Stories

• "The Fire Bringer" (first published in this collection). This introductory story deals with a man named Amalfi Amadeus who develops nuclear fusion
  Nuclear fusion
  Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
  
   by trapping plasma in a cup of monopoles, bringing cheap energy to the world. His invention is snapped up by corporate America, but he is soon forgotten.
• "The Midas Plague" (originally published in Galaxy
  Galaxy Science Fiction
  Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
  
  in 1954). In this new world of cheap energy, robot
  Robot
  A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
  
  s are overproducing the commodities enjoyed by mankind. So now the "poor" are forced to spend their lives in frantic consumption
  Consumption (economics)
  Consumption is a common concept in economics, and gives rise to derived concepts such as consumer debt. Generally, consumption is defined in part by comparison to production. But the precise definition can vary because different schools of economists define production quite differently...
  
  , trying to keep up with the robots' extravagant production, so that the "rich" can live lives of simplicity. This story deals with the life of a man named Morey Fry, who marries a girl from a higher class. She is unused to a life of consumption and it wears at their marriage. Morey eventually hits on the idea of having the robots help him to consume his quotas. At first he fears punishment when he is discovered, but instead the Ration Board quickly implements his idea across the world.
• "The Servant of the People" (originally published in Analog
  Analog Science Fiction and Fact
  Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
  
  in 1982). This story deals with incumbent Congressman Fiorello O'Hare, the original crusader for robot rights. His challenger, Mayor Thom, is a robot and seems to be faring better than his previous opponents ever have. He is carrying a large portion of the robot vote and it is discovered that the robots are choosing him over the congressman because the congressman has health issues and they feel he deserves a rest. But the congressman's wife changes their minds when she reveals that it would be psychologically damaging for the congressman to lose.
• "The Man Who Ate the World" (originally published in Galaxy
  Galaxy Science Fiction
  Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
  
  in 1956) tells the story of Anderson Trumie who had a scarring experience in his childhood, before Morey Fry changed the world. All he wants is a teddy bear
  Teddy bear
  The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
  
  , but his parents' lifestyle of frantic consumption won't allow him to have one anymore. As an adult, he is a compulsive consumer. He has taken over North Guardian Island and he is putting a burden on the local infrastructure. A psychist, Roger Garrick, with the help of Kathryn Pender, find a way to heal Anderson and end his exorbitant consumption.
• "The Farmer on the Dole" (originally published in Omni
  Omni (magazine)
  OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
  
  in 1982). This story deals with a robot, Zeb, who spent the first part of his life as a soybean
  Soybean
  The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
  
   farmer. But his owner eventually falls on hard times and sells the farm, forcing his robots to move on. Zeb is sent to Chicago
  Chicago
  Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
  
   where he is given a new job as a mugger. At this point most human beings have left the planet and only a few remain on the earth. The robots are employed to keep society appearing the same as it was before humanity escaped into orbit
  Orbit
  In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
  
  . On two occasions Zeb violates protocol and mugs a human being. Forced to run from the law, he eventually falls in with other robot discontents and eventually finds himself at the head of a burgeoning robot liberation march
  Parade
  A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
  
  .
• "The Lord of the Skies" (originally published in Amazing Science Fiction Stories
  Amazing Stories
  Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
  
  in 1983). Earth has been ravaged by the heat produced by nuclear fusion and most of mankind now lives in Earth orbit. Michael Pellica-Perkins lives a life of luxury. While hunting a "Noyman" (a Von Neumann probe
  Von Neumann probe
  The idea of self-replicating spacecraft has been applied — in theory — to several distinct "tasks". The particular variant of this idea applied to the idea of space exploration is known as a von Neumann probe...
  
   that collects raw materials such as iron
  Iron
  Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
  
   or tritium
  Tritium
  Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The nucleus of tritium contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of protium contains one proton and no neutrons...
  
   in the solar system
  Solar System
  The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
  
   and brings them back to Earth), Michael has an accident and is picked up by a shuttle going down to Earth. On Earth he is met by his brother, Rodney, who reveals that he and Michael's ex-wife, Ann, are planning to destroy the orbiting space stations that transmit the energy that Earth produces out to the orbiting habitats. After one of Rodney's robots, Gideon, shows him a presentation Rodney prepared, Michael agrees to help Rodney and Ann. But once in space, he pulls a coup and sends them on an interstellar flight, forever eliminating the risk they posed.
• "The New Neighbors" (originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
  The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
  The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
  
  in 1983)