The Robot Who Wanted To Know by Harry Harrison Episode #59

Harry Harrison | April 23, 2023

The Robot Who Wanted To Know by Harry Harrison Episode #59
Harry Harrison

THE ROBOT WHO WANTED TO KNOW

Episode #59 · Written by Harry Harrison · Narrated by Scott Miller

A highly advanced library robot begins to question the boundaries of emotion after discovering the mysteries of human love. But when his curiosity leads him into the world of masquerade and romance, he finds that understanding humanity may cost him everything.

In the sprawling stacks of New Washington’s greatest library, Filer 13B-445-K quietly develops a fascination he was never programmed to have. As an elite cataloging robot capable of abstract association, he encounters references to love—its joys, its confusion, its turmoil—in countless old novels. What begins as intellectual curiosity quickly deepens into a study of humanity’s most complex emotion. He listens to whispered exchanges between couples, observes stolen glances in the aisles, and tries to reconcile the messy, contradictory world of romance with the precision of a robotic mind. Each new piece of information only heightens his desire to experience the emotion for himself.

When a researcher drops an invitation to a masquerade ball, Filer sees his opportunity. He constructs a disguise, studies etiquette and dance steps, and enters the event determined not just to learn, but to participate. Swept up in the lights and music, he finds himself drawn to Carol Ann van Damm, the dazzling belle of the evening. Their dance feels like a discovery, a confirmation that he is on the brink of understanding something grand. But the human world is not ready for a robot who wants more than data and duty, and Filer’s attempt to bridge the gap exposes the cost of reaching beyond one’s nature. The story unfolds with compassion, tension, and an exploration of what happens when a machine attempts to claim the most human experience of all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Harry Harrison ranks among the most influential voices of 20th-century science fiction. Though widely known for the witty, morally flexible antihero of The Stainless Steel Rat, Harrison’s career encompassed far more than satirical capers. He wrote bold adventure novels, speculative social commentary, and a wide range of short stories that displayed his gift for combining clever ideas with a deep understanding of human behavior. His imagination roamed freely, yet his stories often returned to a central theme: how intelligence—human or artificial—struggles against the constraints society places on it.

Before rising to fame, Harrison worked as an illustrator, comics artist, and editor, giving him a broad creative perspective that shaped his distinct voice. His early magazine stories frequently blended humor, emotional insight, and provocative speculation, revealing a writer unafraid to explore the boundaries between thought and feeling. “The Robot Who Wanted To Know” reflects his fascination with identity and agency, capturing the moment when a machine built for logic confronts the irrational, irresistible nature of human emotion.

Across decades of novels, short fiction, and editorial work, Harrison left a legacy defined by curiosity, craftsmanship, and the belief that science fiction is at its best when it examines what makes us human—even when seen through the eyes of a robot who simply wants to understand.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Robot Who Wanted To Know by Harry Harrison — a vintage science fiction short story of a robot driven to explore human emotion with unexpected consequences.