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[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norby01.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:250:some caption text]]
First published by Creator/JanetAsimov and Creator/IsaacAsimov in 1983, this ScienceFiction {{Adventure}} story is the first tale in ''Literature/TheNorbyChronicles''.
Agent Two Gridlow and Cadet Jefferson Wells are in the office of Admiral Yobo, head of Space Command, the military branch of the [[OneWorldOrder Solar Federation]]. Jeff is in trouble ("You ''are'' trouble") because he's disabled the [[AutoKitchen kitchen computers]] by accident ("Accident? Hah!"). His older brother and only surviving family member Fargo is called in to arrange for his temporary dismissal from Space Academy. Admiral Yobo kindly gives him enough money for a [[RobotBuddy teaching robot]], but insists that he stay on Earth for the summer.
So Jeff picks up a used robot and names him Norby. While Jeff and Norby are discovering the [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup unusual abilities built into him]], they're also attacked by minions of Ing the Ingrate, a terrorist leader who wishes to become Emperor of the solar system. While avoiding capture, Jeff and Norby discover a built-in [[SubspaceOrHyperspace hyperdrive]], TouchTelepathy, and that Norby is a bit [[PowerIncontinence mixed-up]]. Together with their friends and newfound powers, they stop Ing and [[DramaticUnmask reveal his true identity]].
----
!!''Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot'' contains examples of the following tropes:
* AudioAdaptation: There is a vinyl LP recording (only includes the first two chapters) with Creator/MarkHamill as narrator.
* AutoKitchen: Space Academy (and even apartments on Manhattan's 5th avenue) are equipped with computers/robots that perform most of the duties for cooking. It leads to problems for Jeff that he's so bad at learning Martian Colony Swahili that when he programmed a sleep-learning device, it accidentally hooked into the kitchen computer and downloaded classified information from Space Command and translated them into Martian while downloading the recipes into his head (without any help at translate, so the only reason he knows they're recipes is that he's eaten Martian cooking before). Admiral Yobo, in charge of the Space Academy, won't be able to get a decent meal until this can be fixed.
* {{Dedication}}: The start of the book dedicates this to "all who like our robot stories", including H. Read Evans and Robert E Warrick.
* DramaticUnmask: The Wells brothers launch a two-pronged attack, with Jeff in Admiral Yobo's [[CrewOfOne private scout ship]] through the window and Fargo leading a mob through the doors, catching Ing in between. Norby lands himself on top of Ing, knocking off his mask in the process, [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter revealing him]] to be [[spoiler:Gridlow, the agent who tried to expel Jeff in the first chapter]].
* FunWithAcronyms: TGAF shows up in the first chapter, which Jeff claims is meant to reassure him that all difficulties can be overcome. When challenged on this (the initials don’t match), Jeff makes a backronym; [[TheCharmer “The Girls Are Findable”]], because his older brother is so handsome. In the next chapter, it's revealed to be an initialism for [[ShoutOut a line]] from ''Theatre/HenryV'', "The game's afoot".
* ItIsDehumanizing: The manager of the used robot shop always refers to Norby as an "it". Most people usually refer to robots as an "it" because they have no gender, but Norby objects because the lack of respect implies he isn't a person. Jeff starts saying he/him immediately, while it takes a bit longer for Fargo and others to change.
* LanguageBarrier: When first arriving on Jamyn, Jeff doesn't speak the language, but Norby does. One of the dragons bites him, which Norby realizes gives him TouchTelepathy with other telepathic creatures.
* LieDetector: The truth wand used by Ing's minions will hurt you if you tell a lie. A mild shock for a small lie, and bigger shocks for bigger lies. Fargo
* LineOfSightName: When Jeff purchases the titular robot, it looks like [[TinCanRobot a dingy barrel]] with the old label "Norb's Nails" still on it. The robot admits that it had been named Macko by the [[AsteroidMiners spacer]] who repaired him. Jeff suggests Norby based on the label (which has now fallen off of him).
* MedalsForEveryone: Due to their actions in stopping Ing the Ingrate and his takeover of Manhattan, Admiral Yobo is given a new medal, Officer Jones is given a promotion to Police Lieutenant, Cadet Jeff Wells is given a scholarship and commendation, his older brother Fargo is given a large sum of money to save the family business from bankruptcy, and Norby is made an Honorary Cadet.
* TheNudifier: Fargo Wells once put fabric dissolver into the air conditioning of Neil Armstrong High School. Despite this being many years later, Albany Jones ''still'' remembers that day, and the guy who did it to her.
* ShoutOut:
** The Wells family has turned a quote from Scene 1 of ''Theatre/HenryV'', "The game's afoot" into an [[FunWithAcronyms initialism]]; TGAF.
** Norby, a robot made from [[TinCanRobot a barrel of nails]], is assumed to be an old R2 model, borrowing from ''Franchise/StarWars'' and their R2-series astromech droids. He's actually assembled from scrap and a crashed [[StandardAlienSpaceship alien spaceship]].
** The bird-watchers leader, Miss Higgens, cries out "onward Higgins's soldiers, marching for the right!", a cry based on the 19th-century English hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers", a song often sung in demonstrations and civil protests.
* {{Technobabble}}: Chapter two explains a few terms that will be showing up in the story as a bit of NarrativeFiligree to solidify the story as ScienceFiction. Transmit is short for [[{{Teleportation}} matter transmitter]], which can send people from {{UsefulNotes/Mars}} to Earth at the speed of light. Hycoms are short for [[SubspaceAnsible hyperspacial communications]], which provide instantaneous communication. Then there's [[ArtificialGravity antigrav]]; invented fifty years ago and now small enough to fit in your car, providing the ability to float in the air.
* TitleDrop: Norby is first called the "mixed-up robot" at the end of chapter four, when Jeff is describing how [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup ignorant, uncertain, confused, and unique]] he is.
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: Ing the Ingrate is deceiving everyone by wearing a voice distorter and a mask to prevent people from learning his true identity; [[spoiler:Agent Two Gridlow]]. It isn't revealed until the penultimate chapter, and neither character is on-screen for very long.
----
%% [[caption-width-right:250:some caption text]]
First published by Creator/JanetAsimov and Creator/IsaacAsimov in 1983, this ScienceFiction {{Adventure}} story is the first tale in ''Literature/TheNorbyChronicles''.
Agent Two Gridlow and Cadet Jefferson Wells are in the office of Admiral Yobo, head of Space Command, the military branch of the [[OneWorldOrder Solar Federation]]. Jeff is in trouble ("You ''are'' trouble") because he's disabled the [[AutoKitchen kitchen computers]] by accident ("Accident? Hah!"). His older brother and only surviving family member Fargo is called in to arrange for his temporary dismissal from Space Academy. Admiral Yobo kindly gives him enough money for a [[RobotBuddy teaching robot]], but insists that he stay on Earth for the summer.
So Jeff picks up a used robot and names him Norby. While Jeff and Norby are discovering the [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup unusual abilities built into him]], they're also attacked by minions of Ing the Ingrate, a terrorist leader who wishes to become Emperor of the solar system. While avoiding capture, Jeff and Norby discover a built-in [[SubspaceOrHyperspace hyperdrive]], TouchTelepathy, and that Norby is a bit [[PowerIncontinence mixed-up]]. Together with their friends and newfound powers, they stop Ing and [[DramaticUnmask reveal his true identity]].
----
!!''Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot'' contains examples of the following tropes:
* AudioAdaptation: There is a vinyl LP recording (only includes the first two chapters) with Creator/MarkHamill as narrator.
* AutoKitchen: Space Academy (and even apartments on Manhattan's 5th avenue) are equipped with computers/robots that perform most of the duties for cooking. It leads to problems for Jeff that he's so bad at learning Martian Colony Swahili that when he programmed a sleep-learning device, it accidentally hooked into the kitchen computer and downloaded classified information from Space Command and translated them into Martian while downloading the recipes into his head (without any help at translate, so the only reason he knows they're recipes is that he's eaten Martian cooking before). Admiral Yobo, in charge of the Space Academy, won't be able to get a decent meal until this can be fixed.
* {{Dedication}}: The start of the book dedicates this to "all who like our robot stories", including H. Read Evans and Robert E Warrick.
* DramaticUnmask: The Wells brothers launch a two-pronged attack, with Jeff in Admiral Yobo's [[CrewOfOne private scout ship]] through the window and Fargo leading a mob through the doors, catching Ing in between. Norby lands himself on top of Ing, knocking off his mask in the process, [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter revealing him]] to be [[spoiler:Gridlow, the agent who tried to expel Jeff in the first chapter]].
* FunWithAcronyms: TGAF shows up in the first chapter, which Jeff claims is meant to reassure him that all difficulties can be overcome. When challenged on this (the initials don’t match), Jeff makes a backronym; [[TheCharmer “The Girls Are Findable”]], because his older brother is so handsome. In the next chapter, it's revealed to be an initialism for [[ShoutOut a line]] from ''Theatre/HenryV'', "The game's afoot".
* ItIsDehumanizing: The manager of the used robot shop always refers to Norby as an "it". Most people usually refer to robots as an "it" because they have no gender, but Norby objects because the lack of respect implies he isn't a person. Jeff starts saying he/him immediately, while it takes a bit longer for Fargo and others to change.
* LanguageBarrier: When first arriving on Jamyn, Jeff doesn't speak the language, but Norby does. One of the dragons bites him, which Norby realizes gives him TouchTelepathy with other telepathic creatures.
* LieDetector: The truth wand used by Ing's minions will hurt you if you tell a lie. A mild shock for a small lie, and bigger shocks for bigger lies. Fargo
* LineOfSightName: When Jeff purchases the titular robot, it looks like [[TinCanRobot a dingy barrel]] with the old label "Norb's Nails" still on it. The robot admits that it had been named Macko by the [[AsteroidMiners spacer]] who repaired him. Jeff suggests Norby based on the label (which has now fallen off of him).
* MedalsForEveryone: Due to their actions in stopping Ing the Ingrate and his takeover of Manhattan, Admiral Yobo is given a new medal, Officer Jones is given a promotion to Police Lieutenant, Cadet Jeff Wells is given a scholarship and commendation, his older brother Fargo is given a large sum of money to save the family business from bankruptcy, and Norby is made an Honorary Cadet.
* TheNudifier: Fargo Wells once put fabric dissolver into the air conditioning of Neil Armstrong High School. Despite this being many years later, Albany Jones ''still'' remembers that day, and the guy who did it to her.
* ShoutOut:
** The Wells family has turned a quote from Scene 1 of ''Theatre/HenryV'', "The game's afoot" into an [[FunWithAcronyms initialism]]; TGAF.
** Norby, a robot made from [[TinCanRobot a barrel of nails]], is assumed to be an old R2 model, borrowing from ''Franchise/StarWars'' and their R2-series astromech droids. He's actually assembled from scrap and a crashed [[StandardAlienSpaceship alien spaceship]].
** The bird-watchers leader, Miss Higgens, cries out "onward Higgins's soldiers, marching for the right!", a cry based on the 19th-century English hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers", a song often sung in demonstrations and civil protests.
* {{Technobabble}}: Chapter two explains a few terms that will be showing up in the story as a bit of NarrativeFiligree to solidify the story as ScienceFiction. Transmit is short for [[{{Teleportation}} matter transmitter]], which can send people from {{UsefulNotes/Mars}} to Earth at the speed of light. Hycoms are short for [[SubspaceAnsible hyperspacial communications]], which provide instantaneous communication. Then there's [[ArtificialGravity antigrav]]; invented fifty years ago and now small enough to fit in your car, providing the ability to float in the air.
* TitleDrop: Norby is first called the "mixed-up robot" at the end of chapter four, when Jeff is describing how [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup ignorant, uncertain, confused, and unique]] he is.
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: Ing the Ingrate is deceiving everyone by wearing a voice distorter and a mask to prevent people from learning his true identity; [[spoiler:Agent Two Gridlow]]. It isn't revealed until the penultimate chapter, and neither character is on-screen for very long.
----
