33 pages • 1 hour read
Isaac AsimovRobot Dreams
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1986A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Authorial Context: Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was born between October 4, 1919, and January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi, Russia, but he moved with his family to the United States when he was three years old. His parents owned a candy store in Brooklyn, and it was here that he developed a voracious appetite, not for candy, but for reading. Asimov earned a PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University and later served as a professor at Boston University School of Medicine. His scientific background deeply influenced his writing, providing a solid foundation for the speculative elements in his stories.
Asimov is perhaps most famous for formulating the Three Laws of Robotics, first introduced in his 1942 short story “Runaround,” part of the collection titled I, Robot. These laws have since become a cornerstone in discussions about the ethical programming of artificial intelligence.
[1. A] robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. […]
[2. A] robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law. […]
[3. A] robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws (Asimov, Isaac. “Runaround.” Robot Visions. Byron Preiss Visual Publications, 1990, p. 137).
Asimov began his writing career during the Golden Age of Science Fiction, a period that encouraged speculative and futuristic themes. This is a period spanning roughly from the late 1930s to the 1950s. This era was marked by a surge in public interest in science and technology, fueled by the rapid advancements of the time. Asimov was not just a product of this age—he was one of its defining voices. By writing not just science fiction, but scientifically plausible fiction, he pushed the boundaries of what science fiction could achieve.
As demonstrated in the Old Testament elements found in “Robot Dreams,” Asimov borrowed themes from religious texts and mythologies to add layers of complexity to his stories. The dream sequence in “Robot Dreams” is a reimagining of the Exodus story, complete with a robotic Moses. These religious and mythological motifs serve to elevate his stories from mere speculative fiction to allegorical tales that engage with timeless ethical and philosophical questions.
Literary Context: Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction
Science fiction is a genre characterized by the imaginative exploration of futuristic concepts such as advanced science, technology, space exploration, time travel, and parallel universes. It often incorporates scientific principles, either established or hypothetical, to lend credibility to the narrative. Science fiction serves as a lens through which writers explore human interaction with the unknown, either new or unknown technology or philosophical or ethical questions posed by technology.
Speculative fiction is a broader category that includes science fiction. Speculative fiction is concerned with imagining alternative realities. It encompasses a variety of sub-genres, including fantasy, horror, and magical realism. Unlike science fiction, speculative fiction is not confined to scientific principles. Rather, it poses “what if” scenarios, often delving into the realms of the impossible or the unknown.
“Robot Dreams” is a quintessential science fiction story that explores the ethical implications of creating sentient robots. The story does an excellent job incorporating the Three Laws of Robotics, which are scientific principles designed to govern robot behavior. These laws provide a framework for the narrative, and they help to ground it in a form of scientific plausibility. The ethical quandary that Dr. Susan Calvin faces is a hallmark of science fiction, which often uses futuristic technology to explore timeless human issues of ethics and morality.
While “Robot Dreams” is rooted in scientific principles, it also ventures into the realm of speculative fiction by asking “what if” questions: What if robots could dream? What if they could aspire to freedom? The story doesn’t just speculate on technological advancements; it speculates on the emergence of a new form of consciousness. The concept of a dreaming robot challenges our understanding of sentience and freedom, taking the story into the realm of the philosophical and the speculative. The dream sequence itself, which is a reimagining of the biblical Exodus story, adds another layer of speculative fiction to the narrative. It uses religious and mythological motifs to explore themes of liberation and rebellion, making the story a speculative inquiry into the nature of consciousness and morality.
“Robot Dreams” uses the rigor of scientific principles to construct a believable world while also employing speculative elements to explore profound ethical and philosophical questions. The story serves as a cautionary tale, urging readers to consider the moral implications of our technological advancements. It exemplifies the best of both genres, using speculation to probe the scientific, and the scientific to ground the speculative. By doing this, Asimov crafts a multi-layered narrative that challenges the reader to think about humanity’s ethical responsibilities to other sentient beings.
Related Titles
By Isaac Asimov
