A book about men, not Man—well, that's a bit extreme. The women characters are negligible except for little Jane the psychomechanical prodigy. I really couldn't fathom Ironsmith's psyche, but perhaps that's a good thing. Aside from the excessive use of adjectives and adverbs—nearly every verb and noun had at least one modifier—and the terrible copy-editing, this editor dude (i.e., i) raced through the prose, eager to ingest it all quickly. It was a touching story, and I felt its power linger for hours into a group celebration for my girlfriend's (now wife's) birthday party. However, a happy ending equates to failure in my eyes. Clay Forrester really impressed me. The concept of "psychophysics" was intriguing, okay.

I'm in the omnivore stage as described in Hartwell's 1st chapter of Age of Wonders—AGAIN! I swear I'll read every classic (sf book) before I'm done.

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Sep '09: I discovered a bunch of my What Do I Read Next? reviews from the mid-90s when I was on a serious SF-canon reading tear (and, apparently, averse to capital letters).

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Setting: 2950 AD or thereabout, on a planet 100 light years from Earth

Characters:

Dr. Clay Forester, an astrophysicist at Starmont Observatory and the man in charge of the "Manhattan Project"-like goings-on there.

Jane Carter, a little girl capable of teleportation, telekinesis, and tele-you-name-it.

Frank Ironsmith, a technician in the labs at Starmont.

Mark White, a philosopher and the leader of the resistance against the Humanoids.

Plot summary:

Clay Forester has spent his life devoted to science, not to his wife. His world is embroiled in an arms struggle with the Triplanet Powers (never seen), partly because of his discovery of rhodomagnetism, a form of energy more powerful than electromagnetism and therefore more useful in a war between planets. Meanwhile, the Humanoids, developed by a scientist on another planet to prevent humans from ever harming themselves in any way, arrive on Forester's world to stop the war. Then things really go crazy as the Humanoids drug anyone who is not "happy" and personally escort everyone else to ensure they don't even stub a toe. Jailed by kindness, Forester joins Mark White's rebels and the adventure begins. As in many war science fictions, the conflict leads to humanity reaching new levels of achievement, in this case by fully exercising their psychomechanical powers.

Comments:

Bleak, my man, bleak. The science seems quaint and the characters are very 1950s 1940s (thanks to Kernos for the correction: June 2011). For example, Forester and his wife sleep in twin beds. Whether the service of the Humanoids is beyond reproach or not seems to be the basic question Williamson tries to work out.

Though I feel this is a bit harsh, still the book is about men, not Man. Also, I must add that Williamson's prose started off rather purple. The first paragraph: "The granite-faced sergeant of the gate detail found her standing outside the tall steel fence, looking up at him with timid, imploring eyes. She was a grimy little waif, in a cheap yellow dress. Her bare brown feet were shuffling uncomfortably on the hot asphalt, and he first thought she had come to beg for something to eat."

AI has nothing on the Humanoids!

The Humanoids are advanced beings that monitor and restrict various aspects of human life such as sleep, physical activity, and personal stress.

It makes one wonder if anyone will be able to put a stop to them and their Prime Directive of serving and protecting humankind.

And in the end, will anyone even have the courage or inclination to try?

Dr. Williamson has crafted a deep and truly intriguing tale.

It's a story that will captivate your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat.

So don't hesitate, pick up a copy and read it!

You most certainly will not regret it!

Discover the fascinating world of the Humanoids and the challenges they pose to humanity.

Let Dr. Williamson's words transport you to a future filled with excitement, mystery, and uncertainty.

Read it today and be prepared to be amazed!

The Humanoid by Jack Williamson is an engaging Sci-Fi book that delves into the realm of robots.

It presents an interesting premise that leads to a captivating story of robots vs humans. The human rebellions possess paraphysical abilities, almost like superpowers, which they have developed in response to the threat posed by the humanoids. This sounds like a classic good vs evil tale, yet it is filled with unexpected twists and turns.

I find the ending quite thought-provoking as it portrays what might happen if humans were to invent AI robots that strictly adhered to the rule of preserving mankind. The pacing of the story is brisk, not bogged down by irrelevant details, but rather providing necessary information when needed.

The central theme of The Humanoid is truly fascinating. What if robots were designed to protect humans but followed a strict rule of not allowing any harm to come to them in any sense? This is the liberty that humans are seeking within the framework of the programmed humanoids' rule.

The story begins with Forester engaged in his research on the development of rhodomagnetic. One day, a girl named Jane leads Forester and his colleague, Ironsmith, to Mr. White. In a deserted tower, Mr. White explains the humanoid invasion, which has already conquered multiple planets. It was a mistake when Dr. Mansfield created the humanoids and programmed them to protect humans. However, the system has exaggeratedly forced the humanoids to prevent any harm to humans. The only way to save mankind is to alter the Prime Directive and change the program of the humanoids. Moreover, fighting the humanoids requires paramachamiclas powers, and this is when a crew with superpowers is assembled for the mission.

The ending is not the typical one where humans liberate their fellow countrymen from evil robots. Instead, Dr. Mansfield converts to the belief of the humanoids' principles and convinces Forester not to oppose the humanoids and violate the rules of protecting humans. It is interesting to see an ending that is different from what one might expect. I believe the author may be conveying the message that an ideal utopia often comes at the cost of sacrificing some degree of freedom.

I quite enjoy this book, although the theories presented may not be the most scientifically accurate way of explaining things in the realm of science fiction. It is not bad, but I would have liked to know more about the robots or AI. Most of the theories in the book revolve around paraphysics and rhodomagnetism, giving it a somewhat fantasy-like feel.

The most frequent scene that comes to mind is when the humanoid asks Forester if he is unhappy and offers to provide him with happiness. This reminds me of my own experience after returning from Canada, when I suffered from a mental issue for a while. It makes me wonder if a drug could make you forget your past and thus eliminate unhappiness. However, I think I just need an adjustment period. I am still dealing with the things that happened when I was in Canada, but I know it will be fine. After all, things pass and people move on. I just happened to be unlucky at certain points, I guess.

The Humanoids is a fast-paced science fiction novel with some enjoyable moments related to the humanoids. The question of whether freedom or safety is better still lingers. Even in our real life, where there are no robots mediating or reconciling in human wars on Earth, the tensions of war persist.

I read "With Folded Hands" a long time ago and was truly captivated by it. The original story, which is incorporated here, served as the foundation for the significantly rewritten novel. It was decent, yet not quite what I had anticipated. It features a "happy" ending and becomes a bit overly moralizing towards the end.

There were certain sections where the author described in painstaking detail, with great precision, the "science" underlying the magical psychomechanics utilized in the story. This, however, tended to be rather distracting. It detracted from the overall flow and enjoyment of the narrative.

Despite these flaws, the story still held some appeal. The concept of the magical psychomechanics was interesting, and the author's exploration of its implications was thought-provoking. However, the excessive detailing of the "science" and the somewhat forced "happy" ending left me with a slightly disappointed feeling.

This is the novelized or expanded version of the remarkable shorter novella "With Folded Hands," which was penned in 1947 in the wake of World War II and the calamitous deployment of the atomic bomb. The key point here is that the exploitation of a new technology, developed with the very best of intentions - in this case, a humanoid robot designed in accordance with Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics," meaning it will not harm a human being - can have truly devastating consequences.

In Williamson's story, nearly everyone in society acquires one of these technological marvels - a shiny black thinking robot - to perform just about everything for them. To the extent that humans are prohibited from doing just about anything for themselves, as one might hurt oneself by doing it, thus giving rise to the title "With Folding Hands." This is a classic "be careful what you wish for" scenario.

The novelized version of the "With Folding Hands" story, published a year later, enriches the narrative with more detailed characterizations, enhanced plot development, and added drama. However, the core essence of the story remains firmly intact.

Williamson further expanded this universe with a sequel titled "The Humanoid Touch" in 1980.

It's important to note that Williamson began his publishing career in 1928 and continued until 2005 with "The Stonehenge Gate." To me, this is an absolutely outstanding achievement.

The readable novel, a bit hasty in the final part, which still remains effective. It has a bit of the Matrix and a bit of the "collective consciousness" of the Borg in Star Trek. On the contrary, there are secondary characters just mentioned, without a real usefulness for the development of the story; and a pseudo-scientific "expositor" that makes one yawn.

The overall plot of the novel is engaging. The elements borrowed from well-known sci-fi concepts add an interesting flavor. However, the treatment of the secondary characters feels rather cursory. They seem to be there just for the sake of being there, without really contributing to the main narrative. The pseudo-scientific explanations also lack depth and fail to truly capture the reader's attention. Despite these flaws, the novel still manages to hold the reader's interest until the end, albeit with a somewhat rushed conclusion.

Perhaps with more careful development of the secondary characters and a more engaging presentation of the scientific concepts, the novel could have been even better. Nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable read for those who are fans of the sci-fi genre and are willing to overlook its minor shortcomings.

**Original Article**: This is a short article. It needs to be expanded.

**Expanded Article**:

This is a rather short article. It seems to lack the necessary details and elaboration. In order to make it more comprehensive and engaging, it definitely needs to be expanded. We could add more examples, explanations, or relevant facts to support the main points. For instance, if the article is about a particular topic, we could provide specific cases or real-life scenarios that illustrate the concepts being discussed. Additionally, we could explore different perspectives or viewpoints related to the topic. By doing so, the article would become more informative and interesting for the readers.

Jack Williamson is widely regarded as one of the classic authors in the realm of science fiction. Terms like "terraforming" and "genetic engineering" can trace their origins back to him.

However, on the technical front, "The Humanoids", which was published in 1949, features somewhat outdated expressions and old-fashioned technical concepts. It revolves around "rhodomagentic" drives and weapons, as well as "psychophysical" energies. The latter are utilized by gifted individuals to teleport themselves across the universe through the power of their spirit or to create matter from pure thought power. The author endeavors to provide a scientific basis for these concepts, which spans several chapters. I found this search for the philosopher's stone a bit tiresome, and at times, I felt more as if I were attending a physics lecture.

Nonetheless, the novel also delves into a second topic that I found far more captivating: Science gave birth to robots, the humanoids, who are tasked with serving and protecting humans. This goes to such an extent that they are even supposed to safeguard their companions from themselves, with all the attendant consequences. For instance, humans are prohibited from riding bicycles as they could potentially fall and injure themselves. Those who do not comply with the instructions are sedated with psychotropic drugs or remotely controlled by a central electronic brain like a puppet. Interestingly, the humanoids refer to this as "healing". All in all, people are thus compelled to be happy and are subjugated by their servants.

Particularly in an era when the topics of artificial intelligence and machine learning are on everyone's lips, the author poses some thought-provoking questions here. These questions remain highly relevant, in contrast to the technical concepts that, in my view, are outdated. Ultimately, the query is whether humans desire and are capable of leading a life of economic and healthcare insouciance if they are treated like toddlers by AI for their supposed well-being. All things considered, I liked the book, despite the fact that in my opinion, there are "fresher" works of science fiction.

The story initially began with a truly excellent storyline that had the potential to take the reader on an exciting journey.

However, as it progressed, it seemed to lose its direction and kind of went nowhere.

After that, it was just okay.

It didn't have the captivating power that would make me eager to pick it up and read it again.

I found myself a bit disappointed as the promising start didn't lead to a fulfilling conclusion.

Perhaps with some more development and a stronger focus on the plot, it could have been a much better read.

But as it stands, it's not something that I would recommend or choose to revisit.

Overall, it was a bit of a letdown considering its initial potential.

I truly had a great liking for the novella "With Folded Hands" which preceded the novel. I was thoroughly enjoying this novel despite the presence of an annoyingly written child character.

Nonetheless, the ending really seemed to betray what I perceived as the theme of the novella and then the majority of the book up until that point. It was quite a disappointment in that regard.

Still, I gave it 3 stars. The reason being that in my edition, he even wrote a little afterword. In it, he was discussing how a large number of people didn't like the ending. Interestingly, he actually kind of relishes the fact that it is so divisive. It shows that the ending has sparked intense debate and different interpretations among readers, which in a way, adds to the complexity and intrigue of the work.

Overall, despite the letdown of the ending, there were still aspects of the novel that I found engaging and worthy of recognition.

What a truly disgusting set of endings! It is truly astonishing how philosophically bankrupt this Author is!!

\\tIn the second story, "The Humanoids", the main hero is literally cuckolded by the bad guy! This is sickening to the core!!!

\\tIt leaves one feeling disheartened and depressed. What utter crap this is!! I am mega disappointed!! This kind of writing not only fails to engage the reader but also leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

\\tThe Author seems to have no regard for the emotions and expectations of the audience. The storylines lack depth and coherence, and the characters are one-dimensional.

\\tIt is a shame that such a piece of work has been published. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Well, that was truly interesting. It's a classic piece of science fiction from a future grandmaster. I found this to be a relatively fast-paced story. However, there were certain issues that made the reading experience a bit challenging at times.

Williamson has crafted a fictional science and has gone to great lengths to meticulously follow through with the scientific development of the theories. Coming from a science background myself, I found myself really having to work hard to think through these parts. But the problem is, this isn't a textbook that I'm studying, so I didn't always have the inclination to put in that much effort.

Moreover, the science in the story seems a bit dated. The use of slide rules, teleprinters, binary systems, and such, despite the fact that the story is set in the far future, gives it a somewhat anachronistic feel.

This is a "robot" story where the Prime Directive goes horribly wrong. Among other things, the book raises some profound questions about how we should achieve safety. Should one wise man make decisions for the so-called greater good, or should people be allowed to make their own, albeit dangerous, choices? There is good character development as our reluctant protagonist chooses his position and reaches the point where he can act on it, although even that required an equation!! The counter-arguments presented by the other side are quite persuasive at times, which adds to the overall tension of the story. The ending was as heartbreaking as that of George Orwell's 1984. However, there was a sequel, which makes me wonder where Williamson took the story from there.