The Lateness of the Hour story
A woman disapproves of the robot servants of her father. Directed by: Jack Smight. Story by: Rod Serling.
18 total · 1 choice · 15 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| android | choice | Dr. Loren's robot servants, not to mention his robot daughter, were indistinguishable from human beings in appearance. |
| AI rights | major | We are invited to ponder whether what was done to the various robot helpers and the daughter, was right and just. Note: Dr. Loren presumably disassembled his robot servants against their wills, and effectively lobotomized his robot daughter. |
| father and daughter | major | Dr. Loren contended with his rebellious robot daughter Jana. |
| human social need | major | Jana wanted to get out of the house in order to be part of normal society. |
| husband and wife | major | The story follows the happily married Loren's as they contend with their rebellious robot daughter Jana. |
| ironic twist of fate | major | Jana loathed the robot servants that her father had created, but she later discovered that she herself was just such a creation. |
| killing an artificial person | major | One gathers that Dr. Loren had his robot personnel disassembled despite their demurrals. |
| loneliness | major | Jana was lonely surrounded only by her parents and robots. The parents had been lonely when they made Jana. |
| machines in society | major | Jana expressed concern that her parents had become too much dependent on their robot servants. |
| maker and machine | major | Dr. Loren created an android daughter, but she developed an independent streak, and rebelled against him. He likewise created a team of android servants to take care of him and his family. |