I, Robot Friendship Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Story title.paragraph)

Quote #7

"Destroy all sixty-three," said the robopsychologist coldly and flatly, "and make an end of it." (Little Lost Robot.43)

Calvin may be the human who is most friendly with robots. Bogert does say she's like a sister to them (161). That's why this story is so frightening to us: robots seem so human and Calvin seems so friendly to them. But her first reaction to a possibly dangerous robot is to destroy 62 innocent robots. We guess we can't really call Calvin a friend to robots, can we?

Quote #8

"That," said Donovan, bitterly, "is news to me. I was just beginning to have a very swell time, when you told me." (Escape.159-160)

If you didn't know any better, you might think that Powell and Donovan hate each other. But really, since we know they're friends, we can see their behavior as the sort of bantering/fighting that friends engage in. Are there other clues that they're friends?

Quote #9

Two strong arms lifted John from the wheel chair. Gently, almost caressingly, Byerley's arms went around the shoulders and under the swathed legs of the cripple. (Evidence.114)

Stephen Byerely might be a robot created by John Byerley, but that doesn't mean they can't be friends. Once again, we're not sure that this is a "friendship," but there are a lot of feelings in this relationship (as demonstrated here) that seem friend-like: warmth, respect, care, attention. John may have built Stephen, but they seem like equals when they talk about their plan to beat Quinn.