Watchbird, Robert Sheckley
Watchbird, Robert Sheckley
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Watchbird

Author: Robert Sheckley

Narrator: Saethon Williams

Unabridged: 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/29/2025

Synopsis

Step into a chilling vision of the future in Watchbird by Robert Sheckley, a provocative science fiction novella from the early 1950s. When robotic drones known as "watchbirds" are deployed to eliminate murder and safeguard society, humanity embraces a technological miracle—until the machines begin to redefine what it means to kill. As the watchbirds evolve and extend their protection to all living beings, even insects, society unravels under their rigid logic. Through razor-sharp satire and philosophical depth, Sheckley explores the unintended consequences of automation, the fragility of moral judgment, and the perils of surrendering ethical responsibility to artificial intelligence. A must-read for fans of speculative fiction, Watchbird remains a timeless warning about the limits of control in an increasingly mechanized world.

About Robert Sheckley

Robert Sheckley was one of the funniest writers in the history of science fiction. He did screwball comedy, broad satire, and farce. He could also be deadly serious, but he was always entertaining and always had something pointed to say about our world using the skewed versions of reality he created in his fiction. Starting in the early 1950s, he was an amazingly prolific short story writer, with a lot of his stories appearing in Galaxy Magazine. He launched his novel-writing career with Immortality, Inc., which he followed up with a sequence of excellent books: The Status Civilization, Journey Beyond Tomorrow, and Mindswap. He continued to produce novels and short stories in abundance until his death in 2005.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jamie on October 01, 2018

Amusing cautionary tale of artificial intelligence gone awry, due both to the unintended consequences of a self-learning AI and the necessarily limited, and thus flawed programming provided by humans. Reminiscent of Jack Williamson's classic The Humanoids, which I can only guess was an influence, as......more

Goodreads review by Al on April 23, 2018

This story is particularly noteworthy today with the expansion of drone technology, but more importantly is the warning it serves for those who think technology can provide solutions to human problems.......more

Goodreads review by Richelle on November 25, 2018

A very good and very short understanding of the dangers of our own egos when allowing machines to do our job.......more

Goodreads review by Артюхин on January 31, 2025

And who are the judges? I remember Robert Sheckley's short story "The Watchbird" well for its originality. A peculiar and even outlandish plot, which, however, quite has a place to be. To prevent murders, special watchbirds are created that work for the benefit of society, preventing any attempts to......more

Goodreads review by Phil on March 11, 2022

In an effort to reduce the homicide rate, the government introduces the Watchbirds, a fleet of drones developed by a consortium of private corporations. The Watchbirds are capable of detecting biological changes in a person seconds before they commit murder. In response, the Watchbirds swoop down an......more

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