Summary

Isaac Asimov wrote dozens if not hundreds of robot stories in a consistent world, and the first of those stories was "Robbie". This is a simple story about a young girl and her robot friend Robbie, and while it may have been written before many of the others it has the same feel as so many of those stories.

The story begins with Robbie and the young girl playing together. It is clear that the young girl is a little spoiled but that doesn't matter at all to Robbie who appears to enjoy spending time with her. They are playing hide and go seek and while he pushes her he lets her win. It is easy to like Robbie even though he is unable to speak.

The girl's mother doesn't like Robbie, even though she is the one who insisted they get him. The robot fad is over and the girl is spending all of her time with the robot. Her father doesn't want to get rid of Robbie saying there is nothing wrong with the girl liking the robot, but in the end the woman nags him until he gives in.

They buy her a puppy and return Robbie to the U.S. Robotics factory but the girl doesn't give in like her mother expects her to. Instead all she can think about is her missing friend. Most of the story is about the young girl pinning away for Robbie and her mother insisting that they cannot get him back.

This is clearly a story of a different time. There is language here that, while completely benign if you know what it means could insult a modern audience as well as gender roles that are no longer truly applicable. Society in general has changed, but the characters still ring true and because of that alone this is a story well worth reading.

One of the most interesting of these characters is Robbie. Robbie is unable to speak, and isn't in the story much, yet nearly everything in this story relies on Robbie. If you don't believe that this character cares for the girl, and that she cares for him the story falls apart completely. Yet there is never a doubt in the story that Robbie is the hero. He has been treated badly by the girl's mother and cast aside but his friend has not forgotten him.

If you have ever read a robot story by Isaac Asimov then you know what to expect in "Robbie" and you won't be disappointed. This is a heartwarming and fun story about a kind robot and a little girl, in the tradition of a boy and his dog stories, but with a far more interesting dog.