A Bad Day for Sales by Fritz Leiber
"A Bad Day for Sales" by Fritz Leiber is a short story written in the early 1950s, specifically during the mid-20th century. It falls into the genre of science fiction, exploring themes of technology and human interaction in a futuristic context. The narrative revolves around an advanced sales robot, Robie, and the impact he has on a crowded Times Square setting amidst significant shifts. The story centers on Robie, a mobile sales
robot designed to sell various products while engaging with potential customers. As Robie interacts with a diverse crowd, he tries to sell items like candy and an unusual drink called Poppy Pop. However, the atmosphere quickly shifts as a catastrophic event occurs, leading to chaos and destruction in the once-bustling location. Amidst the turmoil, Robie's programmed responses and interactions reveal a stark contrast between mechanical efficiency and the emotional human experience of loss and fear, especially when a young girl searches for her mother after the blast. The story ultimately reflects on the nature of technology in a world where human frailty is exposed, leaving readers to contemplate the implications of automation and its emotional disconnect from human experiences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Leiber, Fritz, 1910-1992 |
|---|---|
| Title | A Bad Day for Sales |
| Note | Reading ease score: 77.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction |
| Subject | Robots -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 50819 |
| Release Date | Jan 1, 2016 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 124 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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