Susan Calvin

            The third robot story I wrote, “Liar!” introduced Susan Calvin--with whom I promptly fell in love.  She so dominated my thoughts thereafter that, little by little, she ousted Powell and Donovan from their position.  Those two appeared only in the three stories included in the previous section, and in a forth, “Escape!” in which they appear with Susan Calvin.

            Somehow the impression I get as I look back on my career is that I must have included dear Susan in innumerable stories, but the fact is that she appeared in only ten stories, all of which are listed in this section.  In the tenth, “Feminine Intuition,” she emerges from retirement as an old lady who, however, has lost none of her acid charm.

            You will note, by the way, that although most of the Susan Calvin stories were written at a time when male chauvinism was taken for granted in science fiction, Susan asks no favors and beats the men at their own game.  To be sure, she remains sexually unfulfilled--but you can’t have everything.