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Wet android dreams about human reality is cancer for sci-fi

posted 8 years ago by Feuerrader
4 replies | jump to latest

I turn to sci-fi because there's a *beep* of reality stuff that I don't care about. I watch sci-fi because it's about things that might or might not exist in the future, and definitely don't exist now.
Yet, in pretty much every sci-fi tv show featuring androids, we get the same junk.

Some might argue that it's part of the sci-fi setting, androids starting to feel like humans. But I don't buy it, it still pisses me off.

[–] JudgeJavelin 8 years ago

Maybe you should turn to wrestling...that seems to be more your speed.

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Prepare to be judged....with a FGM-148 Javelin!

[–] CalifDad 8 years ago

Um.. I'm surprised you would say such a thing. Does the title "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" mean anything to you? Maybe you know it better by the watered down version called Blade Runner. (Not that it's a bad show just is more of a based on than an actual retelling.)

As you've said having Androids or other AI as characters that obtain sentience is one of the foundational elements of Science Fiction. This is just the related Wikipedia list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_in_fiction#AI_rebellion

And this list starts at 1921. So to not buy it as a foundational story line is in many ways discount Science Fiction itself. Ever since machines started replacing human effort mankind has developed an almost instinctual fear to being taken over by machines.

A list of some of my favorite ones:
Phillip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Isaac Asimov - I Robot
Frank Herbert - The entire DUNE series.

I could go on but I think you get the picture.

[–] The Shrike 8 years ago

Jameron will set you free.

[–] ttaskmaster 8 years ago

The very etymology behind the word android is all about making something human-like.
Everyone wants to be something better and an android exhibiting this trait is exactly what it's meant to do. The Fi in the Sci-Fi is the android being able to achieve this betterment, usually in a world where humans have enhanced their own selves through technological advancement.

So long as it doesn't all start hinging around Lt Cmdr Data again, I'm OK with it. Besides, Android is kinda cute!