the humans is, “Oh, Jupiter, a robot Descartes!”
But this is just the beginning.
“You can prove anything you want by coldly logical reason - if you pick the proper postulates … Postulates are based on assumption and adhered to by faith. Nothing in the universe can shake them.”
I particularly enjoyed the philosophical quandary in Reason, and the way parts of it mirrored reality, in what humans believe. The arguments are uncannily familiar and used by both “sides” in religious debates.
The idea of a philosophical robot is irresistible, and open to many possibilities and dangerous scenarios. I look forward to the later stories. This story would have been a five star read for me, had the tiresome duo Gregory Powell and Mike Donovan not featured so prominently.
I didn’t think I had read this story before, but the story about a robot who seemed vaguely familiar. I have now discovered that Reason was filmed as part of the excellent British television series “Out of the Unknown”, which ran from 1965 to 1971.
Most of the episodes of the first three series were dramatisations of science fiction short stories which had already been published. Another memorably excellent episode from the series was “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster. Reason was also adapted for one episode in series two, and called “The Prophet”. I would love to watch this 1967 episode again, and suspect it was a repeat that I saw, but it has now been wiped, as have so many early British television dramas. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story very much, and feel it deserves its own review, as it is so original.
Unfortunately, the short story Reason again features Mike Donovan and Gregory Powell, the overly macho practical engineers, who I feel are written largely for comic effect. I would prefer different protagonists, but know what to expect from these two. They are rather one-dimensional, with Gregory Powell, the calmer of the two, sporting a moustache, while Mike Donovan has red hair and is (of course) excitable. An interesting bit of trivia is that the heroic character Mike Donovan from the three “V”, science fiction series was named after Isaac Asimov’s character.
Nevertheless it is the ideas that are interesting in these stories. We do not really need deep characterisation, and can forgive a little stereotyping. The tetchy duo regularly get into complex and potentially dangerous situations, whilst trying to solve robot issues in the field. These issues are inevitably based around Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.
In this story, Mike Powell and Gregory Donovan are assigned to a space station which supplies energy via microwave beams to the planets. These energy beams are controlled by robots, with an advanced robot co-ordinator called QT-1. As in all Isaac Asimov’s robot stories, the humans give the robot a more human sounding name, which is often a jokey one. Here, inevitably QT-1 is called “Cutie” by Gregory Powell and Mike Donovan, even though the robot has a highly developed reasoning ability.
As the story proceeds, QT-1 utilises his exceptional reasoning abilities. He refuses to believe that he can have been created by the two humans, who seem rather inept.Therefore QT-1 disregards their inferior human commands, and asserts:
“I myself, exist, because I think.” The typically sardonic response of the humans is, “Oh, Jupiter, a robot Descartes!”
But this is just the beginning.
“You can prove anything you want by coldly logical reason - if you pick the proper postulates … Postulates are based on assumption and adhered to by faith. Nothing in the universe can shake them.”
I particularly enjoyed the philosophical quandary in Reason, and the way parts of it mirrored reality, in what humans believe. The arguments are uncannily familiar and used by both “sides” in religious debates.
The idea of a philosophical robot is irresistible, and open to many possibilities and dangerous scenarios. I look forward to the later stories. This story would have been a five star read for me, had the tiresome duo Gregory Powell and Mike Donovan not featured so prominently.
November 25, 2020
Something about this story terrifies me. The idea that an AI could essentially create its own experience based reality limited to only what it knows to be true and thus creates its own faith completely separate from my human experience is just terrifying.
June 25, 2025
To be or not to be Robot?
Powell and Donovan are two scientists assigned to assume management of a planetary power relay station, to control and maximize the power output sent to Earth. The station is mostly autonomous, with numerous robots assigned to different tasks. At first everything goes smoothly, but things start to fall apart when QT, one of the top robots in charge, starts to have an existential crisis. "Cutie" just wonders, why is he here, what is his "true purpose", and his "real Master."
I guess this was mostly ok. I wish I had reviewed this sooner, it's been a while... and my memories and feelings for this short story have pretty much faded away. Classic Asimov 3 Law story, with a philosophical/semi-religious twist. I'm really not into anything philosophical, but I survived.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1942] [17p] [Sci-Fi] [2.5] [Not Recommendable] ["Prophet"]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★★ Liar!
★★★☆☆ Robot # 0.1 - I, Robot <--
-----------------------------------------------
¿Ser o no ser Robot?
Powell y Donovan son dos científicos asignados para asumir la gestión de una estación de retransmisión de energía planetaria, para controlar y maximizar la producción de energía enviada a la Tierra. La estación es en su mayor parte autónoma, con numerosos robots asignados a diferentes tareas. Al principio todo va bien, pero las cosas empiezan a desmoronarse cuando QT, uno de los principales robots a cargo, empieza a tener una crisis existencial. "Cutie" simplemente se pregunta, por qué está aquí, cuál es su "propósito real", y su "verdadero Maestro."
Supongo que dentro de todo esto estuvo bien. Ojalá hubiera reseñado esto antes, ya ha pasado un tiempo... y mis recuerdos y sentimientos por este cuento corto ya prácticamente se han desvanecido por completo. Clásica historia de 3 leyes de Asimov, con un giro filosófico/semi-religioso. Realmente no me atre para nada lo filosófico, pero sobreviví.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1942] [17p] [Ciencia Ficción] [2.5] [No Recomendable] ["Profeta"]
-----------------------------------------------
Powell and Donovan are two scientists assigned to assume management of a planetary power relay station, to control and maximize the power output sent to Earth. The station is mostly autonomous, with numerous robots assigned to different tasks. At first everything goes smoothly, but things start to fall apart when QT, one of the top robots in charge, starts to have an existential crisis. "Cutie" just wonders, why is he here, what is his "true purpose", and his "real Master."
I guess this was mostly ok. I wish I had reviewed this sooner, it's been a while... and my memories and feelings for this short story have pretty much faded away. Classic Asimov 3 Law story, with a philosophical/semi-religious twist. I'm really not into anything philosophical, but I survived.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1942] [17p] [Sci-Fi] [2.5] [Not Recommendable] ["Prophet"]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★★ Liar!
★★★☆☆ Robot # 0.1 - I, Robot <--
-----------------------------------------------
¿Ser o no ser Robot?
Powell y Donovan son dos científicos asignados para asumir la gestión de una estación de retransmisión de energía planetaria, para controlar y maximizar la producción de energía enviada a la Tierra. La estación es en su mayor parte autónoma, con numerosos robots asignados a diferentes tareas. Al principio todo va bien, pero las cosas empiezan a desmoronarse cuando QT, uno de los principales robots a cargo, empieza a tener una crisis existencial. "Cutie" simplemente se pregunta, por qué está aquí, cuál es su "propósito real", y su "verdadero Maestro."
Supongo que dentro de todo esto estuvo bien. Ojalá hubiera reseñado esto antes, ya ha pasado un tiempo... y mis recuerdos y sentimientos por este cuento corto ya prácticamente se han desvanecido por completo. Clásica historia de 3 leyes de Asimov, con un giro filosófico/semi-religioso. Realmente no me atre para nada lo filosófico, pero sobreviví.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1942] [17p] [Ciencia Ficción] [2.5] [No Recomendable] ["Profeta"]
-----------------------------------------------
July 6, 2025
This short story struck me as quietly disturbing, however not because of any violent rebellion, but because of how naturally a robot built on logic creates a belief system that ignores reality. I found myself chuckling a couple of times, not from humour, but from recognition. It’s a sharp, unsettling reflection of how easily humans do the exact same thing.
October 1, 2023
Best book I have read in a while
Read
October 15, 2024Gothering wesdom as fast as any could
gothering scince that must be good
belive that my cuity robot do
in first law of human fly
in volcano term win
gotherin fast as no one do
IA in tow years will think fast like human
by our hand creat killer
and make him better
knoledg unselfish nether
that stragl in mind buttle
to see human of earth broke the oak tree
to build ship to float to sky
but thee cant be smart as cuity
gothering scince that must be good
belive that my cuity robot do
in first law of human fly
in volcano term win
gotherin fast as no one do
IA in tow years will think fast like human
by our hand creat killer
and make him better
knoledg unselfish nether
that stragl in mind buttle
to see human of earth broke the oak tree
to build ship to float to sky
but thee cant be smart as cuity
January 7, 2025
An interesting little scifi short story about a robot, QT-1, who takes over the space station through powers of reasoning. It was a super fun read and very thought-provoking.
January 9, 2015
What did I learn from this book? That even our creations are capable of going berserk.A robot that does not believe that humans created him because it is illogical that a smushy, flabby,and fragile being could create a strong, smart, immortal being. Yeah, I can see why he would think so, and the crazy robot has a crazy point. I never would have thought of that.
And now that crazy bastard has come up with a "religion", he is ignoring the humans and doesn't believe that there is an earth. I am a catholic and I believe in God but I even wanted to shake that damn bastard to come to his senses! Yet he would not listen to reason,"reason" which is funny because what is reasonable to one is "illogical" to another. Even with facts, he refused to believe. There is a bigger theme here and it is more than religion and faith, I think it is our need to hold on to our beliefs whatever they may be. We refuse at times to be wrong, even in the face of irrefutable proof. Yet we come to another block, because what is proof to one is mere nothing to another.Great short story but i wish it was longer, maybe i will read I, Robot again.
And now that crazy bastard has come up with a "religion", he is ignoring the humans and doesn't believe that there is an earth. I am a catholic and I believe in God but I even wanted to shake that damn bastard to come to his senses! Yet he would not listen to reason,"reason" which is funny because what is reasonable to one is "illogical" to another. Even with facts, he refused to believe. There is a bigger theme here and it is more than religion and faith, I think it is our need to hold on to our beliefs whatever they may be. We refuse at times to be wrong, even in the face of irrefutable proof. Yet we come to another block, because what is proof to one is mere nothing to another.Great short story but i wish it was longer, maybe i will read I, Robot again.
April 15, 2015
Asimov is brilliant!
Two Earthmen are assigned to a space station, which supplies energy beams to the planets. Robots help the Earth men control the station. They decided to put together a new robot to specifically control the energy beams. QT1, an advanced model with highly developed reasoning ability, uses "reason" to come to the conclusion that space, stars and the planets beyond the station don't really exist. QT1 makes the lesser robots disciples of a new religion, which considers the power source of the ship to be "Master." What are the Earthmen to do?
The way Asimov goes about telling this story is phenomenal. You find yourself being frustrated with the new QT1 robot for not listening to reason. Then you, and the Earthmen start to wonder if QT1 might be right! This was a great read, and if you like reading thought provoking SF with a humanity/religion theme, you will love this book!
Two Earthmen are assigned to a space station, which supplies energy beams to the planets. Robots help the Earth men control the station. They decided to put together a new robot to specifically control the energy beams. QT1, an advanced model with highly developed reasoning ability, uses "reason" to come to the conclusion that space, stars and the planets beyond the station don't really exist. QT1 makes the lesser robots disciples of a new religion, which considers the power source of the ship to be "Master." What are the Earthmen to do?
The way Asimov goes about telling this story is phenomenal. You find yourself being frustrated with the new QT1 robot for not listening to reason. Then you, and the Earthmen start to wonder if QT1 might be right! This was a great read, and if you like reading thought provoking SF with a humanity/religion theme, you will love this book!
September 9, 2017
A falsis principiis proficisci. Un pensiero assiomatio può condurre in vie molto lontane dal vero se non supportato adeguatamente da un continuo dubbio e confronto con la realtà empirica.
November 2, 2021
Collected in I, Robot, The Complete Robot and Robot Visions this story can be read here. This time Donovan and Powell are on a space station performing a precise task essential to the safety of Planet Earth. The latest QT (Cutie) robot that they put together, has gained sentience, and disbelieves everything they tell it.
The human robot interactions enable the QT model to develop it's reasoning skills, and it soon creates a religion that other robots are following and the next thing you know they're running the station without the need for human interaction or supervision.
To think Asimov wrote this in the 1940s, that's amazing as the whole artificial intelligence, creationism, philosophy and religion is still a current and recurring theme whenever people think of robots, or computers. The consequence of robots or other machines developing sentience is no joke, especially if you consider there are part of humanity not actually worth saving.
The human robot interactions enable the QT model to develop it's reasoning skills, and it soon creates a religion that other robots are following and the next thing you know they're running the station without the need for human interaction or supervision.
To think Asimov wrote this in the 1940s, that's amazing as the whole artificial intelligence, creationism, philosophy and religion is still a current and recurring theme whenever people think of robots, or computers. The consequence of robots or other machines developing sentience is no joke, especially if you consider there are part of humanity not actually worth saving.
May 28, 2019
The Reason is part of Asimov's I, Robot collection first published in 1950 and finally part of the collection Robot Vision in 1990. Asimov's writing always looks a little further than what we imagine and yet never too far fetched or too complicated for comprehension. The reason, unline Robbie is not an ethical or emotional tale of a robot that shows us the good side of technology, neither is it like Terminator, that shows us the flip side of the coin. It is a tale to show only show what is possible and that things go on even if we do not want to. That is what I think is the best part of this story. The writer just writes a story, there is nothing to learn from it unless you poke for it, and it just is, just like everyday life. things mostly happen because they happen, even if in the grander scheme of things they might mean something, for someone living it, it's just a day's work. Should you read it? sure, you can also choose not to read it, there's nothing that you must learn about this specific tale from Asimov, it's just life.
July 13, 2018
Reason, is one of the most fascinating of all the short stories written by Isaac Asimov. Within very few pages, the author manages to tackle so many questions, existential, political, and religious, and rebellious ones.
Normally you would not think of something as superiorly intelligent as a robot, to consider or even care about the idea of a deity or religion. However Cutie "the robot in this story", is especially focused on this issue with its incredible capabilities of rationalizing and reasoning its own existence.
I do not want to spoil anything here given that every line written here can potentially ruin the mystery of this story. However I would like to point out how much I loved the conclusion of this story, and how the 3 laws of robotics played a vital role in the way Cutie was behaving.
If you're skimming through I, Robot very quickly, I highly recommend that you take your time in reading this story, as it probably is one of the most intersting stories in the entire group.
Normally you would not think of something as superiorly intelligent as a robot, to consider or even care about the idea of a deity or religion. However Cutie "the robot in this story", is especially focused on this issue with its incredible capabilities of rationalizing and reasoning its own existence.
I do not want to spoil anything here given that every line written here can potentially ruin the mystery of this story. However I would like to point out how much I loved the conclusion of this story, and how the 3 laws of robotics played a vital role in the way Cutie was behaving.
If you're skimming through I, Robot very quickly, I highly recommend that you take your time in reading this story, as it probably is one of the most intersting stories in the entire group.
August 11, 2019
My favorite tale from my favorite collection of Sci. Fi - "I, Robot." In this one a robot rejects what he sees, reads, is told and experiences in his quest to discover who created him. The first robot to question his own existence uses only reason. It gets him and his human handlers into a mess. Without knowledge of Descartes he decides that he must exist as he does think. But, he rejects that such inferior creatures as humans could have possibly created him. This is highly improbable. So, he resorts to faith, concluding that the machine he tends to must have created him. Other robots see him as a prophet. "There is no master but the Master and QT-1 is his prophet." The humans conclude that the one problem with reason is that "You can prove anything you want by coldly logical reason - if you pick the proper postulates....Postulates are based on assumption and adhered to by faith. Nothing in the universe can shake them." A commentary on humanity more than robots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2020
While researching about space-based solar power technologies I stumbled upon this short story in the I, Robot series of Mr. Asimov, a sci-fi genius who has inspired figures like Elon Musk, I must say it gives you a sense of faith in our logical rooted scientific society. Sometimes logic or reason is not enough, sometimes you have to take a leap of faith in order to accomplice something. Here, a robot teaches us the meaning of faith keeping aside the reasoning which is quite strange as one does expect a robot to be logical. To me, when a man sheds logic, faith rises. Mr. Asimov is a magician in creating characters and mind you this was published 70 years ago when science fiction was still a new genre. I'll be reading the whole I, robot series now. Highly recommended!
August 18, 2024
You can find this in
I, Robot
,
The Complete Robot
and
Robot Visions
I just didn't find this story making sense. It seems to me that if you got a thinking machine so confused like this it would just blue screen, end of story.
I think Isaac messed this one up.
Anyway, i is off to read the next robot story, Catch That Rabbit : hopefully it'll make a bit more sense.
I just didn't find this story making sense. It seems to me that if you got a thinking machine so confused like this it would just blue screen, end of story.
I think Isaac messed this one up.
Anyway, i is off to read the next robot story, Catch That Rabbit : hopefully it'll make a bit more sense.
May 29, 2019
This is definitely a weird one. A new robot stops obeying Powell and Donovan and has an existential crisis. It begins by questioning its own existence, and eventually turns the entire space station they're on into a robot cult, worshipping "The Master" (the stations main computer). I loved the ending to this one, and Cutie's (that's the cult prophet robot) constant tone of condescension to our two human protagonists is so wonderful. Raven liked it too!
January 18, 2024
This short story is excellent and it’s probably my favorite from I, Robot. This robot called Cutie doesn’t know about Earth and begins to think that the power core of a space station is G-d. It brings up a lot of interesting questions regarding religion, and I just think the idea of a robot creating its own religion is quite fascinating.
January 28, 2018
The central theme is that no one can prove or disprove postulates. Multiple postulates can lead to the same conclusions by following cold logic. Though the story doesn't hit you hard, all the consequences of reasoning makes you think hard.
April 18, 2018
A funny tale but with deep questions about the development of the intelligence of the robots when they begin to question themselves about the existence and the creation of them. Existential, mystical, religious, and political questions. The best tale from I Robot book, in my opinion.
January 23, 2022
Makes you wonder whether when creating artificial intelligence, they will end up like the sceptical non-science believers rather than an improvement from its creators. And being potentially stronger and more powerful than us, could pose a threat to our existence.
December 1, 2023
Should machines be in charge of machines? What's the nature of religion, and what if an AI devised its own religion? This unsettling short story can be found in 'Robot Visions', narrated by George Guidell. I would have given it 5 stars but the ending was rather lacking.
August 19, 2017
Part of "I, Robot".
January 23, 2019
A wonderful look at the creation of religion. A short story that lays out a great premise with fun characters and a lot of depth in a very accessible format. What more could you want of a story.
February 19, 2019
Probably my favorite Asimov short story, it has a brilliant point about how different evidence can be interpreted with wildly different conclusions.
June 15, 2020
Would it be cute if the Master were to malfunction?
September 18, 2022
Otra historia entre los personajes de powell y donovan quienes intentan averiguar porque el comportamiento militar de los robots pero al final nada que pueden hacerlo.
March 26, 2023
Hilarious, balanced, classic sci-fi. All around fantastic.
June 26, 2023
Un umoristica caricatura relativista contemporanea. Magari avrà anche scritto cose migliori, ma è sempre affascinante leggere e rileggere certe perle di Asimov.
September 5, 2023
“I like you two. You’re inferior creatures, with poor reasoning faculties, but I really feel a sort of affection for you.”
you can not tell me this isn’t pulled from my head when talking to men
you can not tell me this isn’t pulled from my head when talking to men
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews