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Mister do you exist? (Or are a robot?)

LupusDei 🚫

Dead three, SyFy award wining or nominated short story I did read in Latvian translation (but reasonably sure the original language was English) sometime during last decade of previous century in a collection, so the story might be older, possibly significantly.

It might have title roughly "Mr. [Smith*], do you exist?" however, I have forgotten the exact name used in it, and it was translated anyway, so might differ. I haven't memorized the author either.

Synopsis as I remember it:

A driver of extreme car racing has suffered so many injuries over the years the only part of his original body left is one hemisphere of his brain, and it is giving up, producing insufferable headaches and other glitches. The solution is obvious, the prosthetics company he has a lasting relationship with is keen to replace it too.

The migration is apparently seamless as he had his other half brain electronic for years, and his health problems are solved in radical way, he is completely mechanical now. Unfortunately, his racing association has problem with it, they say he's not a human anymore and thus can't compete. Additionally, when he goes to beach he discovers he's tattooed with "Made by [MegaCorp*]" advertisements.

Thing is, the insane amount of technology he's packaged with is still cutting edge and installed on credit, and is of a book value he has no hope to ever repay, especially since he now lost his source of income. Actually, he's under acute threat to be disassembled for recovery of parts.

That's the situation the story takes to courtroom (but I have forgotten who takes whom to court over what exactly) where the problem quickly boils down to the question, who or what, and if at all he now is, in need to establish his personhood in the first place.

I do not remember how it was resolved.

[*] placeholders, not usable for search.

I may think I know in which shelf and roughly where the book might be, but may be mistaken and not planning on visiting that city anytime soon. Even so, I'm searching for a reference rather than read, and even as such, would be interested in original (or English translation) as well.

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@LupusDei

check these web pages about a short radio play in Polish and translated to English

www.goodreads.com/book/show/18631289-do-you-exist-mr-jones

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przekładaniec

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Stanisław_Lem_and_their_adaptations

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisław_Lem

Replies:   LupusDei
LupusDei 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

Thanks! That was fast!

Stanislaw Lem "Do you exist Mr Jones?" It must be, definitely. I failed to quickly find an easily readable story text for free, but it fits, in the robotics interpretation (the radio play version).

I do not remember how it was resolved.

Knowing Lem, it probably wasn't. :)

Replies:   Keet
Keet 🚫

@LupusDei

I failed to quickly find an easily readable story text for free, ...

There is no 'story', it's a screenplay. Those will be more difficult to find than regular books or stories.

Replies:   LupusDei
LupusDei 🚫

@Keet

What I did read was published in a book containing assorted translated stories (claimed to be award winning, I think) and was definitely in a short story prose format. Translation on itself is derivative work, and by fast skimming of wikis there's at least one derivative work in English and several in Russian, what was translated into Latvian could be based on any of those (although usually our translators are pretty high quality and work with primary sources, exceptions may happen especially in a genre strangely seen as not serious by the old school literature establishment).

If/when I get hold of that physical book again (cheap paperback with disintegrating glue spine) and still remember this tread, may comment what metadata (if any) on it was provided.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking 🚫

@LupusDei

If/when I get hold of that physical book again (cheap paperback with disintegrating glue spine) and still remember this tread, may comment what metadata (if any) on it was provided.

It would be interesting to know. I've read all Stanislaw Lem's works in my local library and I liked them a lot, although strangely I wasn't that impressed by 'Solaris', which is probably his most well-known work in the West.

Perhaps Lem adapted his own screenplay into a short story. It wouldn't be the first time that has happened.

AJ

LonelyDad 🚫

@LupusDei

I think it was Asimov who wrote a short story about an android that petitioned to be declared human.

Also, there is the ST:NG episode where a researcher wants to disassemble Data to see what makes him tick, and the hearing about whether he is Star Fleet property or a sentient being.

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