For Czechia, I read R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), the play that introduced the world to the word “robot.” The play was written in 1920 by Karel Čapek. I read an edition translated by Paul Server and Nigel Playfair that was first published in 2001.

When I read the elevator pitch for this book — a sci-fi play that introduced the word “robot” — I knew I had found my pick for Czechia. I have a long love for sci-fi, especially robot stories, that started when my dad introduced me to Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series when I was in high school. Fun fact: the author did not actually coin the word “robot.” His brother Josef suggested the term, deriving it from a Czech dialect word for “drudgery.”

Being a play from the 1920’s, R.U.R. has the dialogue and vibe of a musical from the 1940s, minus the singing and dancing (though a chorus line of scientists dancing the can-can would have fit in nicely with the play’s second act.) I absolutely adored R.U.R. and its commentary on the issues surrounding artificial intelligence. Despite being over a century old, the play is still relevant and I recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in sci-fi.

As of the time of this post, R.U.R. is in pre-production for a new Hollywood adaptation which I will definitely be seeing.