RUR

R.U.R., officially Rossum's Universal Robots, is a Czech science fiction drama written by Karel Čapek. It was written in Czech and first performed in Prague in the early 1920s. The play introduced the word robot to the modern lexicon; Čapek credited his brother Josef with coining the term from robota, meaning forced labor. The title refers to a factory owned by the Rossum family that produces artificial people called robots to perform work for humans.

The plot follows a civilization dependent on mechanical workers that eventually develops self-awareness and questions their servitude. Through the factory's employees and executives, the play explores themes of dehumanization, the ethics of artificial life, and the costs of automation. The robots' revolt leads to devastating consequences for humanity, ending with a meditation on the fragility of civilization and what constitutes life.

RUR had a wide cultural impact, influencing the development of science fiction in literature and theatre and shaping public perception of robotics. The term robot became ubiquitous in popular culture; the work also spurred later debates about automation and the responsibilities of creators toward their creations. The play has been translated into many languages and staged worldwide, earning a place as a foundational text in both the history of science fiction and modern drama.