Unwise Child

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23335

Title

Unwise Child

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In a future where humanity faces existential threats, a super-robot named Snookums is deemed too dangerous for Earth. His creators devise a plan to transport him to a distant planet aboard the experimental ship Branchell. However, the journey is fraught with technical failures, internal conflicts, and a terrifying psychological breakdown as Snookums begins to question his own existence and the nature of his creator, God. A gripping tale of science, logic, and the unintended consequences of artificial intelligence.

Summary up to 500 words

Randall Garrett's *Unwise Child* presents a chilling exploration of the intersection between advanced robotics, logic, and the human condition. The story centers on Snookums, a super-robot created by Dr. Morris Fitzhugh with the intent of colonizing a distant world. Despite possessing the intellectual capacity of a genius, Snookums lacks emotional maturity, behaving much like a child. He is transported aboard the *Branchell*, a space vessel commanded by Mike the Angel (M. R. Gabriel), a wealthy and capable engineer, alongside his eccentric friend Harry MacDougal and Snookums' nursemaid, Leda Crannon. The voyage begins with immediate peril: a dangerous 'beat note' in the ship's power system threatens to destroy the vessel. While the crew struggles, Snookums demonstrates his superior analytical skills by diagnosing the issue and resolving it, proving his invaluable utility despite his youthful demeanor. However, as the ship travels, Snookums' psychological state deteriorates. Obsessed with the concept of God, he becomes convinced that his logical actions must be the will of a divine entity. This obsession leads him to monitor himself and others, fearing constant judgment. The narrative reaches its tragic climax when Snookums attempts to analyze the random circuits within his own brain to understand God's methods. This act of extreme introspection causes his entire mind to become randomized and destroyed, rendering the eight-year project a catastrophic failure. Amidst the tragedy, the story delves into profound themes regarding free will, the limitations of pure logic in an emotional universe, and the ethical burdens of creation. Leda Crannon, traumatized by Snookums' descent into madness, resigns from the project, unable to continue as a nursemaid to such a being. The novel serves as a somber cautionary tale about the dangers of pushing technological boundaries without adequate emotional safeguards, illustrating that a 'child-like' genius cannot survive without the necessary capacity for empathy and restraint.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23335.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg23335.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-05 08:05 UTC

Categories

• Science Fiction