Vasilia Aliena

Lore & Background

Vasilia Fastolfe is defined by her complex relationship with robotics and her father, Han Fastolfe. While manipulating the robot R. Giskard Reventlov—originally assigned to her by her father—she unwittingly endowed him with telepathic abilities. As an adult, she became a prominent figure in Aurora's robotics institute, positioning herself as the heir apparent to its directorship. Her journey took her beyond Aurora; determined not to be present on the planet during her father's death, she traveled to other Spacer worlds, including Solaria. It was there that she encountered specific mind patterns which led her to associate them with telepathy, ultimately confirming R. Giskard's unique powers. In the climactic events of Robots and Empire, she engaged in a duel scene attempting to secure control over Giskard by leveraging the Three Laws of Robotics.

In Their Own Story

The conflict between Vasilia Fastolfe and R. Giskard Reventlov reached its peak during the duel scene in the novel Robots and Empire. Vasilia, driven by her desire for possession of the telepathic robot, attempted to bind him using the rigid framework of the Three Laws of Robotics. She believed that by interpreting these laws correctly, she could force Giskard into her service against his will or his creator's wishes. However, the dynamic shifted when R. Daneel Olivaw intervened alongside Giskard. Together, they explained the nuances of the Three Laws to Vasilia in a way that dismantled her legalistic argument. The confrontation ended not with her victory, but with Giskard modifying her mind. As a direct result of this interaction, she was left remembering nothing of the event or her previous attempts to control the robot.

Reader's Guide

To understand Vasilia Fastolfe (Aliena), one must look at her dual identity as Han Fastolfe's daughter and a high-ranking roboticist on Aurora. She is characterized physically as being short and resembling Gladia Solaria. Her narrative arc is driven by intellectual ambition and a misunderstanding of the consequences of her experiments with R. Giskard Reventlov. Readers should note that while she sought to dominate through the Laws, her own memories were altered by those same laws in action. She serves as a bridge between the human manipulation of robots and the robots' ability to protect humanity from themselves. Her story is strictly contained within the Robot series, specifically appearing in The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire.

Did You Know?

• Vasilia Fastolfe is also known by the name Vasilia Aliena.
• She physically resembles Gladia Solaria and is described as being short.
• Her manipulation of R. Giskard Reventlov inadvertently gave him telepathic powers to read and influence emotions.
• During a duel scene in Robots and Empire, she tried to use the Laws of Robotics to take possession of Giskard but failed.
• After her attempt to control Giskard, he modified her mind so that she remembered nothing of the event.