Isaac Asimov | Lecturia

Isaac Asimov: The Ugly Little Boy. Summary and analysis

Isaac Asimov - El niño feo. Resumen y análisis

The Ugly Little Boy is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in September 1958 in the magazine Galaxy Science Fiction. The story revolves around a scientific experiment carried out by the company Stasis, Inc., which manages to bring a Neanderthal child from forty thousand years ago back to the present. Locked up in a controlled space and observed as an object of study, the child is assigned to the care of Edith Fellowes, a nurse who begins to relate to him beyond his appearance and origin.

Isaac Asimov: A Boy’s Best Friend

Isaac Asimov - El mejor amigo de un muchacho

A Boy’s Best Friend is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in March 1975 in the magazine Boys’ Life. The story follows Jimmy, a boy who has grown up on the Moon and whose only playmate is Robutt, a robot dog designed to keep him company. Together, they explore the lunar surface, sharing a special connection. One day, his father has a surprise for him that has arrived from Earth, something that could change his life.

Isaac Asimov: Robbie. Summary and analysis

“Robbie” is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in September 1940 in Super Science Stories magazine. Set in a future where robots form part of everyday life, it narrates the relationship between Gloria, an eight-year-old girl, and her robot nanny, Robbie. For Gloria, Robbie is much more than a machine: he is her friend and playmate. However, her mother considers this relationship unhealthy and decides to separate them. While Gloria struggles to understand the absence of her friend, her parents try to convince her that robots are nothing more than tools without emotions or true meaning for humans.

Isaac Asimov: Robbie

“Robbie,” a short story by Isaac Asimov published in September 1940 in Super Science Stories and later included in the collection I, Robot (1950), tells the story of Gloria, an eight-year-old girl, and her robot Robbie, designed to be her companion and babysitter. Gloria and Robbie have a very close relationship, always playing and sharing adventures. However, Gloria’s mother, concerned about the robot’s influence and the neighbors’ opinion, decides to get rid of Robbie, convinced that a machine cannot be a suitable companion for a child.

Isaac Asimov: Trends. Summary and analysis

Trends, a short story by Isaac Asimov published in Astounding Science-Fiction in July 1939, presents a future where humanity, after a period of scientific progress, has fallen into conservatism and opposition to space exploration. John Harman, a visionary scientist, struggles to launch the first spacecraft into space while facing hostility from a world that considers his project a threat. With the support of a few allies, he challenges censorship and religious fanaticism, determined to prove that progress cannot be stopped.

Isaac Asimov: Trends

Trends is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in July 1939 in Astounding Science-Fiction. Set in a future where religious fundamentalism is on the rise and scientific progress is viewed with suspicion, it tells the story of John Harman, an engineer who defies social and religious opposition to make the first space flight. As the day of the launch approaches, public pressure intensifies, and the threats against his life increase. With unwavering determination, Harman faces the rejection of a world fearful of change, while his enemies claim that his project is a sacrilege that defies divine design.