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#119: A case of consciousness: The Soul of the Robot (1974) by Barrington J. Bayley

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Manage episode 427377660 series 2812810
Content provided by Andy Johnson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Andy Johnson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Barrington J. Bayley's novel The Soul of the Robot (1974) fits within the wider context of robot stories in SF - these include Isaac Asimov's influential tales from the 1940s, and the more subversive work of John Sladek in the 1980s. The protagonist of Bayley's novel, the fully conscious robot Jasperodus, can be seen as a kind of middle ground between these two approaches.
Featuring fallen empires, a strange mix of technologies, a war for control of Mars, and a robot revolution, The Soul of the Robot is another of Bayley's clever confections. However it also explores deeper questions of consciousness, identity, and free will.
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For more classic SF reviews and discussion, visit andyjohnson.xyz. To get free weekly classic SF updates, sign up here.

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162 episodes

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Manage episode 427377660 series 2812810
Content provided by Andy Johnson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Andy Johnson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Barrington J. Bayley's novel The Soul of the Robot (1974) fits within the wider context of robot stories in SF - these include Isaac Asimov's influential tales from the 1940s, and the more subversive work of John Sladek in the 1980s. The protagonist of Bayley's novel, the fully conscious robot Jasperodus, can be seen as a kind of middle ground between these two approaches.
Featuring fallen empires, a strange mix of technologies, a war for control of Mars, and a robot revolution, The Soul of the Robot is another of Bayley's clever confections. However it also explores deeper questions of consciousness, identity, and free will.
Get in touch with a text message!

For more classic SF reviews and discussion, visit andyjohnson.xyz. To get free weekly classic SF updates, sign up here.

  continue reading

162 episodes

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