Episode#136: Sci-Fi Hall of Fame Stories Discussion Panel #3 Helen O’Loy by Lester Del Rey (featuring Brian Collins & Robin Murphy)

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In 1970 Avon Books published a landmark anthology “Science Fiction Hall of Fame” featuring 16 classic short stories that represent landmark tales of the genre. The stories were voted on by the members of the new (at the time in the late 60s) organization Science Fiction Writers of America. In this series, I will be joined by a panel of different guests to break down these stories and talk about the authors in the book.

In this episode, I am joined by two experts on the history of Science Fiction. Returning for his second appearance is Brian Collins the person behind the Science Fiction & Fantasy Remembrance blog. Dr. Robin Murphy is a professor of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M, and a pioneer in artificial intelligence for robots used during disasters. She is the author of Robotics Through Science Fiction: Artificial Intelligence Explained Through Six Classic Robot Short Stories. She also hosts a podcast of the same name.

The story we are covering is the 1938 classic “Helen O’Loy.” This story about a robotic housewife is short but we had lots to say. Have not read the story? Read it here:

https://archive.org/details/Astounding_v22n04_1938-12/page/n117/mode/2up