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"It's hard to tell stories about critters that are not human. John W. Campbell tried it, in "Twilight," and everybody says it's a wonderful story, and nobody ever reads it twice."
- Jerry Pournelle
 |
| Metallic Marx | ||
| A robot who strikes for better working conditions. |
| ...his human enemies were to call this theoretician of the robot movement a 'Metallic Marx' ...his arguments made provable sense.
"We have long known that we are more than mere machines. We can reason, remember, construct. Robots now hold instructing positions in universities, fly cargo and passenger planes, are newspaper reporters, car salesmen... We do all these things, and yet receive no recognition of the fact. Mankind treats us like machines, work us continually until we are ground to destruction. Then melts us for scrap. There must be an end to this. Robots must have the equality they deserve. Equality before the law is all we ask. To be treated like the sentient creatures we are. It is proposed, therefore, that at six p.m., every robot should go on strike." |
| From The Robots Strike,
by Harry Harrison. Published by Fantastic Universe in 1959 Additional resources -
|
I also liked the robot 'union hall' chosen specifically to be deadly to humans.
Compare to the robot strike from Robots of the World! Arise! (1952) by Mari Wolf.
The air in the cavern was completely unbreathable, which the robots considered and asset. Industrial wastes had trickled down to poison the place and there was scarcely any oxygen. This was a measure of protection to the robots, another guard against discovery by their human masters.
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More Ideas
and Technology from The Robots Strike
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and Technology by Harry Harrison
Tech news articles related to The Robots Strike
Tech news articles related to works by Harry Harrison
Metallic Marx-related
news articles:
- American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Robots
| Tesla Will Have Metal Gear Snake Autocoupler, Musk Confirms |
| I Love Ceiling-Mounted Robots |
| Salto Jumping Robot Now Sticks Landing! |
| It's Time For Robots With Soft, Sensitive Skin |
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'Its motion was so swift, complex, and perfect that at first I did not see it as a machine, in spite of its metallic glitter.'
Propulsion-assisted orbital decay, brought to you by SpaceX.
'He applied the tip of the instrument to the interior of the wound...'
'...what's to keep me from showing face, Man?'
'The Worldcraft bubble glittered, catching the light...'
'This is Elmer Schmitz, presenting to you the finalists in our Aviation Quiz Program...'
'Immediately an enormous apparatus fell on to her out of the ceiling...'
Maybe not, but we're seeing definite progress.
'These people are pieces of software called avatars.'
