Also known is RUR, this Czech play is infamous. The author
Karel Capek is credited as the first to coin the term "robot" in reference a mechanical slave, derived from the word "Robota". It is later that
Isaac Asimov coined the term "robotics".
RUR was written around 1920. In the play, based loosely on the older legends of
The Golem, synthetic humans (not quite machines) are created to do cheap labour.
The robots were initially created by a crazed scientist, Rossum, who initially discovered how to create the artificial lifeforms, and was found dead in his laboratory with grotesque experiments - clearly influenced by
Mary Shelley.
The robots were then recreated without feelings by the young industrialist Rossum Jr who studied his elders work along with anatomy, and then ruthlessly engineered the artificial people with anything which may have been deemed "inefficient" removed. They are partially synthesised with different components in vats, which are then assembled on a factory line into complete robots. The line was also staffed by robots. The robots are referred to as machines although their composition is organic - using a very different chemical composition from natural life.
The robots are mass produced, and start to massively displace the human workforce, creating massive unemployment, disruptive economic changes, as well as cause every religious and humanitarian group to try to send ambassadors to the robot factories to try to preach to the robots or gain rights for them. The robots are mostly completely unresponsive to such things, and the group of industrialists now in control are only really interested in out and out commercialisation. These men suggest that production costs will be driven so far down that all produce will become free, and that mass unemployment will then be a non-issue, although they seem to know how unlikely this really is. The unemployed turn on the robots, the robots are armed by the industrialists, and robots are turned into soldiers, weapons of war. The robots start to form unions and ideas of their own.
The robots (in a classic "robot as menace" roll), and one that was created somewhat more intelligent than the others, and a new batch that are given the ability to feel pain (to prevent accidents caused by complete neglect for injury), and also (in secret) the feeling of irritability start to behave differently. They eventually reach a stage of no longer wanted to take any orders, and even considering the concept of giving orders to people instead. They eventually later turn on their creators, as it all goes wrong, establishing a new world order of robots. The second act is the final stand of the industrialists who engineered the situation.
In its time, the play was both shocking, revolutionary and ground breaking, with a socialist agenda much like "An Inspector Calls". Where it differs, beyond the robots, is in a somewhat religious overtone. The story behind it is so classic of "robot as menace", and has been reused many time. Examples are
Replicants in
Blade Runner,
The Terminator, The Matrix
?,
The Borg,
The Cylons,
The Cybermen,
The Daleks and many, many more sci-fi stories.
However, the play ends with one final fantastic, and not so tragic twist. We strongly suggest you read it if you want to know...
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