<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The Bicentennial Man is a 14,000-word novella by Isaac Asimov, about a family robot that longs to be treated like a person. It was first published by Ballantine Books in February, 1976, in the original anthology Stellar #2, edited by Judy-Lynn del Rey.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

In the early days of humanoid robotics, the Martin family purchase a robot named NDR and name him Andrew. He becomes close to the family, especially the father (whom he addresses as “Sir”), and the daughter, (“Little Miss”). Andrew eventually starts to carve animals out of wood, to the surprise of his family and the robotocists at the US Robotics Company. The company reacts to this by designing their new robots to be more predictable. Over the years, Andrew outlives Sir and Little Miss, and becomes friends with Paul—Sir’s great grandson. Paul is a lawyer, and he helps Andrew with some legal challenges. Andrew writes a history of robots, and with Paul’s help Andrew purchases his own freedom, becoming the only robot in the world without an owner. He begins wearing clothes, but on the street one day, some young men torment him by giving him orders to take his clothes off and dismantle himself. Paul rescues him in time, and this leads to laws protecting robots from unscrupulous humans.

Andrew convinces the US Robotics Company to give him an android (human looking) body. He then begins his own research on a system that will replace his atomic power supply with a more biological system, deriving power from “the combustion of hydrocarbons.” His research also leads to wonderful new prosthetic devices (artificial kidneys and livers, etc) that prolong human life as well, and Andrew retains the patents. Andrew is gaining respect and acceptance, and at his 150th birthday he is celebrated as the “sesquicentennial robot.” But he is still unsatisfied.

Andrew spends some time on the Moon, and when he returns, he enlists the aid of Paul’s old law firm (Paul is long since dead) to have himself declared human. The lawyers there think it’s a longshot, but they agree to help with some test cases. Andrew approaches the Chairman of the Science and Technology committee on the World Legislature, a woman named Chee Li-Hsing, about the possibility of being declared human. She is skeptical, but agrees to help. Eventually, as Andrew's 200th birthday approaches, she advises him that the vote in the Legislature will fall short. Andrew decides that what people really fear is his immortality—they can accept an immortal robot, but not an immortal human. He has an operation done making him mortal, meaning he will live long enough to see his 200th birthday, and not much longer. This gesture is enough to sway the legislature, and on his 200th birthday they have a ceremony where they declare Andrew “The Bicentennial Man.” Andrew dies a short time later. Chairman Li-Hsing is at his bedside, and in his delirium just before he dies, he whispers under his breath, “Little Miss.”

Reprints

This story has been reprinted in Donald A. Wollheim's anthology The 1977 Annual World's Best SF.

Film

In 1999, Hollywood released a movie version, Bicentennial Man (movie), with Robin Williams in the title role, and directed by Chris Columbus. Note that the written story includes "The" in the title, but this article is omitted from the movie title.

External Links

• The Bicentennial Man at ISFDB.org