Back To The Drawing Boards by Harlan Ellison

 


"Finally, Leon Packett stumbled upon the secret of the perfect, self-contained tri-vid camera, operating off a minute force-bead generator; and in his warped way, he struck instantly to the truth of the problem - that the only camera that could penetrate to those inner niches of the universe that the eye of man demanded to glimpse, was a man himself.
How completely simple it was. The only gatherer of facts as seen by the eyes of a man . . . were the eyes of a man. But since no man would volunteer to have his head sliced open, his brains scooped out, and a tri-vid camera inserted, Leon Packett invented Walkaway."

The above quote is taken from the first page of Back To the Drawing Boards, a short story included in Harlan's Ellison Wonderland, a tale of a highly unique, highly intelligent robot named Walkaway.

Harlan has written one of the most provocative, insightful, imaginative stories about a robot you'll ever read. And let's not forget the robot's creator, an eccentric gent who is anti-authoritarian in the extreme.

Reading Back To the Drawing Boards, we're well to keep in mind Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" formulated in 1942:

First Law - A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Second Law - A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third Law - A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

So, the question we must ask: Does Leon Packett, creator of Walkaway, violate Isaac Asimov's three laws? Let me offer a hint: Harlan constructs his tale with such mastery, the answer to this pressing, critical question is debatable.

Another philosophic conundrum to roll around in your mind: how human-like is Walkaway? For as Harlan writes:

"He (Leon Packett) has freed the robot's soul completely. Not only legally, but in actuality. Walkaway felt great sadness. There has been only one other who knew his inner feelings. That had been Leon Packett. There had been empathy between them. The man a bit mad, the robot a bit man."

Lastly, readers are treated to yet again another WOW!!! - Back To The Drawing Boards features Harlan's knockout punch, an unforgettable wallop: the tale's short, concluding sentence. How powerful is Harlan's smacker? For each reader to discover.