"Dark Companion"
by Robert Silverberg
Form: Novelette
Year: 1961
ID: 202
Publication history:
- 1961: Amazing Stories January 1961, Magazine
- 1969: Dimension Thirteen, Ballantine Mass market paperback, 215 pp.
- 1971: Eva en de Dreieentwintig Adams, Bruna , ISBN 90-229-9008-7, 156 pp., in Dutch as De Duisterre Begeleider
- 1979: The Songs of Summer, Gollancz Hard cover book, ISBN 0575025654, 173 pp.
- 1981: The Songs of Summer, Pan Mass market paperback, ISBN 0330263153
- 1982: Les Chants de l'été, J'ai lu Mass market paperback, ISBN 2277213926, 245 pp., in French as Comme un frre
Other resources:
[None on record]
Comments:
Leon Rocklin becomes very depressed after the death of his brother Jeff. After three suicide attempts, his parents buy him a Companion. The Companion is a synthetic human, an android much like those in Tower of Glass. It is quicker, stronger, and smarter than a human, so another attempt to kill himself will be futile. Nonetheless, Rocklin is determined to try. I found this story quite enjoyable, and did not find Silverberg's portayal of the main character to be shallow or clichéd. It's a human story put into a science-fictional setting and told sensitively (though perhaps wrapped up too quickly).