Publishers Weekly
08/14/2023
SFWA Grand Master Silverberg (Among Strangers) and Hugo award winner Schmidt (editor of Shattered Shields) offer a fascinating survey of how 17 legendary authors—among them Philip K. Dick, Fritz Leiber, Seanan McGuire, Connie Willis, and Roger Zelazny—have used robots in their storytelling. The anthology is organized largely chronologically, and the oldest entry, Ambrose Bierce’s “A Night at Moxon’s” (1899), which features a chess-playing automaton, is a highlight, showcasing Bierce’s gifts for creating creepy atmospherics and delivering an exciting surprise ending. Readers familiar with Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics” will be especially gripped by Jack Williamson’s 1947 story “With Folded Hands.” The most chilling of these tales, it centers on humanoid robots governed by the seemingly benign directive “to serve and obey, and guard men from harm”—but Williamson carries that rule to its logical conclusion to the detriment of humanity. Clifford D. Simak’s “Goodnight, Mr. James” (1952), which caps off a hunt for an alien creature with a vicious but fair twist, is another standout. These imaginative warnings about the unintended consequences of robot technology are sure to delight any sci-fi lover. (July)
New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry
Robots through the Ages is pure science fiction gold. Classic and new stories filled with weird science, adventure, wild twists, and awesome fun! Silverberg and Schmidt have a winner here!”
NPR’s Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson
Robots through the Ages ponders questions that arise in the face of evolving innovation, including how technology has changed over time.”
The RetroRockets Podcast
You might know the reveal, but how it all comes together is fascinating.”
Hugo-winning editor of Asimov’s Science Fict Sheila Williams
Robert Silverberg and Bryan Thomas Schmidt’s anthology is an indispensable collection of stories about Robots through the Ages. The reader receives a terrific overview of the history of robot tales from such stories as Jack Williamson’s ‘With Folded Hands,’ which grows more chilling and prophetic by the day; Robert Silverberg’s masterful Nebula-Award winning tale of robots and ‘Good News from the Vatican’; and Connie Willis’s amusing mystery that presents an intriguing ‘Dilemma’ to Isaac Asimov and a coterie of robots. At the same time, this book offers the joy of discovering never-before-published gems by writers like Seanan McGuire and Ken Scholes. This is a delightful and informative book for anyone interested in robotics, AI, or science fiction.”
