This is the first original story entitled "I Robot." Isaac Isimov did have an anthology of his positronic robots stories published as a book with the same title. Asimov explained that the title was his editors' idea but he realized that there was another older story of the same title. Published in 1939 in Amazing Stories, it was written by the brothers Earl and Otto Binder under the pseudonym Eando Binder. They also wrote the teleplay for this distinguished Outer Limits episode. In fact, not one of the stories in the Asimov anthology was entitled "I, Robot." This episode also has nothing to do with the movie of the same title which starred Will Smith and which, as in the case of Bicentennial Man (starring Robin Williams), acknowledged reference of the Three Laws of Robotics formulated by Asimov which were supposed to govern robotic behavior.
I was much touched and fascinated by this story when I first saw it as a 15-year old. The robot design is now crude by present-day standards. It even spoke with a mechanical monotone which nevertheless added to its charm. When asked why he killed his creator, he replied: "It was an accident" with such a tone.
According to the DA's theory, the scientist who created the robot unconsciously transferred some of his personality and flaws into "it." Allegedly, the brilliant scientist was claustrophobic. So when he was trying to pack the robot to ship it to another site, it panicked and flailed about knocking the old man dead.
Actually what happened was that a heavy shelf dropped on the old man. As the robot tried to lift the shelf, a workman walked in who totally misinterpreted the scene and thought that the robot beaned the scientist with the shelf.
The robot is brought to trial and the courtroom scene was riveting as the defense attorney argued passionately citing the previous displayed benevolent behavior of the robot. In the end, however, the judge found the robot guilty and sentenced him to be sent to a facility where he would be dismantled. He could have escaped at anytime but the robot with dignified stoicism accepts the fate decreed for him by humans. The ending scene has the robot breaking free of his guards outside the courthouse to save a little girl about to be hit by the prison wagon sent to fetch him. He throws the girl out of the car's path and was effectively dismantled in the resulting collision. He proved to be more humane than the real humans.
I was much touched and fascinated by this story when I first saw it as a 15-year old. The robot design is now crude by present-day standards. It even spoke with a mechanical monotone which nevertheless added to its charm. When asked why he killed his creator, he replied: "It was an accident" with such a tone.
According to the DA's theory, the scientist who created the robot unconsciously transferred some of his personality and flaws into "it." Allegedly, the brilliant scientist was claustrophobic. So when he was trying to pack the robot to ship it to another site, it panicked and flailed about knocking the old man dead.
Actually what happened was that a heavy shelf dropped on the old man. As the robot tried to lift the shelf, a workman walked in who totally misinterpreted the scene and thought that the robot beaned the scientist with the shelf.
The robot is brought to trial and the courtroom scene was riveting as the defense attorney argued passionately citing the previous displayed benevolent behavior of the robot. In the end, however, the judge found the robot guilty and sentenced him to be sent to a facility where he would be dismantled. He could have escaped at anytime but the robot with dignified stoicism accepts the fate decreed for him by humans. The ending scene has the robot breaking free of his guards outside the courthouse to save a little girl about to be hit by the prison wagon sent to fetch him. He throws the girl out of the car's path and was effectively dismantled in the resulting collision. He proved to be more humane than the real humans.