Galley Slave
Encyclopedia
"Galley Slave" is a science fiction
short story
by Isaac Asimov
, originally published in Galaxy
, December 1957, and included in the collection The Rest of the Robots
. Asimov identified it as his favorite among those of his robot stories featuring the character of Susan Calvin.
The story is a courtroom drama. It opens in 2033, with Simon Ninheimer, a professor
of sociology
, suing US Robots for loss of professional reputation. He contends that robot EZ-27 (aka "Easy"), whilst leased to Northeastern University for use as a proofreader, deliberately altered and rewrote parts of his book Social Tensions Involved in Space Flight and their Resolution whilst checking the galley proof
s (hence the title). Ninheimer holds that the alterations to his book make him appear an incompetent scholar who has misrepresented the work of his professional colleagues in fields such as criminal justice in absurd ways.
Susan Calvin
(US Robots Chief Robopsychologist) is convinced that the robot could not have acted as Ninheimer claims and that it was ordered to do so, but infers from its refusal to answer questions about the matter that it has been ordered into silence by Ninheimer. In any case, a robot's testimony in its own defence is not legally admissible as evidence.
During the trial, Ninheimer is called as a witness for the defence in the presence of EZ-27 and tricked into lifting EZ-27's inhibition on accounting for its actions. He responds to robot's intervention by angrily denouncing its disobedience to his order to remain silent, thus implicitly confessing to having attempted to pervert the course of justice.
The story's final scene consists in the post-trial encounter between Ninheimer and Calvin in which Ninheimer explains his attempt to frame EZ-27 in order to bring disgrace on US Robots. He was motivated by his fear that the automation of academic work would destroy the dignity of scholarship and argues that EZ-27 is a harbinger of a world in which a scholar would be left with only a barren choice as to what orders he should issue to robot researchers. The critic Joseph Patrouch has pointed out that the speech Asimov gives Ninheimer is an eloquent self-exculpation rather than a caricatured luddite
tract and cites the story as an example of a general rule that Asimov's best stories are those in which his personal technophile optimism is thus qualified.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
, originally published in Galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, December 1957, and included in the collection The Rest of the Robots
The Rest of the Robots
The Rest of the Robots is a collection of eight short stories and two full-length novels by Isaac Asimov. The stories, centred on positronic robots, are all part of the Robot Series, most of which take place in the Foundation universe...
. Asimov identified it as his favorite among those of his robot stories featuring the character of Susan Calvin.
The story is a courtroom drama. It opens in 2033, with Simon Ninheimer, a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, suing US Robots for loss of professional reputation. He contends that robot EZ-27 (aka "Easy"), whilst leased to Northeastern University for use as a proofreader, deliberately altered and rewrote parts of his book Social Tensions Involved in Space Flight and their Resolution whilst checking the galley proof
Galley proof
In printing and publishing, proofs are the preliminary versions of publications meant for review by authors, editors, and proofreaders, often with extra wide margins. Galley proofs may be uncut and unbound, or in some cases electronic...
s (hence the title). Ninheimer holds that the alterations to his book make him appear an incompetent scholar who has misrepresented the work of his professional colleagues in fields such as criminal justice in absurd ways.
Susan Calvin
Susan Calvin
Dr. Susan Calvin is a fictional character from Isaac Asimov's Robot Series. She was the chief robopsychologist at US Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc., the major manufacturer of robots in the 21st century...
(US Robots Chief Robopsychologist) is convinced that the robot could not have acted as Ninheimer claims and that it was ordered to do so, but infers from its refusal to answer questions about the matter that it has been ordered into silence by Ninheimer. In any case, a robot's testimony in its own defence is not legally admissible as evidence.
During the trial, Ninheimer is called as a witness for the defence in the presence of EZ-27 and tricked into lifting EZ-27's inhibition on accounting for its actions. He responds to robot's intervention by angrily denouncing its disobedience to his order to remain silent, thus implicitly confessing to having attempted to pervert the course of justice.
The story's final scene consists in the post-trial encounter between Ninheimer and Calvin in which Ninheimer explains his attempt to frame EZ-27 in order to bring disgrace on US Robots. He was motivated by his fear that the automation of academic work would destroy the dignity of scholarship and argues that EZ-27 is a harbinger of a world in which a scholar would be left with only a barren choice as to what orders he should issue to robot researchers. The critic Joseph Patrouch has pointed out that the speech Asimov gives Ninheimer is an eloquent self-exculpation rather than a caricatured luddite
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
tract and cites the story as an example of a general rule that Asimov's best stories are those in which his personal technophile optimism is thus qualified.