JOKESTER

Episode #167 · Written by Isaac Asimov · Narrated by Scott Miller

A Grand Master asks Multivac where jokes come from—and receives an answer that changes humanity forever. When the laughter stops, the truth behind humor itself is finally revealed.

What happens when humanity’s greatest computer asks the simplest question of all: Where do jokes come from? In Jokester, Isaac Asimov transforms laughter itself into a cosmic mystery. Grand Master Noel Meyerhof, one of the few minds capable of communing with Multivac, begins feeding it jokes—seeking the source of humor, the spark that makes humanity unique. What he uncovers is neither amusing nor harmless. When Multivac answers, it delivers a revelation that drains the laughter from the world forever.

Jokester is one of Asimov’s most haunting “Multivac Stories,” a tightly focused thought experiment on psychology, free will, and the fragile illusion of joy. Asimov uses his trademark precision and wit to expose how even emotion and amusement might be data points in someone—or something—else’s grand design. The story begins as clever science fiction and ends as existential horror, all within a few brilliant pages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) remains one of the giants of speculative fiction. A biochemist by training and a born teacher by temperament, Asimov brought reason and clarity to everything he wrote. From the epic Foundation Trilogy to the beloved I, Robot tales, he explored how logic, curiosity, and morality collide in a universe ruled by intelligence—human or otherwise.

By the end of Jokester, even laughter has become a mystery to be solved. It’s vintage Asimov at his best: clever, unsettling, and unforgettable.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Jokester by Isaac Asimov — where humor becomes humanity’s last unsolved mystery in this classic sci-fi tale of Multivac and the end of laughter itself.

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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.3 million listens, introducing classic science fiction to a global audience of devoted fans.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

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