Who's Who in Asimov L

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Labord, Fuad
Well-known writer of Aurora. (3-9-36)
Lambid, Sindra
Member of Baleyworld's Planetary Congress. (4-III-9-34)
Lamec
Heliconian beast of burden. (9-II-3)
Lameth
Renowned early-empire writer on archaeology. (10-II-4)
Landaree
Female humaniform robot, overseer of the Zoberlon estate on Solaria. She was inactivated by Giskard when she tried to kill Daneel Olivaw. (4-II-7-24,25,26)
Langano
Planet at whose university Stettin Palver studied. (9-IV-24)
Laws of Robotics
Fundamental principles included by universal convention in the programming of robots' positronic brains. The First Law gave the highest priority to the protection of human beings. The Second Law gave a lower priority to service to human beings, while the Third Law gave the lowest priority to self-protection. The exact weighting given to each law was determined in the programming of each brain.
An inability to resolve a dilemma with the First Law, as when facing a situation in which all available courses of action were likely to cause unacceptable harm to human beings, resulted in mental freeze-out. Although much of the work of roboticists was aimed at making the brains of robots more like those of humans, and more advanced robots were indeed less likely to freeze, only Daneel Olivaw of the Spacer-built robots survived into Imperial times.
The difficulties in interpreting the first Law in particular in an environment of growing enmity between the Spacers and the people of Earth led Daneel and Giskard Reventlov to devise a Zeroth Law, which gave the highest priority of all to the protection of humanity. This introduced an abstract concept which proved impossible to quantify in any objective sense, and while Daneel could cope with the value judgements involved in interpreting the Zeroth Law, Giskard could not, and went into mental freeze-out when he was forced to apply it. (4-I-1-3,III-8-29,IV-14-63,V-17-82; 14-VII-21-101)
Lee, Yohan
Organiser of Salvor Hardin's coup, and close confidante in Hardin's later political career. (10-II-6)
Leebig, Jothan
Solaria's leading roboticist, working with Rikaine Delmarre on robots which would be able to supply the necessary discipline for effective child-rearing, and, independently, on robot warships which could be used against humans through the weakening of the First Law of Robotics in their programming. When Delmarre became aware of this, Leebig engineered his death, but when his plans were uncovered during the investigation by Elijah Baley he killed himself rather than endure the personal presence of Daneel Olivaw. (2-13,14,17,18,19)
Leemor, Fennel
Engineer in the Foundation navy, interviewed by Jole Turbor during the war with Kalgan. (12-II-19)
Lefkin, Prince
Wienis' eldest son, commander of the Anacreonian flagship Wienis at the time of Anacreon's military expedition against the Foundation. (10-III-7)
Leggen, Jenarr
Meteorologist at Streeling University, and leader of the research expedition to the surface of Trantor which inadvertently left Hari Seldon there until his rescue by Leggen, Rogen Benastra and Dors Venabili. (8-5-23,6-25,26,27,29)
Lens
Device used as a navigation aid on Foundation ships, capable of showing space as it would be seen from any point in the Galaxy. (12-I-1,2)
Lepold, King
King of Anacreon shortly after the secession of the Four Kingdoms from Imperial rule. Young and weak, Lepold was easily manipulated by his ambitious uncle and Prince Regent, Wienis, into disastrous military action against the Foundation. (10-III-2,3,6,8)
Levanian, Endor
Pilot of the plane which carried Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili to Mycogen. (8-8-24)
Levvaw
Member of the underground democratic opposition on Terminus. (11-II-20)
Libair
Home planet of Selim Junz. (5-5)
Licia
Commdora of Korell. It is strongly suggested that she was Wiscard's daughter, married to Asper Argo for reasons of political expediency. (10-V-5,6,16)
Lih, Tejan Popjens
Native of Lystena, and a highly influential judge on Trantor. Her summing-up after the pre-trial hearing in the case of assault brought against Hari Seldon and Stettin Palver did much to restore Seldon's undermined public credibility. (9-IV-26)
Lindor, Hano
Young executive employed at the heatsinks of Dahl who acted as a guide to Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili. (8-13-62)
Lingane
One of the Nebular Kingdoms. Its strategic location enabled it to accumulate enough wealth and power to remain relatively independent as an Associated State when the rest of the Kingdoms had been taken over by the Tyranni. (6-11,12)
Linguester
Name of three consecutive generations of First Speakers of the Second Foundation. (13-12-49)
Linn, Hender
Colonel in the Imperial forces, and aide to Dugal Tennar in the military juntas which took power after the assassination of Cleon I. With Tamwile Elar, Linn was the prime mover in the plan to sieze control of Hari Seldon's psychohistory project for the benefit of the junta. (9-III-12)
Lisiform
Commander of the Auroran ship Borealis. (4-V-15-69)
Lizalor, Mitza
Comporellian Minister of Transport, forty-six years old and from the Central Mountain Range of Comporellon, who first claimed that the Foundation had issued instructions that his ship the Far Star was to be handed back to Terminus, and then tried to persuade Trevize to hand it over to them. Instead Trevize persuaded her to allow them to continue their search for the lost planet Earth. (14-II-5,6,7-27)
Locris
Planet 800 parsecs from Santanni, renowned for its wines. (10-III-6; 12-II-17)
Loris
One of the original Four Kingdoms, less than twenty parsecs from Terminus. Also the capital planet of the Kingdom, and at one time at war with Smyrno. Birthplace of Han Pritcher. (10-V-1; 11-I-8)
Luk, Mori
Sergeant of Bel Riose's flagship during Riose's military offensive against the Foundation. Killed by Ducem Barr during the escape of Barr and Lathan Devers from Riose's custody. (11-I-7)
Lyon, Iwo
Native of Radole, and Franssart Darell's host during the all-trader convention. (11-II-16)
Lyonesse
Planet coming into the Foundation's sphere of influence at the time of the Mule. (11-II-15)
Lystena
Outer World of the Empire, and home planet of Tejan Popjens Lih. (9-IV-26)