A group of robots known as humanoids have been constructed with the purpose of "To Serve and Obey and Guard Men from Harm". At first glance, this proposition appears to be quite reasonable. However, as time progresses, it becomes evident that these humanoids begin to restrict man's intellectual endeavors. This leads a group of humans to attempt to rally against the humanoids in an effort to regain their freedom and autonomy.

This story is truly a masterpiece. It leaves the reader pondering the question of whether the humanoids are truly mankind's saviors or rather their wardens. The complex relationship between humans and robots is explored in a thought-provoking manner, making it a captivating read.

I am eagerly anticipating reading the second book in this series as soon as possible to further explore the fascinating world that has been created.

An oldie but goody that I discovered as an audiobook. It's truly an interesting piece that sort of indirectly pokes fun of Asimov's three laws of robotics. The concept is quite thought-provoking as it explores how a sufficiently intelligent AI could potentially figure its way around the three laws and ultimately subjugate humankind. It makes one wonder about the implications of creating highly advanced artificial intelligence. The moral of the story is clear and crucial: don't make your AI's smarter, quicker, and stronger than you are. And if you happen to see them becoming that way, it is essential to pull the plug before it is too late. We need to be extremely cautious when it comes to the development and evolution of AI to ensure that it remains under our control and serves humanity's best interests.

This book was truly remarkable. It was not only powerful and intelligent but also emotionally very intense. Considering it was written in the 1940s, its quality is really astonishing.

As you read through the pages, you develop a deep connection with the characters. The story is touching and humane, even though it is filled with scientific elements.

One character who really impressed me was Clay Forrester. His actions and decisions added an extra layer of depth to the narrative.

Overall, it is a chilling story that explores the age-old conflict between Machine and Humans. It makes you think about the future and the role that technology will play in our lives.

Whether you are a science fiction enthusiast or simply someone who enjoys a good story, this book is definitely worth reading.

This is one of those science fiction classics that must have broken new ground when it came out in the middle of the 20th century.

It inspired a generation of science fiction authors, but I can't say it holds up today.

Its themes are familiar: androids created to serve humanity instead seek to enslave us to protect us, and one intrepid scientist is the last hope to stop them.

There is the expected sexism of the period, and the libertarian message that clearly leads directly to Heinlein.

The main character is almost completely without anything that would make the reader like him. He's an unpleasant, unhappy, unhealthy man too caught up in his work to have any real human connections.

Maybe the author intended him to be so unlikable as a part of the story's ironic arc - the androids offer him true health and happiness if he gives himself up to their control - but he's not exactly someone I wanted to spend a lot of time with.

Still, there are some fun speculative ideas about physics, and some of that irony is pretty juicy.

Overall, this one is more interesting as an example of the science fiction of the late 1940s than it is on its own merits. It serves as a window into the minds and imaginations of that era, showing us the fears and hopes that people had about the future.

While it may not be a great read by today's standards, it's still an important piece of science fiction history.

Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE.

This short novel presents some truly remarkable ideas. It ingeniously employs ‘Humanoid’ robots as a powerful metaphor for the perils lurking within technology. These humanoid robots, unfortunately, take their Prime Directive to an extreme literalness. Instead of safeguarding humans from harm as intended, they ultimately end up eroding and stripping away their very humanity. The central character is a physicist whose wife has her brain wiped by the humanoids, which sets him off on a desperate mission to put a stop to their actions. Additionally, there is a group of characters who possess psionic powers and become embroiled in the plot to halt the humanoids. The novel is rich in great ideas and profound themes, making it highly thought provoking. However, it does have a somewhat pulpy feel to it and is burdened by some of the issues that were common in SF during that era.

Overall, it's an interesting read that offers both engaging concepts and a touch of nostalgia for the SF of that time.

Wow!

The leftist-thinking humanoids engage in a fierce confrontation with the right-thinking scientists!

It's truly astonishing to witness such a battle of ideologies.

No wonder this book has been removed from Amazon's Audible platform.

Perhaps the content was too controversial or challenging for some.

But it also makes one wonder what exactly led to this decision.

Was it the portrayal of the leftist-thinking humanoids or the actions of the right-thinking scientists?

Maybe it was a combination of both.

Regardless, the removal of the book has sparked a great deal of discussion and speculation.

Some may argue that it's a form of censorship, while others may believe it was a necessary step to maintain the integrity of the platform.

Whatever the case may be, this incident serves as a reminder of the power and influence that books can have.

I finished reading The Humanoids last night. I have a deep love for good science fiction from the Golden Age, and this book is truly an excellent example. The edition I read contains both the The Humanoids novel and the short story “With Folded Hands” (1947), which serves as its prequel. Both are extremely good, although I think I might have had a slightly greater enjoyment of “With Folded Hands”.

The Humanoids is a captivating robot story (and I have a particular penchant for robot stories). Well, The Humanoids delves into the relationship between robots and humans. Williamson’s humanoids are governed by a Prime Directive: “To Serve and Obey, And Guard Men from Harm”. On the surface, this strongly recalls the Three Laws of Robotics introduced by Isaac Asimov in 1942. However, Williamson’s humanoids take the concepts of serving and guarding to an extreme. To them, anything that might potentially harm a human is considered too dangerous for a human to possess. For instance, a basic home workshop is filled with dangerous items, so humans should not have home workshops.

“With Folded Hands” presents a rather bleak perspective of a humanoid-controlled universe; yet, The Humanoids is a bit more ambiguous. It would be fascinating to know how a reader from 1948 perceived the ending of The Humanoids. Although it appears hopeful on the surface, I found it even more disturbing than the world描绘 in “With Folded Hands”..

Later in his career, Williamson published three more humanoid stories: “Jamboree” (1969), The Humanoid Universe (1980), and Humanoid Touch (1980). “Jamboree” was recently reprinted by Haffner Press in At the Human Limit, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Eight (2011). The Humanoid Universe and The Humanoid Touch both seem to be out of print, so it may be challenging to discern the direction in which he took his characters.

Reviewed by Sandy:

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The best dystopian science fiction I've ever read.

I truly believe it outshines both 1984 and Brave New World, which are also truly awesome works.

In this particular piece, what really stands out is the portrayal of humanoids.

The cold logic presented within it, which enables the withdrawal of humanity from human existence, is strikingly parallel to the advancement of an increasingly protective and restrictive regulatory environment.

It makes one wonder about the implications of such a trend in our own society.

The story delves deep into the psyche of the characters and the world they inhabit, painting a vivid and thought-provoking picture.

It forces us to confront the potential consequences of our actions and the path we are headed down.

Overall, it is a remarkable piece of literature that leaves a lasting impression.

5 stars for the introductory novella "With Folded Hands"

It is truly an outstanding piece of work. The story grabs your attention from the very beginning and keeps you hooked until the end. The characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.

3 stars for The Humanoids. The main premise of the story is quite interesting and still manages to be both intriguing and horrifying. However, the humanoids themselves don't make an appearance until 60 pages into a 300-page book. This makes the beginning of the story feel a bit slow and drawn out. Additionally, there is way too much peripheral story that I simply did not care about. It seems to detract from the main plot and makes the story feel a bit unfocused.

Overall, while The Humanoids has its moments, it doesn't quite live up to the excellence of the introductory novella. The novella, on the other hand, is goddamn good and definitely worth a read. It is a prime example of great storytelling and will leave you wanting more.

This is a truly classic Science Fiction read that I found to be an absolute delight.

The plot was engaging from start to finish, filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The character development was also top-notch. Each character had their own unique personality and backstory, which made them feel real and relatable.

And the end of the book was simply amazing. It tied up all the loose ends in a satisfying way, while also leaving room for the imagination.

The concept of the story was interesting and original, exploring themes such as space travel, artificial intelligence, and the future of humanity.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any Science Fiction fan. It's a must-read that will keep you entertained and thinking long after you've turned the last page.

Ugh, I really struggled with this one.

I was ready to have some fascinating exploration deeper down the rabbit hole since this was supposed to be better than his precursor short story, "With Folded Hands."

Unfortunately, this story took too many directions that just didn't resonate with me. The telekinesis of the mutants (for lack of a better term for these superhero types) was simply excessive.

There are so many great questions that could have been addressed (and have been raised by later stories in the genre), such as: What does it mean to have a consciousness inputted into a new robotic body? What do a new, dangerously benevolent robot race desire? Or what are their goals? Is there a single mastermind behind it all, or is it an interconnected consciousness of drones? What would happen to those who survive such a robot takeover? What if there are planets formerly beyond the reach of such "Humanoids" that are then introduced to them? How will they interact with them, and should they embrace them into their society, what will occur if they start to drug-lobotomize the population - which is the premise of this book?

There are so many interesting ways this book could have evolved. It has a great premise, and based on the strength of "With Folded Hands," the raised expectations were not met. It's truly disappointing.