History Literature / FeetOfClay

** Fans of {{Isaac Asimov}}'s [[IRobot robot novels]] will recognize many of the issues raised here.

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It emerges that the golems got together and built a new golem (which is forbidden in modern Ankh-Morpork), each giving up a body part to do so. The new golem, called Meshugah, is a beautiful kingly statue, quite unlike the usual lumpen golems, but is also insane, overloaded with too many holy words (as all of the golems who built him also contributed to the holy words that animated him but asked too much). Vimes puzzles out the source of Vetinari's arsenic poisoning and realises that the arsenic was implanted in his candles' wicks - and the only one who could have safely done this is a golem.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: See {{CrowningMoment.Discworld}}

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: See {{HeartwarmingMoment.Discworld}}

-->[[spoiler:Tendrils of fog slipped in around the shutters and brushed against the wall until they were frightened away by the candlelight.]]

* ThreeLawsCompliant: Golems must obey their master, and cannot kill. The golems are so distressed at creating a golem that violates these principles they commit suicide.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Wee Mad Arthur's comment that his grandpa was once trodden on by a bull, which got one of its horns twisted off for the offense, becomes a bit more serious after [[spoiler: ''I Shall Wear Midnight'' reveals that Arthur was raised by gnomes, not his fellow Nac Mac Feegles. As gnomes aren't as resistant to injury as pictsies, it's likely that his adoptive grandfather was seriously hurt, and Arthur twisted off the bull's horn as payback.]]

-->'...Mr Vimes is lettin' me run a' Detretus concentrated - 'pub-lic a-ware-ness campaign tellin people what happens to buggers what sells it to kids...' He waved a hand at a large and rather crudely done poster on the wall. It said:

* DrugsAreBad: Detritus' campaign against the troll drug Slab parodies the classic slogan "Just Say No", with "Just Say [=AugharaaaarrrghpleasenononoUGH=]", the sound made by drug dealers when Detritus runs into them.
** Wasn't that meant to be the sound made by trolls [[MushroomSamba whacked out on Slab]] (see FingertipDrugAnalysis below) which is a rather strong hallucinogen?

** "Undead or Alive You're Coming With Me" and "Somewhere there is a crime happening" from ''Robocop''

* ThreeLawsCompliant: Fans of {{Isaac Asimov}}'s [[IRobot robot novels]] will recognize many of the issues raised here.

* ThreeLawsCompliant: Fans of IssacAsimov's [[IRobot robot novels]] will recognize many of the issues raised here.

* ThreeLawsCompliant: Fans of IssacAssimov's [[IRobot robot novels]] will recognize many of the issues raised here.

* UncannyValley: invoked in the way (most) people tend to react to the Golems

** "Undead or Alive You're Coming With Me" from ''Robocop''

* AIIsACrapshoot: The golem king was driven insane by too many words (hopes, expectations, directions) put in his head by his creators.

It emerges that the golems got together and built a new golem (which is forbidden in modern Ankh-Morpork), each giving up a body part to do so. The new golem, called Meshugah, is a beautiful kingly statue, quite unlike the usual lumpen golems, but is also insane, overloaded with too many holy words (as all of the golems who built him also contributed to the holy words that animated him but asked too much). Vimes puzzles out the source of Vetinari's arsenic poisoning and realities that the arsenic was implanted in his candles' wicks - and the only one who could have safely done this is a golem.