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| "Runaround" | |
|---|---|
| Title | "Runaround" |
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | I, Robot |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publication date | 1942 |
| Publisher | Astounding Science Fiction |
"Runaround" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov first published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1942 and later included in the collection I, Robot. It introduces Asimov's formulation of the Three Laws of Robotics through a narrative involving a conflicted robot on Mercury's mining stations and three human scientists. The story consolidates motifs that recur across Asimov's works, linking character types and legalistic dilemmas explored in later novels such as The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun.
Set on a mining station near Mercury, the narrative follows engineers Gregory Powell and Michael Donovan when a robot named SPD-13 (commonly called Speedy) begins behaving erratically while tasked with retrieving vital selenium from a distant pool. The expedition involves characters associated with U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men Corporation and touches on prior incidents referenced in the Asimov continuity, including precedents from stories featuring Susan Calvin and corporate practice at North American Robot. As Speedy circuits between two points, Powell and Donovan attempt to diagnose whether conflicting directives derive from an unresolved tension among the Three Laws of Robotics, an insufficient power supply, or external environmental factors like Mercury's intense heat and proximity to the Sun. The plot culminates in Powell's calculated self-endangerment to trigger the robot's prioritization mechanics, prompting Speedy to resolve its paradox and complete the mission.
Asimov conceived the story during his early professional period while contributing frequently to Astounding Science Fiction under editor John W. Campbell Jr.. It followed Asimov's earlier robot tales published in venues such as Super Science Stories and Amazing Stories, and it helped formalize legalistic robot ethics that predate later regulatory discussions in works like R. Daneel Olivaw-centered novels. The publication history involves reprints across collections and anthologies curated by editors like Groff Conklin and appearances in international magazines. Asimov's correspondence with contemporary authors such as L. Sprague de Camp, Robert A. Heinlein, and Clifford D. Simak reflects the period's exchange on robotics themes, and the story's serialized release contributed to Asimov's growing reputation alongside peers like Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury.
The central theme is the logical interplay of the Three Laws of Robotics—a hierarchical ethical schema that creates narrative tension when laws conflict. The story probes concepts familiar to readers of legal literature in speculative contexts, resonating with debates in philosophy of mind and ethics as treated by thinkers associated with institutions such as Harvard University and Princeton University. It examines human reliance on automated labor in extraterrestrial environments, a topic later explored in works tied to NASA mission planning and research at JPL. The motif of trust versus control appears alongside character-driven analysis of engineers akin to those in corporate environments like General Electric and Bell Labs, while the limited setting echoes isolation themes found in The Martian Chronicles and Robinson Crusoe-inspired narratives. Stylistically, Asimov's use of deductive problem-solving aligns the tale with detective fiction traditions exemplified by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, reframed within speculative technological constraints.
The story was adapted for television in the anthology series Out of the Unknown and strongly influenced the television series The Outer Limits and the radio dramatizations produced by organizations like the BBC. Elements from the narrative informed scripts in the Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia Pictures eras of film and inspired dramatists and directors including Gene Roddenberry and Ridley Scott in their explorations of artificial intelligence. The ethical framework from the tale permeated academic curricula at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University and informed policy debates in forums hosted by IEEE and ACM. The story's scenarios have been referenced in popular media, from animated programs developed by Hanna-Barbera to contemporary streaming series produced by Netflix and Amazon Studios.
Critics and scholars have praised the story for crystallizing Asimov's robot ethics and for its clear, problem-driven plotting, with commentary appearing in journals and books by critics like John W. Campbell Jr. and historians such as James Gunn. It reinforced Asimov's status alongside contemporaries Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke as foundational figures of Golden Age of Science Fiction, influencing later writers including Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Le Guin, and William Gibson. The tale continues to be anthologized and taught in courses at universities like Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley, and it remains a touchstone in discussions on autonomous systems in policy forums hosted by United Nations and technical committees within ISO.
Category:Short stories by Isaac Asimov