The Rod of Light

Bayley, Barrington J. The Rod of Light. New York: Arbor House, 1987.

Sequel to The Soul of the Robot (q.v.). A robot is infused with a soul and given human consciousness, with some twists. In the Zoroastrian conflict between darkness and light, darkness may prevail if a highly intelligent robot succeeds in the attempt to transfer human minds into nonconscious robots. Divided between loyalties, the ensouled protagonist robot follows the laws of robotics and saves humanity. Rev. Nicholas Ruddick, SFRA Newsletter #153 (Dec. 1987): 24, who finds it "a searching exploration of the nature and responsibilities of human consciousness." Rev. rpt. SF&FBR Annual (1988): 93-94. For soul transfer, cf. creation of robot Maria in METROPOLIS, q.v.

RDE, Title, 15Aug19