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John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGuy is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
to:
John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures light-{{sculptures}} could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGuy is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
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* MiraculousMalfunction: One of Mrs Lardner's robots is [[GoodOldRobot so old]] that it can barely function. She insists that he's able to do simple tasks well enough, hiding the fact that whatever malfunction that has made him terrible at most household tasks has also made him the greatest [[FictionalPainting light-sculptor]] on Earth. This hidden talent is only revealed after a US Robotics man [[NoMedicationForMe repairs him]].
to:
* MiraculousMalfunction: One of Mrs Lardner's robots is [[GoodOldRobot so old]] that it can barely function. She insists that he's able to do simple tasks well enough, hiding the fact that whatever malfunction that has made him terrible at most household tasks has also made him the greatest [[FictionalPainting light-sculptor]] light-{{sculptor|s}} on Earth. This hidden talent is only revealed after a US Robotics man [[NoMedicationForMe repairs him]].
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* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: This story has a number of technological advances that haven't been created yet, but a culture reminiscent of the modern day 1970s. It includes humanoid {{Robots}} and {{Space Station}}s, as well as [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]; art in the form of "solid" light.
to:
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: This story has a number of technological advances that haven't been created yet, but a culture reminiscent of the modern day 1970s. It includes humanoid {{Robots}} robots and {{Space Station}}s, as well as [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]; art in the form of "solid" light.
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"Light Verse" has been republished several times:
''Literature/AlfredHitchcockPresentsStoriesToBeReadWithTheDoorLocked'' (1975), ''Literature/BuyJupiterAndOtherStories'' (1975), ''Literature/Opus200'' (1979), ''{{Magazine/Sirius}}'' (issue #38, August 1979), ''Magazine/WeirdWorlds'' (issue #5, 1980), ''Literature/TheCompleteRobot'' (1982), ''Literature/TheAsimovChronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov'' (1989), ''Literature/RobotDreamsCollection'' (1990), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStories, Volume 2'' (1992).
''Literature/AlfredHitchcockPresentsStoriesToBeReadWithTheDoorLocked'' (1975), ''Literature/BuyJupiterAndOtherStories'' (1975), ''Literature/Opus200'' (1979), ''{{Magazine/Sirius}}'' (issue #38, August 1979), ''Magazine/WeirdWorlds'' (issue #5, 1980), ''Literature/TheCompleteRobot'' (1982), ''Literature/TheAsimovChronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov'' (1989), ''Literature/RobotDreamsCollection'' (1990), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStories, Volume 2'' (1992).
to:
"Light Verse" has been republished several times:
times: ''Literature/AlfredHitchcockPresentsStoriesToBeReadWithTheDoorLocked'' (1975), ''Literature/BuyJupiterAndOtherStories'' (1975), ''Literature/Opus200'' (1979), ''{{Magazine/Sirius}}'' (issue #38, August 1979), ''Magazine/WeirdWorlds'' (issue #5, 1980), ''Literature/TheCompleteRobot'' (1982), ''Literature/TheAsimovChronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov'' (1989), ''Literature/RobotDreamsCollection'' (1990), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStories, Volume 2'' (1992).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,7 (click to see context) from:
John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGirl is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
"Light Verse" has been republished several times;
"Light Verse" has been republished several times;
to:
John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGirl NiceGuy is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
"Light Verse" has been republished severaltimes; times:
"Light Verse" has been republished several
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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First published in ''Magazine/TheSaturdayEveningPost'' (September/October 1973 issue), by Creator/IsaacAsimov, a rare on-screen murder story.
Avis Lardner, whose [[TheMourningAfter husband died]] in a tragic [[CasualInterplanetaryTravel space accident]], is a {{Socialite}} who throws lavish parties at her home, displaying [[ConspicuousConsumption jeweled treasures from around the world]]. One of her eccentricities is noted to be her [[GoodOldRobot fondness for her robotic servants]], the way she refuses to have them repaired (to preserve their [[MiraculousMalfunction individual quirks]]). Her status as a NiceGirl is explicitly called out by the narrative, making her the most unlikely person to commit [[ManslaughterProvocation murder]].
John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGirl is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
"Light Verse" has been republished several times;
''Literature/AlfredHitchcockPresentsStoriesToBeReadWithTheDoorLocked'' (1975), ''Literature/BuyJupiterAndOtherStories'' (1975), ''Literature/Opus200'' (1979), ''{{Magazine/Sirius}}'' (issue #38, August 1979), ''Magazine/WeirdWorlds'' (issue #5, 1980), ''Literature/TheCompleteRobot'' (1982), ''Literature/TheAsimovChronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov'' (1989), ''Literature/RobotDreamsCollection'' (1990), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStories, Volume 2'' (1992).
----
!!"Light Verse" contains examples of:
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: This story has a number of technological advances that haven't been created yet, but a culture reminiscent of the modern day 1970s. It includes humanoid {{Robots}} and {{Space Station}}s, as well as [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]; art in the form of "solid" light.
* AndroidsArePeopleToo: Lardner steadfastly refuses to have [[GoodOldRobot her robots repaired/replaced]], insisting that they are people and should be treated with the same respect/dignity as anyone else would be.
-->"Nothing that is as intelligent as a robot can ever be ''but'' a machine. I treat them as people."
* BlingBlingBang: Because Lardner was showing off a jeweled dagger from Cambodia when she heard the news, she used it to [[ManslaughterProvocation kill the man]] who [[NoMedicationForMe removed the flaw]] in [[GoodOldRobot her robot]] that allowed him to create the beautiful [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] that people came to see.
* ConspicuousConsumption: Mrs Lardner, a wealthy {{Socialite}}, often throws parties at her home, displaying jeweled objects from distant corners of the world and the distant past. Her collection includes glasses, [[BlingBlingBang daggers]], and watches.
-->Her house was a showplace, a veritable museum, containing a small but extremely select collection of extraordinarily beautiful jeweled objects. From a dozen different cultures she had obtained relics of almost every conceivable artifact that could be embedded with jewels and made to serve the aristocracy of that culture. She had one of the first jeweled wristwatches manufactured in America, a jeweled dagger from Cambodia, a jeweled pair of spectacles from Italy, and so on almost endlessly.
* CasualInterplanetaryTravel: The setting's space travel is {{Implied|Trope}} to be [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture advanced enough]] for travel between planets because Mr Lardner's HeroicSacrifice involved staying outside a civilian shuttle during a solar flare to give it enough time to dock at SpaceStation 5.
* DrivenToSuicide: Some of the witnesses to Mr Travis's murder claim that he moved towards the weapon, as if he ''wanted'' to die after having learned that he had destroyed his chance at learning from his idol.
* FictionalPainting: Light-sculptures, a form of {{Hologram}} art, are generated by light-consoles. Despite being a popular medium of artistic expression, Mrs Lardner is widely celebrated as one of the best artists and her art is the biggest draw to her [[{{Socialite}} parties]].
* GoodOldRobot: A wealthy {{Socialite}} and [[FictionalPainting light-sculpture artist]] refuses to allow anyone to repair her robots, despite such repairs being free. In her view, [[AndroidsArePeopleToo robots are people]], and "fixing" them would [[NoMedicationForMe remove the qualities that make them unique]].
--> "Once a robot is in my house," she said, "and has performed his duties, any minor eccentricities must be borne with. I will not have him manhandled."
* HeroicSacrifice: Mrs Lardner's husband died in the BackStory, while rescuing a commercial spaceship from a solar flare.
-->''William J. Lardner, died, as we all know, of the effects of radiation from a solar flare, after he had deliberately remained in space so that a passenger vessel might make it safely to Space Station 5.''
* InSeriesNickname: Avis Lardner always gives her robots names, such as Courtney and Max.
* ManslaughterProvocation: Lardner, a wealthy {{socialite}} who frequently shows off her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], also has a household full of [[GoodOldRobot robots that she refuses to repair/replace]]. When Travis, Chief Engineer from US Robotics, is invited to one of her parties, they repair [[InSeriesNickname Max]] without her permission. Upon telling Lardner this, she explodes in anger, telling them that [[MiraculousMalfunction Max's "damage" allowed him to create the widely-acclaimed artworks]] and now [[NoMedicationForMe they can never get that talent back]]. It's noted that Travis [[DrivenToSuicide may have leapt into the weapon]], as they are just as devastated at hearing about the loss to art as Lardner is.
* NoMedicationForMe: Avis Lardner owns a number of robot servants, [[GoodOldRobot which she refuses to repair/replace]], claiming "any minor eccentricities must be borne with". One of her robots, Max, is so damaged that he can barely perform daily expected tasks. When one of the engineers of US Robotics repairs the damage, Lardner reveals that he had been [[MiraculousMalfunction the genius]] who made her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], and now he won't be able to create them anymore.
* MiraculousMalfunction: One of Mrs Lardner's robots is [[GoodOldRobot so old]] that it can barely function. She insists that he's able to do simple tasks well enough, hiding the fact that whatever malfunction that has made him terrible at most household tasks has also made him the greatest [[FictionalPainting light-sculptor]] on Earth. This hidden talent is only revealed after a US Robotics man [[NoMedicationForMe repairs him]].
* TheMourningAfter: The story implies Mrs Lardner's first husband died at least a decade ago, but she never remarried. Instead, she would throw lavish parties, showing off her [[ConspicuousConsumption collection of jeweled objects]] and [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] for free.
* NoMedicationForMe: Avis Lardner owns a number of robot servants, [[GoodOldRobot which she refuses to repair/replace]], claiming that "any minor eccentricities must be borne with". One of her robots, Max, is so damaged that he can barely perform daily expected tasks. When one of the engineers of US Robotics repairs the damage, Lardner reveals that he had been [[MiraculousMalfunction the genius]] who made her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], and now he won't be able to create them anymore.
* NiceGuy:
** The narrative emphasizes that John Semper Travis is the last person anyone would expect to be murdered because he was quiet and introverted, successful and with an artistic hobby; [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]].
** The narrative emphasizes that Avis Lardner is the last person anyone would expect to commit murder because, in addition to being an IdleRich, she is also "the gentlest and kindest human being one could imagine".
* PunBasedTitle: Lardner's [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] are called "poetry in light", which she denies, [[TitleDrop calling them]] merely a "light verse". The pun is based on the idea that a short, simple [[{{Poetry}} poem]] is often called by the same name and her sculptures are made from [[{{Hologram}} projecting light]].
* TitleDrop: Lardner uses [[PunBasedTitle the title as a pun]] as for the [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] that she displays at [[{{Socialite}} her parties]]. Humbly, she denies that her artworks are "{{poetry}} in light", instead they are merely a "light verse".
----
Avis Lardner, whose [[TheMourningAfter husband died]] in a tragic [[CasualInterplanetaryTravel space accident]], is a {{Socialite}} who throws lavish parties at her home, displaying [[ConspicuousConsumption jeweled treasures from around the world]]. One of her eccentricities is noted to be her [[GoodOldRobot fondness for her robotic servants]], the way she refuses to have them repaired (to preserve their [[MiraculousMalfunction individual quirks]]). Her status as a NiceGirl is explicitly called out by the narrative, making her the most unlikely person to commit [[ManslaughterProvocation murder]].
John Semper Travis, the chief engineer of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, is also a fan of [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]. He spends his personal time investigating the process, and even [[FictionalDocument published a book on the subject]]. He believes that the principles of light-sculptures could be reduced to mathematical equations, but hasn't been able to. He is aware of Mrs Lardner's parties, and that she shows off a new artwork every time, so he was quite excited to meet such a master of art whom he could discuss his theories with. His status as a NiceGirl is explicitly called out by the narrative, making him the most unlikely person to [[ManslaughterProvocation be murdered]].
"Light Verse" has been republished several times;
''Literature/AlfredHitchcockPresentsStoriesToBeReadWithTheDoorLocked'' (1975), ''Literature/BuyJupiterAndOtherStories'' (1975), ''Literature/Opus200'' (1979), ''{{Magazine/Sirius}}'' (issue #38, August 1979), ''Magazine/WeirdWorlds'' (issue #5, 1980), ''Literature/TheCompleteRobot'' (1982), ''Literature/TheAsimovChronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov'' (1989), ''Literature/RobotDreamsCollection'' (1990), and ''Literature/TheCompleteStories, Volume 2'' (1992).
----
!!"Light Verse" contains examples of:
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: This story has a number of technological advances that haven't been created yet, but a culture reminiscent of the modern day 1970s. It includes humanoid {{Robots}} and {{Space Station}}s, as well as [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]]; art in the form of "solid" light.
* AndroidsArePeopleToo: Lardner steadfastly refuses to have [[GoodOldRobot her robots repaired/replaced]], insisting that they are people and should be treated with the same respect/dignity as anyone else would be.
-->"Nothing that is as intelligent as a robot can ever be ''but'' a machine. I treat them as people."
* BlingBlingBang: Because Lardner was showing off a jeweled dagger from Cambodia when she heard the news, she used it to [[ManslaughterProvocation kill the man]] who [[NoMedicationForMe removed the flaw]] in [[GoodOldRobot her robot]] that allowed him to create the beautiful [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] that people came to see.
* ConspicuousConsumption: Mrs Lardner, a wealthy {{Socialite}}, often throws parties at her home, displaying jeweled objects from distant corners of the world and the distant past. Her collection includes glasses, [[BlingBlingBang daggers]], and watches.
-->Her house was a showplace, a veritable museum, containing a small but extremely select collection of extraordinarily beautiful jeweled objects. From a dozen different cultures she had obtained relics of almost every conceivable artifact that could be embedded with jewels and made to serve the aristocracy of that culture. She had one of the first jeweled wristwatches manufactured in America, a jeweled dagger from Cambodia, a jeweled pair of spectacles from Italy, and so on almost endlessly.
* CasualInterplanetaryTravel: The setting's space travel is {{Implied|Trope}} to be [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture advanced enough]] for travel between planets because Mr Lardner's HeroicSacrifice involved staying outside a civilian shuttle during a solar flare to give it enough time to dock at SpaceStation 5.
* DrivenToSuicide: Some of the witnesses to Mr Travis's murder claim that he moved towards the weapon, as if he ''wanted'' to die after having learned that he had destroyed his chance at learning from his idol.
* FictionalPainting: Light-sculptures, a form of {{Hologram}} art, are generated by light-consoles. Despite being a popular medium of artistic expression, Mrs Lardner is widely celebrated as one of the best artists and her art is the biggest draw to her [[{{Socialite}} parties]].
* GoodOldRobot: A wealthy {{Socialite}} and [[FictionalPainting light-sculpture artist]] refuses to allow anyone to repair her robots, despite such repairs being free. In her view, [[AndroidsArePeopleToo robots are people]], and "fixing" them would [[NoMedicationForMe remove the qualities that make them unique]].
--> "Once a robot is in my house," she said, "and has performed his duties, any minor eccentricities must be borne with. I will not have him manhandled."
* HeroicSacrifice: Mrs Lardner's husband died in the BackStory, while rescuing a commercial spaceship from a solar flare.
-->''William J. Lardner, died, as we all know, of the effects of radiation from a solar flare, after he had deliberately remained in space so that a passenger vessel might make it safely to Space Station 5.''
* InSeriesNickname: Avis Lardner always gives her robots names, such as Courtney and Max.
* ManslaughterProvocation: Lardner, a wealthy {{socialite}} who frequently shows off her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], also has a household full of [[GoodOldRobot robots that she refuses to repair/replace]]. When Travis, Chief Engineer from US Robotics, is invited to one of her parties, they repair [[InSeriesNickname Max]] without her permission. Upon telling Lardner this, she explodes in anger, telling them that [[MiraculousMalfunction Max's "damage" allowed him to create the widely-acclaimed artworks]] and now [[NoMedicationForMe they can never get that talent back]]. It's noted that Travis [[DrivenToSuicide may have leapt into the weapon]], as they are just as devastated at hearing about the loss to art as Lardner is.
* NoMedicationForMe: Avis Lardner owns a number of robot servants, [[GoodOldRobot which she refuses to repair/replace]], claiming "any minor eccentricities must be borne with". One of her robots, Max, is so damaged that he can barely perform daily expected tasks. When one of the engineers of US Robotics repairs the damage, Lardner reveals that he had been [[MiraculousMalfunction the genius]] who made her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], and now he won't be able to create them anymore.
* MiraculousMalfunction: One of Mrs Lardner's robots is [[GoodOldRobot so old]] that it can barely function. She insists that he's able to do simple tasks well enough, hiding the fact that whatever malfunction that has made him terrible at most household tasks has also made him the greatest [[FictionalPainting light-sculptor]] on Earth. This hidden talent is only revealed after a US Robotics man [[NoMedicationForMe repairs him]].
* TheMourningAfter: The story implies Mrs Lardner's first husband died at least a decade ago, but she never remarried. Instead, she would throw lavish parties, showing off her [[ConspicuousConsumption collection of jeweled objects]] and [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] for free.
* NoMedicationForMe: Avis Lardner owns a number of robot servants, [[GoodOldRobot which she refuses to repair/replace]], claiming that "any minor eccentricities must be borne with". One of her robots, Max, is so damaged that he can barely perform daily expected tasks. When one of the engineers of US Robotics repairs the damage, Lardner reveals that he had been [[MiraculousMalfunction the genius]] who made her [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]], and now he won't be able to create them anymore.
* NiceGuy:
** The narrative emphasizes that John Semper Travis is the last person anyone would expect to be murdered because he was quiet and introverted, successful and with an artistic hobby; [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]].
** The narrative emphasizes that Avis Lardner is the last person anyone would expect to commit murder because, in addition to being an IdleRich, she is also "the gentlest and kindest human being one could imagine".
* PunBasedTitle: Lardner's [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] are called "poetry in light", which she denies, [[TitleDrop calling them]] merely a "light verse". The pun is based on the idea that a short, simple [[{{Poetry}} poem]] is often called by the same name and her sculptures are made from [[{{Hologram}} projecting light]].
* TitleDrop: Lardner uses [[PunBasedTitle the title as a pun]] as for the [[FictionalPainting light-sculptures]] that she displays at [[{{Socialite}} her parties]]. Humbly, she denies that her artworks are "{{poetry}} in light", instead they are merely a "light verse".
----
