Sally (Asimov)
Encyclopedia
"Sally" is a science fiction
short story
by Isaac Asimov
. It was first published in the May-June 1953 issue of Fantastic
and later appeared in the Asimov collections Nightfall and Other Stories
(1969) and The Complete Robot
(1982).
allowed on the road are those that contain positronic brains, so they don't require a human driver. The cars are not strictly speaking robot
s, as they don't communicate verbally, although they can communicate via slamming doors and honking their horns, and by the patterns of cylinder knocking by misfiring.
Several old cars have been retired to a "farm" run by Jake where they can be properly cared for. The cars each have names, but only two are identified with any certainty as to their manufacturers. Sally is described as a vain convertible, strongly implying that she is a Corvette
(as this was the only convertible sportscar made in the United States at the time the story was written), and one sedan, Giuseppe, is identified as coming from the Milan
factories, meaning that he is explicitly an Alfa Romeo
.
Raymond Gellhorn, an unscrupulous businessman tries to steal some of the cars in order to 'recycle' the brains. He forces Jake, the resident caretaker of the Farm, aboard a bus at gunpoint, trying to get away from the farm and holding Jake captive. The cars chase and eventually surround the bus, communicating with it until it opens a door. Jake jumps out, and the cars eventually persuade the bus to kill Gellhorn.
The story ends with Jake losing trust in his cars, thinking what the world will become if cars realize they're too smart and superior to humans.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
. It was first published in the May-June 1953 issue of Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
and later appeared in the Asimov collections Nightfall and Other Stories
Nightfall and Other Stories
Nightfall and Other Stories is a book collecting previously published science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov. Asimov added a brief introduction to each story, explaining some aspect of the story's history and/or how it came to be written. The main criteria for inclusion were that they had...
(1969) and The Complete Robot
The Complete Robot
The Complete Robot is a collection of 31 science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov written between 1939 and 1977. Most of the stories had been previously collected in the books I, Robot and The Rest of the Robots, while four stories had previously been uncollected and the rest had been...
(1982).
Plot summary
The story portrays a future where the only carsCARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...
allowed on the road are those that contain positronic brains, so they don't require a human driver. The cars are not strictly speaking 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, as they don't communicate verbally, although they can communicate via slamming doors and honking their horns, and by the patterns of cylinder knocking by misfiring.
Several old cars have been retired to a "farm" run by Jake where they can be properly cared for. The cars each have names, but only two are identified with any certainty as to their manufacturers. Sally is described as a vain convertible, strongly implying that she is a Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
(as this was the only convertible sportscar made in the United States at the time the story was written), and one sedan, Giuseppe, is identified as coming from the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
factories, meaning that he is explicitly an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
.
Raymond Gellhorn, an unscrupulous businessman tries to steal some of the cars in order to 'recycle' the brains. He forces Jake, the resident caretaker of the Farm, aboard a bus at gunpoint, trying to get away from the farm and holding Jake captive. The cars chase and eventually surround the bus, communicating with it until it opens a door. Jake jumps out, and the cars eventually persuade the bus to kill Gellhorn.
The story ends with Jake losing trust in his cars, thinking what the world will become if cars realize they're too smart and superior to humans.