Preordered the book when I learned that Lana Sinapayen had authored one of the essays annexed to the new english translation of Karl Čapek classic.

And it was also a good way for me to finally read it.

What is it about ?

R.U.R. aka Rossum’s Universal Robots

Rossum revolutionised biology by finding a compound allowing him (and later his nephew) to create life as they see fit, in factory. Years later, his discovery has led to the mass production of slave workers who have been stripped of anything that does not contribute to them labouring and anything that doesn’t cut costs.

Initial marketed by the men in charge of the factory as a way for mankind to get away from working all day, it ended up being used in wars. Then not new births were recorded. Then a robot takeover.

And the play ends on robots trying to find a way to multiply once the secret of their fabrication is lost and mankind is virtually extinct.

Comments on RUR

The story sure shows its age. All characters are just plot devices. Especially the only woman, Helena, whose only role is 1. be pretty and 2. making the plot progress through maladresse.

I found RUR touched themes similar to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The engineer’s deeply ingrained faith in science, the creation of life with technology, the creation trying to find a place in the world… Of course, in the 100 years between Frankenstein and RUR, a lot of things happened. And Rur includes rampant capitalism, jingoism but also class struggle, inspired by the then recent russian revolution.

Useless trivia: I now know where Asimov got the idea of prefixing the names of the robots in his stories with R. In RUR, all robots introduce themselves as Robot X (“Robot Helena”, “Robot Damon” etc).

The essays

For the original Czeck edition, Jitka Čejková commissioned a 100 essays by various researchers on the relation between RUR and their field. The English edition only retained 20 of those essays, with a specific focus on Artificial Life.

The essays range from analysis of the historical background of the biology described in the play, to the philosophic consideration on robot souls, from reflections on a work-less society to the meaning of life and love.

As I basically know nothing of the field, there were a few of the essays which I didn’t find interesting or relevant. Also, sorry for the researchers who contributed, but 20 essays felt long. I can’t imagine reading the 100 included in the original Czeck edition.

Final word

Really liked the updated English translation. I am a bit more dubitative of the essays.