Author: Eando Binder
First published: January 1939
Place of Publication: Amazing Stories
Type: Short Story
Characters: No Character
Themes: ANDROID; POSTHUMAN; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER
Critical Summary: Eando Binder’s “I, Robot” tells about the creation and life of Adam Link, a robot created by Dr. Link. Dr. Link, like Victor Frankenstein, is immediately terrified of his creation but soon realizes that the robot is much more than some monster. The companionship between the two grows as Dr. Link names the robot “Adam Link” in order to reinforce the notion that Adam is not subservient, but rather a son.
Dr. Link is later killed in an accident for which Adam appears responsible. Adam chooses to abandon the scene as he realizes that there is no longer a need to remain in his father’s laboratory. As Adam wanders he comes across a drowning girl who he saves but also hurts as he underestimates his strength. The gathered crowd does not realize that Adam saved the little girl and assume that Dr. Link’s creation has gone rogue. The police are hailed and before long Adam is being chased around the woods with Dr. Link’s dog, Terry.
During the “man-hunt” Terry is killed and Adam briefly contemplates revenge. Later that same day Adam finds that he has made his way back to the laboratory. Once inside Adam discovers a copy of Frankenstein, in which he relates to the Creature. He realizes that he would rather let the mob satiate their desire for his “death” than escape and risk human deaths.
The story ends without a clear indication of what happened next but it has a similar feeling to what happened in Frankenstein. The Creature disappears and we never get an idea of what happens next. A major difference between the short story and Frankenstein is the attitudes between the creator and the created. Dr. Link adores Adam but, like the original Creature, society cannot come to grips with a form of intelligence that isn’t human. Adam comes to the conclusion that being human is a figment of the imagination; Terry sees no difference between humans and Adam so why must he be treated as an outsider?
Administrative Notes: Jason Limon, CSUF; Lee Koehler, CSUF (editing)