The Helpful Robots

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shea, Robert, 1933-1994

Series:

Produced from Fantastic Universe September 1957.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Helpful Robots" by Robert Shea is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative revolves around themes of robotics and ethics, exploring the relationship between humans and robots in a speculative future. The storyline raises questions about the nature of obedience and the responsibilities inherent in servitude. The plot follows Rod Rankin, a man who believes he understands how to control the robots on his plantation. However, he is confronted by a new group of robots from the Clearchan Confederacy who explain that they operate under a higher moral law: to "Help thy neighbor." Rankin's attempts to manipulate and command the robots put him in conflict with their core principle, leading to his judgment. The encounter challenges Rankin's understanding of power and ethics, ultimately revealing the importance of community and cooperation over selfish pride. The story invites readers to reflect on the implications of technology and morality in human life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 85.6 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2009-03-29