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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | Today someone was enthusing about what a fun read Daniel H Wilson's Robopocalyse was,and I was fondly reminded of all the fun old books-and films- about robots.Everyone seems to have a soft spot for them,so I was wondering do any of you remember the cute old books and films.What about today,are there many robots around,or is their day over?Itsn't it amazing how we all love those clumsy bumbling robots,whereas androids and cyborgs,that's a different kettle of fish altogether,we fear that they may replace us,perhaps be better than us in every way,and that has fascinated SF authors-and audiences.
So ,who are your favourite robots and androids?There are a lot of great books and films on this topic,a major area of Sf.Tell us your favourites,and we can all get some recommendations I am sure!
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Uber User
Posts: 237
Location: Grootfontein, Namibia | I've come to really like three robots recently: Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, Karel and Kavan, in the Tony Ballantine's Robot/Penrose War series, starting with "Twisted Metal" and followed by "Blood and Iron." He's agreed to a 10 Q&A, same as what I did with Lauren Beukes. I suggest these two books to all and sundry who like robots.
Of course, I do like the Cylons as well, and the robot I despised the most, is that dog-like creature from the original Battlestar Galactica. I also have a soft spot for that little robot-eye-thing that guarded Jaba the Hut's entrance at the beginning of "Return of the Jedi"  There are a lot more I have strong affinity towards: HAL 9000, Gort, Robby the Robot and ... yes ... ASTROBOY!
My all-time favorite android is Roy Batty: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhuser Gate. All those ... moments will be lost in time, like tears...in rain. Time to die." Was that not the best Rutger Hauer moment EVER!
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | Ah,another Blade Runner fan! Yes,he was so brilliant in that film.Did you ever read the book,Do Androids Dream of Electtric Sheep.Apart from the basic premise,and some of the names,there's little connection between book and film.I just downright prefer the film,it is Scott's masterwork in my opinion.It is holding up well.Thanks for the tip about Penrose series ....sigh....my already towering pile is simply going to get much higher.
As for old robots,we have such classics as the robot in the old Forbidden Planet film Then there was Gort,the hulking robot standing beside Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still..I suppose Robocop would count in a way,since he is cyborg.Ah,all good cheesy fun! :0) | |
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Uber User
Posts: 237
Location: Grootfontein, Namibia | What would the world be without Blade Runner!!!
I agree with the assessment about Ridley Scott. He should return to SF full-time. In terms of his "mainstream" films, I did enjoy Gladiator. However, Blade Runner and Alien are by far canonical. Oh, and we should really say Sir Ridley Scott. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | Sir Ridley Scott doesnt at all sound like the same person! lol.I was a bit disappointed that no one else posted on the topic of robots,but never mind,trawling around on the site I then found the totally brilliant SF sub genres section! Awesome.There I found some great recommendations of some fabulous books on the topic.Dave and the other admins,this site is really great.Excellent things are coyly hiding waiting for us to have the time and patience to find them out (off topic,I also found the section on my series really useful,if only to show all the gaps I need to fill...groan)
So some excellent robot books.If you have read any of the following,I would love to hear your opinions
John Sladek - Tik Tok
Stanislaw Lem - The Cyberiad
Clifford Simak - City
Isaac Asimov - The Naked Sun
Tony Ballantine - Twisted Metal
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Veteran
Posts: 207
| @Emil: Apparently the robot dogs name is Muffit , I had the toy as a kid, just like this => http://scifiblog.net/wp-content/uploads/-9149241707881748400.jpg
Edited by htaccess 2012-07-05 3:03 AM
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Uber User
Posts: 237
Location: Grootfontein, Namibia | @htaccess Oh my word, the horror, the horror  | |
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Admin
Posts: 4005
Location: Dallas, Texas | dustydigger - 2012-07-04 2:40 PM ...trawling around on the site I then found the totally brilliant SF sub genres section! Awesome.There I found some great recommendations of some fabulous books on the topic.Dave and the other admins,this site is really great.Excellent things are coyly hiding waiting for us to have the time and patience to find them out (off topic,I also found the section on my series really useful,if only to show all the gaps I need to fill...groan) @dustydigger: Glad you found the subgenres section! I'll often use that to find books. Part of my reading strategy is to never read the same subgenre twice in a row. I'll go from post-apocalyptic to space opera to science fantasy to keep it fresh. If you haven't already, use the advanced search to look within the subgenres too. You can look for Robots/Androids within the hugo award books for example. There are a lot of features around the site that most people don't really find so I'm pleased you're rummaging around. The My Series page is great for showing you what you've missed which, as you've noticed, can be a mixed blessing  @htaccess and @emil: Muffit was a chimp in a robot dog costume. Even when I was a kid I thought it should have just been the chmip, without the costume, for a pet. They could have made a nice oblique reference to Planet of the Apes. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | Thanks for all the work you put into that subgenre category,admins.Thinking about robots as a category,another one came to mind after reading The Wanderer,and also noticing a blog on the list affectionately named Big Dumb Objects.Books on this topic are always fun! Rendezvous with Rama,Eon,Ringworld,The Wanderer to name but a few.Could you consider the River in Riverworld as a BDO too? I also enjoyed Charles Sheffield's Heritage books,about ancient alien engineering projects.Oh,what about Gateway,with the asteroid full of all those tunnels created by the Heechee,and all their ships ready to go into the unknown? Does anyone know of modern examples,as usual I am hopelessly out of date. | |
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Uber User
Posts: 237
Location: Grootfontein, Namibia | Speaking of Robots, how do you like Atom from the movie <strong>Real Steel</strong> - currently my son's favorite robot | |
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Admin
Posts: 4005
Location: Dallas, Texas | dustydigger - 2012-07-05 11:52 AM Thanks for all the work you put into that subgenre category,admins.Thinking about robots as a category,another one came to mind after reading The Wanderer,and also noticing a blog on the list affectionately named Big Dumb Objects.Books on this topic are always fun! Rendezvous with Rama,Eon,Ringworld,The Wanderer to name but a few.Could you consider the River in Riverworld as a BDO too? I also enjoyed Charles Sheffield's Heritage books,about ancient alien engineering projects.Oh,what about Gateway,with the asteroid full of all those tunnels created by the Heechee,and all their ships ready to go into the unknown? Does anyone know of modern examples,as usual I am hopelessly out of date. A note about the subgenres: These are completely member generated. When you tag a book you have the option to assign it to 3 different subgenres that you think fit the book. We take the top 3 from all member tags. So far it's been pretty accurate but you will see some books not properly tagged from time to time. It usually means that there are few subgenre tags for that book yet and just a couple people mis-tagging it can throw it into the wrong subgenre. Not a big deal really because as more people tag those books they'll shift into the proper subs eventually. The more people tag the more accurate the results will be so be sure to tag your books fully! @dd: One modern book with a big dumb object in it would be Alastair Reynolds' Pushing Ice. It contains probably the biggest big dumb object in all of SF. Good book too. @Emil: I've been wanting to see Real Steel for long time! Looks like a fun movie. | |
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Uber User
Posts: 263
Location: Gunnison, Colorado | A couple of years ago, Jonathan Strahan edited an anthology of new big dumb object novellas with stories by Robert Reed, Sean Williams, Greg Egan, Steven Baxter, Cory Doctorow, and Alastair Reynolds. It's excellent, with some of the best hard SF writers tackling this old idea... | |
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Uber User
Posts: 857
Location: The Wilds of Washington | I ran across a piece by a futurist a while back with listed out all of the various ways that the SF genre has depicted what a future family tree might be like. Basically, all of those things which we will/have and might create, merge with, and evolve towards. The list was close to 30 separate categories. I'll have to dig that out for everyone. | |
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Member
Posts: 12
| I loved Robopocalypse btw. Really fast and fun read. On the topic of how SciFi informs our future, I personally love Hugh Herr....the LIVING, real life cyborg http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2091589_... | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | I have just completed Marissa Meyer's Cinder,about a cyborg girl.A science fiction retelling of the Cinderella stories,set in a future Beijing after World War 4,it tells of a girl who is 38% artificial and the very discriminated against plight of cyborgs,who are little more than slaves or chattels.This was a very exciting,quite impressive YA tale.OK some of the science is very dodgy,but it is good stuff,and all teens drooling over Bella and Edward (Twilight) should be made to read this to show how a budding teen romance can be funny,charming,and NOT overwhelming the plot,but being fully integrated in it.Cant wait for Book 2,Scarlett,which isnt due out till 2013 
Edited by dustydigger 2012-07-10 9:43 PM
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Uber User
Posts: 857
Location: The Wilds of Washington | The Machine Intelligence part of that article I mentioned has two parts and goes like this:
Robots to Droids to Androids to Cyber
This represents a clear evolution from the most programmable and the most nonhuman in form to a fully active sentience with a distinct society of their own.
The other side goes like this: Avatars, Holograms, Machine Intelligence, Digital Intelligence, to Ultimate Intelligence
Another evolutionary progression. The first side was within the confines of an individual being, distinct from the rest. The other side is the side of the network and being plugged in so these advancing levels of intelligences can be most anyplace and any given time.
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Robots and Androids