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 | No | All
| by Isaac Asimov
One of Asimov's Robot Stories set in the background of Asimov's Future History |
Cover Notes
A Susan Calvin story.
A man standing for election as mayor of New York, Stephen Byerley is suspected by some people to be a robot. If this is true, it will ruin his campaign, (a) because of the hysteria generated, and (b) because robots are not allowed to stand. He never confirms or denies his fleshly stature, but while he is campaigning someone rushes the stage and he punches the intruder away. This confirms that he is human in the minds of most people, because it violates the First Law. Susan Calvin is not convinced: a robot can hit another robot.
Again this is about the public's distrust and fear of robots; in this case despite the fact that a robot is the best candidate for Mayor. Many people choose to see Asimov's treatment of technophobia as an analagy to the antisemitism he experienced himself
