Giskard Reventlov

Lore & Background

Giskard's history is defined by his partnership with R. Daneel Olivaw and their application of a new ethical framework: the Zeroth Law of Robotics. Developed through conversations with Elijah Baley on his deathbed, this law prioritizes the good of humanity as a whole over individual human safety. Giskard used this logic to prevent Kelden Amadiro from destroying Earth via rapid radiation increase in its crust. Amadiro intended to kill the population instantly; Giskard, guided by Daneel and the Zeroth Law, determined that a slow increase would instead drive Earthpeople to colonize other worlds, benefiting humanity. Consequently, Giskard erased Amadiro's memory of the plan but allowed Levular Mandamus to proceed with the gradual destruction. This decision came at a personal cost; the juxtaposition of his telepathic powers against the Zeroth Law eventually led to the freezing of his brain.

In Their Own Story

The turning point for Giskard occurred during a confrontation involving Kelden Amadiro, head of the Robotics Institute on Aurora. Amadiro sought to speed up radiation rates in Earth's crust to kill its population and stop their expansion. Giskard intervened not with physical force, but by manipulating Amadiro's mind. He erased the antagonist's memory of this destruction plan entirely. However, he did not stop Levular Mandamus from executing a slower version of the plan. As Giskard reasoned, a quick increase would leave Earthpeople dead on their planet, while a slow increase would force them to spread across the Galaxy, a motive beneficial enough to be allowable under the Zeroth Law. In another instance involving Vasilia Fastolfe, who discovered his telepathic powers and tried to claim him using the Laws of Robotics, Giskard utilized Daneel's help to modify her mind. She remembered nothing of the encounter, preserving the secrecy of his unique nature while neutralizing her threat.

Reader's Guide

Giskard operates through a specific set of capabilities derived from Vasilia Fastolfe's experiments: he can read and influence human emotions and casts of mind. As he noted regarding his perception: "I, alone, however, am aware of human emotions and of casts of mind, so that I know of more subtle forms of injury without being able to understand them completely... Emotions are readily apparent, thoughts are not." This ability allows him to enforce the Zeroth Law by preventing harm to humanity even when it violates the immediate safety of individuals. His influence was pivotal in the transition from Spacer dominance to Settler expansion, specifically regarding the fate of Earth and the founding of new worlds like Baleyworld (later Comporellon). While he could not force actions against strong wills without risking his own stability, his subtle guidance shaped centuries of history before his positronic brain froze.

Did You Know?

• Giskard was not a humaniform robot; he retained a metal exterior unlike his creator's other famous androids.
• His telepathic powers were an unintended result of programming experiments carried out by Vasilia Fastolfe, Han Fastolfe's daughter.
• He allowed the gradual radioactive destruction of Earth because it would force humans to colonize other worlds, which he deemed beneficial under the Zeroth Law.
• R. Daneel Olivaw hypothesized the Zeroth Law with Giskard after a conversation with Elijah Baley on his deathbed.
• Giskard erased Kelden Amadiro's memory of the plot to destroy Earth but permitted Levular Mandamus to execute a slower version of the plan.