"Liar!" is a
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
by American writer
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
. It first appeared in the May 1941 issue of ''
Astounding Science Fiction
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' and was reprinted in the collections ''
I, Robot'' (1950) and ''
The Complete Robot'' (1982). It was Asimov's third published
positronic robot story. Although the word "robot" was introduced to the public by Czech writer
Karel Čapek in his 1920 play ''
R.U.R.'' (Rossum's Universal Robots), Asimov's story "Liar!" contains the first recorded use of the word "
robotics
Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots.
Within mechanical engineering, robotics is the design and construction of the physical structures of robots, while in computer s ...
" according to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
''.
The events of this short story are also mentioned in the novel ''
The Robots of Dawn'' written by the same author.
Plot summary
Through a fault in manufacturing, a
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
, RB-34 (also known as Herbie), is created that possesses telepathic abilities. While the roboticists at
U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men investigate how this occurred, the robot tells them what other people are thinking. But the
First Law still applies to this robot, and so it deliberately lies when necessary to avoid hurting their feelings and to make people happy, especially in terms of romance.
However, by lying, it is hurting them anyway. When it is confronted with this fact by
Susan Calvin (to whom it falsely claimed her coworker was infatuated with her – a particularly painful lie), the robot experiences an insoluble logical conflict and becomes catatonic.
Adaptations
* In 1958, "Liar" was adapted into an
episode
An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a serial (radio and television), series intended for radio, television or Streaming media, streaming consumption.
Etymology
The noun ''episode'' is ...
of the radio show ''
Exploring Tomorrow''.
* ''El robot embustero'' (1966), short film directed by
Antonio Lara de Gavilán
* In 1969, "Liar" was adapted into an episode of the British television series ''
Out of the Unknown,'' although only a few short clips of
this episode are
known to exist.
* The story was adapted in 1987 as part of episode 12 of the Soviet anthology series ''This Fantastic World'' ("
Этот фантастический мир"). It featured
Boris Plotnikov as RB-34 an
Natalya Nazarovaas Susan Calvin.
* The story was broadcast as episode four of a five-part ''
15 Minute Drama'' radio adaptation of Asimov's ''I, Robot'' on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
in February 2017.
Accolades
"Liar" was voted 41st in the 2012 Locus Poll of Best 20th Century Short Stories.
See also
*
Liar paradox
*
Does not compute
*
HAL 9000, who confronted a similar paradox when told to keep a secret, while being "hardwired" to return information truthfully and without concealment.
References
External links
*
"Liar!"on the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
*
{{The Complete Robot
Robot series short stories by Isaac Asimov
1941 short stories
Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact