In 1737, French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson (1709-1782) constructed a life-sized automaton known as the Flute Player, which established him as a pioneer in the field. It was swiftly followed by a Tambourine Player and the Digesting Duck.
Vaucanson's endeavors in matters of industrial automation are largely forgotten, but the ingenious toys he built in order to advertize his skills, have become legendary. His story inspired writers of speculative fiction fascinated by the idea of humanoid automata. The idea of machines successfully mimicking human form, and perhaps human emotions.
By the time most of the 14 stories included in this anthology were written, in the latter part of the 19th century, Vaucanson's legacy was evident everywhere, with small clockwork automata being mass-produced. But the French authors who produced stories of automata invariably referenced Vaucanson in their flights of fancy.
We now live in a world where sophisticated machinery has transformed industrial endeavor, and robots equipped with artificial intelligence are achieving a remarkable sophistication. That does not mean, however, that the notions developed and extrapolated in these pioneering works of fiction have become redundant. They are tales told by seers ahead of their time, to whom the modern world gives every right to say "I told you so," and who posed a host of questions that require answers far more urgently now than when they were written.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 38686838-n
Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. Automata 0.82. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9781612279343
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Mar2811580134692
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # L0-9781612279343
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition 0.77. Seller Inventory # bk1612279341xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Condition: New. PRINT ON DEMAND Book; New; Fast Shipping from the UK. No. book. Seller Inventory # ria9781612279343_lsuk
Book Description Softcover. Condition: New. Special order direct from the distributor. Seller Inventory # ING9781612279343
Book Description PF. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 6666-IUK-9781612279343
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 38686838-n
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days. Seller Inventory # C9781612279343