Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"The SF approach: an awareness that things could have been different, that this is one of many possible worlds, that if you came to this world from some other planet, this would be a science fiction world."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Sales Robot (Robot Salesman) | ||
| Fully automated robots giving untiring, incessant sales pitches to customers. |
Autonomous robotic salesmen - salesrobots - are the bane of consumers in this Dick classic.
| Robot-salesmen were everywhere, gesturing, pleading, shrilling. One started after him and he quickened his pace. It scurried along, chanting its pitch and trying to attract his attention, all the way up the hill to his living-unit. It didn't give up until he stooped over, snatched up a rock, and hurled it futilely. He scrambled in the house and slammed the doorlock after him. The robot hesitated, then turned and raced after a woman with an armload of packages toiling up the hill. She tried vainly to elude it, without success.
|
| Technovelgy from Sales Pitch,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Future Science Fiction Magazine in 1954 Additional resources -
|
The picture is taken from the original story as it appeared in the magazine.
This story has too many good quotes to pass up:
Sales robots are also in use in Stanislaw Lem's 1961 novel Return from the Stars.
Morris pushed wearily past the salesrobot, up the sidewalk toward the residential-block that contained his living-unit. The robot followed a few steps, then forgot him and hurried after another grim-faced commuter.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Sales Pitch
More Ideas
and Technology by Philip K. Dick
Tech news articles related to Sales Pitch
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Sales Robot (Robot Salesman)-related
news articles:
- Sales Robot IRI-Millennia Opens Gates Of Hell
- Robovie Robot Gives The Sales Pitch
- ENON Upgraded To Sales Robot
- Robots In Advertising Mostly CGI, Fortunately
- Sales Robots More Persistent Than Humans
- Mall Robotic Ad Won't Leave You Alone
- OSHbot, Lowe's Robotic Shopping Assistants
- Norlin Shoe Drone Robot UAV In-Store Delivery Thing
- Sprint Wants Sales Robots
- Artificially Intelligent Poster - Advert That Writes Itself
- The Coming Hell Of ChatGPT Salesbots
| RoboBallet The Dance Of Cooperative Robots |
| Does CloneRobotics Offer A True Android? |
| Robots Repair And Modify Themselves |
| Robot Janitors Get To Work |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'This was their world, their planet — this swift-traveling, yet seemingly moveless vessel.'
'Gaines and Harvey mounted tumblebugs, and kept abreast of the Cadet Captain...'
Accompanied by a small selection of similar ideas from science fiction.
'...war-balloons, or, as it would be more correct to call them, navigable aerostats.'
