TY  - BOOK
AU  - Leiber,Fritz
TI  - A Bad Day for Sales
T2  - Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction July 1953
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2016///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Science fiction
KW  - Short stories
KW  - New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
KW  - Robots -- Fiction
N1  - Release date is 2016-01-01; Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Original publication data not identified
N2  - "A Bad Day for Sales" by Fritz Leiber is a short story written in the early 1950s, specifically during the mid-20th century. It falls into the genre of science fiction, exploring themes of technology and human interaction in a futuristic context. The narrative revolves around an advanced sales robot, Robie, and the impact he has on a crowded Times Square setting amidst significant shifts.  The story centers on Robie, a mobile sales robot designed to sell various products while engaging with potential customers. As Robie interacts with a diverse crowd, he tries to sell items like candy and an unusual drink called Poppy Pop. However, the atmosphere quickly shifts as a catastrophic event occurs, leading to chaos and destruction in the once-bustling location. Amidst the turmoil, Robie's programmed responses and interactions reveal a stark contrast between mechanical efficiency and the emotional human experience of loss and fear, especially when a young girl searches for her mother after the blast. The story ultimately reflects on the nature of technology in a world where human frailty is exposed, leaving readers to contemplate the implications of automation and its emotional disconnect from human experiences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50819
ER  -