Liar! (short story)

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"Liar!"
Short story by Isaac Asimov
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Science fiction
Publication
Published in Astounding Science Fiction
Publication type Periodical
Publisher Street & Smith
Media typePrint (magazine, hardback and paperback)
Publication dateMay 1941
Chronology
Series Robot series
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"Liar!" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and was reprinted in the collections I, Robot (1950) and The Complete Robot (1982). It was Asimov's third published positronic robot story. Although the word "robot" was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), Asimov's story "Liar!" contains the first recorded use of the word "robotics" according to the Oxford English Dictionary . [1] [2] The events of this short story are also mentioned in the novel The Robots of Dawn written by the same author.

Contents

Plot summary

Through a fault in manufacturing, a robot, RB-34 (also known as Herbie), is created that possesses telepathic abilities. While the roboticists at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men investigate how this occurred, the robot tells them what other people are thinking. But the First Law still applies to this robot, and so it deliberately lies when necessary to avoid hurting their feelings and to make people happy, especially in terms of romance.

However, by lying, it is hurting them anyway. When it is confronted with this fact by Susan Calvin (to whom it falsely claimed her coworker was infatuated with her – a particularly painful lie), the robot experiences an insoluble logical conflict and becomes catatonic.

Adaptations

Accolades

"Liar!" was voted 41st in the 2012 Locus Poll of Best 20th Century Short Stories. [7]

See also

References

  1. Sample, Ian (April 7, 2009). "Pop a Disc pill and engage the Higgs drive!". The Guardian . London. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  2. Prucher, Jeff (March 31, 2009). "Nine words you might think came from science but which are really from science fiction". OUPblog. Oxford University Press . Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  3. Cutler, Colin. "OUT OF THE UNKNOWN: CLIPS GUIDE - INTRODUCTION". www.zetaminor.com. Zeta Minor. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  4. Этот фантастический мир. Выпуск 12 (1987)
  5. Борис Плотников в экранизации рассказа "Лжец!". Этот фантастический мир (1987)
  6. "Liar: Isaac Asimov's I, Robot Episode 4 of 5". BBC Online . BBC. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  7. "All-Time Short Fiction Results, 2012". Locus . Retrieved November 9, 2024.
Preceded by:
"Catch that Rabbit"
Included in:
I, Robot
The Complete Robot
Robot Visions
Series:
Robot series
Foundation Series
Followed by:
"Satisfaction Guaranteed"