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"the [science fiction] writer should be able to convince the reader (and himself) that the wonders he is describing really can come true...and that gets tricky when you take a good, hard look at the world around you."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| Mark IV Door Keeping Robot | ||
| A robotic device for responding (and scanning) people who come to your door. |
| He pressed the button set in one of posts of the wrought iron gate. There was a faint whirring sound that told him he was being scanned. From a hidden speaker came a metallic voice.
"Who are you? What do you want?" "I am John Clavering. I wish to speak with your master, with Mr. Konradis." "What is your business?" "I will tell that to Mr. Konradis." "I repeat: What is your business?" "Damn nosy robot...my business is private." |
| Technovelgy from The Man Who Could Not Stop,
by A. Bertram Chandler. Published by Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1959 Additional resources -
|
Chandler makes clear that this is a robot with very limited capabilities:
"Thing to 'member," Fredericks said, "is this. All our robots have brains. But not human brains. Not Anyting like. Take Mark IV. Same IQ as domestic fowel...Funny thing-bunch of us talking 'bout it, 'membered 'bout hypnotizin' chickens. Fantastic. Works on Mark IV too..."
Compare this idea to the automated sentry from Greg Bear's 2003 novel Darwin's Children.
Thanks to an anonymous reader for the quotes and full citation. (Note: if you'd leave me your email address on my contact page, I'd be glad to respond to your questions.)
...He remembered the night that he had got Fredericks, the Farrar-Blenkinsop roboticist, drunk.
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Tech news articles related to works by A. Bertram Chandler
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