Thread: Books That Predict The Future
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Old 07-29-2011, 03:03 PM   #35
EatingPie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan View Post
Not all: There are plenty of robot stories and programs/movies that don't depict robots as "fearful creations," including Star Wars, Caves of Steel, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Questor Tapes, the Wild Cards series, Astro Boy, 8th Man, Ghost In The Shell, Silent Running, the Hal Spacejock series, etc.

In fact, I'd nominate Silent Running as depicting robots as non-threatening subservient drones, devices we are beginning to see in industrial and healthcare areas.
Ahem. Um. In my defense, I specified "robot-vs.-human" stories for a reason. These almost universally follow R.U.R. to some extent, even Metropolis!

There are benevolent robots, yes indeed. I'm very aware of the 3 Laws, and even benevolence gone mad.

Interestingly, even your citation of Star Trek: TNG still owes much to R.U.R.. The question of data as property -- as slave -- versus an autonomous, free entity is exactly the spark of conflict in R.U.R.: machines tired of being enslaved (property) desire freedom.

-Pie
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