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Contrary to popular
belief, I, Robot was not coined by Isaac Asimov for his first
collection of robot short stories, but was rather the title of an
"amazing confession" by Eando Binder. This 1939
short story was basically a robotic replay of the cinematic version of
the Frankenstein story with the novelty of having the robot in
question, Adam Link, providing a first-person narrative.
It helped to make Adam Link a more sympathetic character who could
comment on human fears and reactions, but it killed the suspense of
the pursuit by angry mob bit, since a character can hardly relate an
event that ended with getting killed.
Adam
Link was so well received that he was soon launched in his own series
of short stories: I, Robot (1939), The Trial of Adam Link
(1939), Adam Link in Business
(1940), Adam Link's Vengeance (1940),
Adam Link Fights a War
(1940),Adam Link, Champion Athlete (1940),
Adam Link, Robot Detective (1940),
Adam Link Faces a Revolt (1941) Adam Link Saves the
World(1942).
The 1943 stories Adam
Link Goes Quantity Surveying and Adam Link Visits Winnie the
Pooh went nowhere.
The
Adam Link stories started out modestly enough with plots about
his attempts to blend into human society, which isn't easy when you're
a giant robot with the strength of ten men. It wasn't long,
however, before the series suffered from the dread pulp disease of the
Ever Expanding Menaces. It was only a matter of time before Adam
Link and his robot mate went off to war or were confronting invader's
from beyond the stars with the predictable decline in plot and style.
Take this example. The now very humanoid Adam
Link is doing battle with the Sheep Men from the Beyond.
Fortunately, the series ended before he came up against the Hamster
People from Pluto.
In
1963, Adam Link made a rare television appearance in an episode of
The Outer Limits that recounted his going on trial for his
creator's murder.
This gripping courtroom drama reminds me of A Few
Good Men... kicking me repeatedly in the groin.
