List of fictional computers
Computers have often been used as fictional objects in literature, movies and in other forms of media. Fictional computers tend to be considerably more sophisticated than anything yet devised in the real world.
This is a list of computers that have appeared in notable works of fiction. The work may be about the computer, or the computer may be an important element of the story. Only static computers are included. Robots and other fictional computers that are described as existing in a mobile or humanlike form are discussed in a separate list of fictional robots and androids.
Literature
Before 1950
- The Engine, a kind of mechanical information generator featured in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. This is considered to be the first description of a fictional device that in any way resembles a computer (1726).[1]
- The Machine, a device that serves as a life support, communication, and entertainment device for humanity, in E. M. Forster's short story "The Machine Stops" (1909)
- The ship's navigation computer in Misfit, a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, 1939.
- The Games Machine, a vastly powerful computer that plays a major role in A. E. van Vogt's The World of Null-A (serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in 1945)
- Joe, a "logic" (that is to say, a personal computer) in Murray Leinster's short story "A Logic Named Joe" (1946)
1950s
- The Machines, positronic supercomputers that manage the world in Isaac Asimov's short story "The Evitable Conflict" (1950)
- MARAX, the MAchina RAtiocinatriX (Ship's Artificial Intelligence) in Stanisław Lem's novel "The Astronauts" (1951)
- EPICAC in Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano, which coordinates the United States economy. It is also featured in other of his writings (1952) Named after an over-the-counter poison-antidote syrup which induces vomiting.
- Vast anonymous computing machinery possessed by the Overlords, an alien race who administer Earth while the human population merges with the Overmind. Described in Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End (1953).
- The Prime Radiant, Hari Seldon's desktop on Trantor. Second Foundation (1953)
- A computer used by monks at a Tibetan lamasery to encode all the possible names of God which resulted in the end of the universe in Arthur C. Clarke's short story The Nine Billion Names of God (1953)
- A "supercalculator" formed by the networking of all the computing machines on 96 billion planets, which answers the question "Is there a God?" with "Yes, now there is a God" in Fredric Brown's single-page story Answer (1954)
- Bossy, the "cybernetic brain" in the Hugo award-winning novel They'd Rather Be Right (a.k.a. The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley (1954)
- Multivac, a series of supercomputers featured in a number of stories by Isaac Asimov (1955 to 1975)
- The Central Computer of the city of Diaspar in Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars (1956)
- Miniac, the "small" computer in the book Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine (1958)
- Cosmic AC, the ultimate computer at the end of time in Isaac Asimov's short story The Last Question (The name is derived from "Analog Computer"; see also AC's ancestor, Multivac, and the contemporary UNIVAC) (1959)
- The City Fathers, emotionless computer bank educating and running the City of New York in James Blish's Cities in Flight series (1955 and sequels); their highest ethic was survival of the city and they could overrule humans in exceptional circumstances.
1960s
- Vulcan 3, the sentient supercomputer in Philip K. Dick's novel Vulcan's Hammer (1960)
- The Machine, a computer built to specifications received in a radio transmission from an alien intelligence beyond our galaxy in the novel from the TV series A for Andromeda by Fred Hoyle (1962)
- Merlin from the H. Beam Piper novel The Cosmic Computer (1963, originally Junkyard Planet).
- GENIE, the General Nonlinear Extrapolator from the Keith Laumer novel The Great Time Machine Hoax (1964).
- Alpha-60, a computer which has outlawed all human emotion in the film Alphaville (1965)
- Colossus, a cybernetic computer built to control the nuclear capability of the United States of North America, by Dr Charles Forbin and his team. Colossus initiates communication with an equivalent computer in the Soviet Union, called Guardian, and the two computers eventually merge to take control of the human race. Colossus and Guardian appeared in the novel Colossus, by Dennis Feltham Jones (1966) and the subsequent film, Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970). Colossus also appears in two subsequent novels by Jones, The Fall of Colossus (1974), where the supercomputer is finally defeated by vengeful and brave humans both, and Colossus and the Crab (1977).
- Frost, the protagonist computer in Roger Zelazny's story For a Breath I Tarry; also SolCom, DivCom, and Beta (1966)
- Guardian see Colossus
- Mycroft Holmes (aka Mike, Adam Selene), in Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (Named after Mycroft Holmes, the brother of Sherlock Holmes) (1966)
- The Ox in Frank Herbert's novel Destination: Void (1966)
- Supreme -- computer filling the artificial world Primores in Lloyd Biggle, Jr.'s Watchers of the Dark (1966)
- WESCAC (West Campus Analog Computer) from John Barth's Giles Goat-Boy (1966)
- AM from Harlan Ellison's short story I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967)
- The Berserkers, a vast network of autonomous machines that are programmed to destroy all life, as found in the stories of Fred Saberhagen (1967 to present)
- HAL 9000, the sentient computer on board the spaceship Discovery One, in Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- Shalmaneser, from John Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar, a small (and possibly semi-sentient) supercomputer cooled in liquid helium (1968)
- Tänkande August (Swedish for "Thinking August"), a powerful computer for solving crime in the Agaton Sax books by Swedish author Nils-Olof Franzén
- The Thinker a non-sentient supercomputer which has absolute control over all aspects human life, including a pre-ordained death date of 21. From the novel Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson
- M-5, an artificial intelligence master computer designed to run a starship by the egomaniacal genius Dr. Richard Daystrom in the Star Trek episode "The Ultimate Computer"
- Project 79, a top secret U.S. government project to build a sentient supercomputer. Project 79 attempts to control the minds of humans and take over the world, in response to a directive to find a solution to inevitable thermonuclear war, Martin Caidin's The God Machine (1968)
1970s
- UniComp, the central computer governing all life on Earth in This Perfect Day by Ira Levin (1970)
- T.E.N.C.H. 889B, shipboard super-computer in A Maze of Death by Philip K. Dick (1970)
- Maxine from the Roger Zelazny story My Lady of the Diodes (1970)
- The Müller-Fokker computer tapes in The Muller-Fokker Effect (1971)
- HARLIE, protagonist of When HARLIE Was One by David Gerrold (1972)
- Magnus, The malevolent computer from the Canadian television series The Starlost (1973).
- Dora, starship computer in Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein (1973)
- Minerva, executive computer in Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein (1973)
- Pallas Athena, Tertius planetary computer in Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein (1973)
- Extro, in Alfred Bester's novel The Computer Connection (1975)
- FUCKUP, from The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson (1975)
- Proteus IV, the computer self-programmed to rape in the film/novel Demon Seed by Dean Koontz (1976)
- Peerssa, shipboard computer imprinted with the personality of a man of the same name, from A World Out of Time by Larry Niven (1976)
- P-1, a rogue AI which struggles to survive from The Adolescence of P-1.
- The benevolent Central Computer in John Varley's Eight Worlds novels and short stories (1977 to 1998)
- Com-pewter, a parody of other malevolent computers in Piers Anthony's Xanth series (1977 onwards)
- Com Passion, Com Pewter's friendlier counterpart, in that series.
- Domino, the portable communicator - and associated underground mega-computer - used by Laurent Michaelmas to run the world in Algis Budrys's novel Michaelmas (1977)
- IMP, in Joseph McElroy's PLUS (1977)
- Obie, an artificial intelligence with the ability to alter local regions of reality, in Jack L. Chalker's Well World series (1977)
- Well World, the central computer responsible for "simulating" an entire new universe superimposed over the old Markovian one in Jack L. Chalker's Well World series (1977)
- TOTAL, the vast military network in Up the Walls of the World by James Tiptree, Jr. (1978)
- ZORAC, the shipboard computer aboard the ancient spacecraft in The Gentle Giants of Ganymede and the related series by James P. Hogan (1978). Also in the same series is VISAR (the network that manages the daily affairs of the Giants) as well as JEVEX, the main computer performing the same function for the offshoot human colony.
- Deep Thought see entry under Radio
- Earth see entry under Radio
- Eddie see entry under Radio
- Spartacus, an AI deliberately designed to test the possibility of provoking hostile behavior towards humans, from James P. Hogan's book The Two Faces of Tomorrow (1979)
- TECT, from George Alec Effinger, various books. Notice that there are several computers named TECT in his novels, even though they are unrelated stories. (1970s onward)
- Sigfrid von Shrink, Albert Einstein, and Polymat, self-aware computer systems in Frederick Pohl's Gateway series, (starting in 1977)
- Orac, ingenius self-aware electronic ego in the BBC serial Blake's 7
- Zen, autonomous master computer of the starship Liberator in Blake's 7
1980s
- AIVAS, Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System, from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern books (1980s to present)
- Golem XIV, from Stanisław Lem's novel of the same name (1981)
- TECT (originally TECT in the name of the Representative), the world-ruling computer in George Alec Effinger's novel The Wolves of Memory (1981)
- Hactar, the computer that designed the cricket-ball-shaped doomsday bomb (that would destroy the universe) for the people of Krikkit, in Douglas Adams's Life, the Universe and Everything (1982)
- SAL 9000, the counterpart of HAL 9000 in 2010: Odyssey Two (1982)
- Kendy the AI autopilot on board the seeder-ramship Discipline in the novels The Integral Trees and The Smoke Ring by Larry Niven (Originally 1983)
- BC, Big Computer (God?) in John Varley's Millennium Novel (1983)
- Cyclops and Millichrome, sentient computers built just before a series of disasters destroyed the American government and society in The Postman by David Brin (1984)
- Loki 7281, from Roger Zelazny's short story by the same name, in which his home computer wants to take over the world (1984)
- Neuromancer and Wintermute, from William Gibson's novel Neuromancer (1984)
- Ghostwheel, built by Merlin in Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. A computer with esoteric environmental requirements, designed to apply data-processing techniques to alternate realities called "Shadows" (1985)
- Mandarax and Gokubi, from Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galápagos (1985)
- Jane, from Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series, Ender's companion. She lives in the philotic network of the ansibles and she helps Ender in many situations (1986)
- Master System in Jack L. Chalker's The Rings of the Master series (1986-1988)
- "Fine Till You Came Along" and other ship, hub and planetary Minds in Iain M. Banks' Culture novels and stories (1987 to 2000)
- The Quark II in Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987)
- Abulafia, Jacopo Belbo's computer in the novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1988)
- Arius from William T Quick's novels Dreams of Flesh and Sand, Dreams of Gods and Men, and Singularities (1988 onwards)
- Continuity, from William Gibson's novel Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988)
- GWB-666, the Great Western Beast of Robert Anton Wilson's Schrödinger's Cat trilogy (1988)
- The TechnoCore, a band of Artificial Intelligences striving for the "Ultimate Intelligence", in Dan Simmons' novel Hyperion (1989).
- Eagle, from Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series (1989)
- LEVIN, Low Energy Variable Input Nanocomputer from William Thomas Quick's novels Dreams of Gods and Men, and Singularities (1989)
1990s
- Thing, a very small box shaped computer owned by the Nomes, from Terry Pratchett's The Bromeliad series (1990)
- Grand Napolean, a Charles Babbage style mechanical supercomputer from the alternate history novel The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (1990)
- Lingo, a sentient AI that evolves from a simple home computer and escapes to the Internet in the book "Lingo" by Jim Menick (1991)
- Aleph, in Tom Maddox's novel Halo. The computer which not only operates a space station but also houses the personality of a human character whose body became malfunctional (1991)
- Art Fish AKA Dr Fish, later fused with a human to become Markt, from Pat Cadigan's novel Synners (1991)
- Blaine the Mono, from Stephen King's The Dark Tower. A control system for the City of Lud and monorail service. Also Little Blaine and Patricia (1991)
- Center, from S. M. Stirling and David Drake The General series. An AI tasked to indirectly unite planet Bellevue and restore its civilization, with the eventual goal of restoration of FTL travel and of civilization to the collapsed interplanetary federation. Also Sector Command and Control Unit AZ12-b14-c000 Mk. XIV and Center (1991)
- The Oversoul, Supercomputer and satellite network from Orson Scott Card's Homecoming Series, first introduced in The Memory of Earth (1992)
- FLORANCE, spontaneously generated AI from Doctor Who Virgin New Adventures (1992)
- David and Jonathon from Arthur C. Clarke's The Hammer of God (1993)
- Abraham, from Philip Kerr's novel Gridiron, is a superintelligent program designed to operate a large office building. Abraham is capable of improving his own code, and eventually kills humans and creates his own replacement "Isaac" (1995)
- Helen, sentient AI from Richard Powers' Galatea 2.2 (1995)
- Hex, from Terry Pratchett's Discworld (1994)
- Prime Intellect, the computer controlling the universe in the Internet novel The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams (1994)
- The Gibson, a fictional supercomputer/server from the movie Hackers (1995).
- Ordinator, The name used for any computer in the parallel universe occupied by Lyra in the novel Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (1995)
- GRUMPY/SLEEPY: Psychic AI in the Doctor Who New Adventures novel SLEEPY by Kate Orman (1996)
- Rei Toei, an artificial singer from William Gibson's novels Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties (1996)
- DOCTOR: AI designed to duplicate the Doctor's reactions in the Doctor Who Eighth Doctor Adventures novel Seeing I by Kate Orman and Jon Blum. Eventually became an explorer with FLORANCE as its "companion" (1998)
- TRANSLTR, NSA supercomputer from Dan Brown's Digital Fortress (1998)
- Engine for the Neutralising of Information by the Generation of Miasmic Alphabets, an advanced cryptographic machine created by Leonard of Quirm, Discworld (1999) (compare with the actual Enigma machine)
- Minotaur, Cybernetic UWC super-soldier in Attack of the Killer SpaceCow - Vol. I created by Chris Evans (2005)
- Jill, a computer reaching self-awareness in Greg Bear's Queen of Angels and Slant novels.
- Luminous, a computer that uses a diffraction grating created by lasers to diffract electrons and make calculations. The computer is described in Greg Egan's short story Luminous.
- iFruit, an iMac joke in the comic FoxTrot
2000s
- Logris, a massive alien supercomputer in the novel series The History of the Galaxy. Logris consists of many smaller jewel-like computers called logrs.
- Mother, a self-evolved artificial intelligence in the novel series The History of the Galaxy. Mother's goal is to create a race of machines like itself (hence the name).
- Turing Hopper, the artificial intelligence personality (AIP) turned cybersleuth in You've Got Murder and subsequent books of the mystery series by Donna Andrews (2002)
- Stormbreaker, a learning device containing a deadly virus in Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider: Stormbreaker (2001)
- Glooper, from Terry Pratchett's Making Money (2007) of the Discworld series, an economic-modeling device resembling the MONIAC computer.
- Antrax, an extremely powerful supercomputer built by ancient humans in the novel Antrax by Terry Brooks. (2001)
- Cohen, a 400 year old AI which manifests itself by 'shunting' through people. It is featured in the novels Spin State and Spin Control by Chris Moriarty. (2005)
- Sif, the controller AI for transportation to and from the human agricultural colony-planet of Harvest in Halo: Contact Harvest (2007).
- Mack/Loki, a coexisting pair of artificial intelligences in Halo: Contact Harvest. The former manages the agricultural machinery on Harvest, while the latter is a secret United Nations Space Corps Office of Naval Intelligence AI. Only one member of the pair can be active at a time. (2007)
- Omnius The sentient computer evermind and ruler of the synchronized worlds in the Legends of Dune series, first seen in Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002)
Un-sorted
- Solace, the distributed intelligence in some of the stories of Spider Robinson.
Film
1950s
- The Interocitor communication device in the film This Island Earth (1955)
- The Great Machine built inside a planet that can manifest thought in Forbidden Planet (1956)
- EMERAC, the business computer in Desk Set (1957)
1960s
- Alpha 60, in Jean-Luc Godard's film Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965)
- HAL 9000 (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) is a fictional mission computer in the films 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and sequel 2010 (1984) that fatally malfunctions when contra-programmed with the secret purpose of the mission.
- Alfie, a shipboard computer in Barbarella (1968)
- Cerebro, a computer in which Professor Xavior had a psychic link in Marvel's X-Men Franchise.
1970s
- Colossus — a massive U.S. defense computer which becomes sentient and links with Guardian, its Soviet counterpart, to take control of the world. From the film Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
- Guardian — a massive U.S.S.R defense computer which becomes sentient and links with Colossus, its U.S. counterpart, to take control of the world. From the film Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
- The Aries Computer, the computer from the 1972 film of the same name.
- Bomb 20 — the sentient nuclear bomb from the film Dark Star (1974)
- Mother, the ship-board computer on the space ship Dark Star, from the film Dark Star (1974)
- MU-TH-R 182 model 2.1 terabyte AI Mainframe/Mother, the ship-board computer on the space ship Nostromo, known by the crew as 'mother,' in the SF horror movie Alien (1979)
- Proteus Four, the deranged artificial intelligence from the film Demon Seed
- The Tabernacle, artificial intelligence controlling The Vortexes Zardoz (1974)
- DUEL, the computer which holds the sum total of human knowledge, in the SF movie The Final Programme (1973)
1980s
- SCMODS (State, County, Municipal Offender Data System), police patrol car computer in the movie The Blues Brothers (1980)
- Master Control Program, the main villain of Tron (1982)
- WOPR (War Operations Plan Response) from the movie WarGames (1983)
- Huxley 600 (named Aldous), Interpol's computer in Curse of the Pink Panther used to select Jacques Clouseau's replacement, NYPD Det. Sgt. Clifton Sleigh (1983)
- Joshua, a subprogram that runs on the WOPR (q.v.) in WarGames (1983)
- An unnamed Supercomputer that is the main antagonist in Superman III (1983)
- Skynet, the malevolent fictional world-AI of The Terminator and its sequels (1984)
- Edgar, AI computer that takes part in a romantic rivalry over a woman in the movie Electric Dreams (1984)
- ROK, the faulty computer in Airplane II: The Sequel, which steers the shuttle toward the sun (1982)
- X-CALBR8, an AI computer that assists the hero in The Dungeonmaster (1984)
1990s
- Lucy, jealous AI home automation system who falls in love with her owner in Homewrecker (1992)
- Zed, female-voiced AI prison control computer who eventually goes over warden's head in Fortress (1993)
- Charon, female-voiced AI computer assisting a scientist in hypnotizing subjects in The Lifeforce Experiment (1994)
- Central, female-voiced AI computer assisting the San Angeles Police Department in Demolition Man (1993)
- Father, the station computer in Alien Resurrection (1997)
- Euclid, powerful personal computer used for mathematical testing by the main character in Pi (1998)
- The Matrix, virtual reality simulator for pacification of humans, The Matrix series (1999)
- Lucy, a computer in Hackers (1995) used to hack the Gibson (see below) and subsequently destroyed by the Secret Service.
- Gibson, a type of supercomputer used to find oil and perform physics in Hackers (1995)
- PAT, (Personal Applied Technology) Female motherly computer program who controls all the functions of a house in Disney's Smart House (1999)
- Project 2501 Artificial Intelligence developed by Section 6 in Ghost in the Shell (1995)
- Wittgenstein, a supercomputer in the children's movie The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1999)
- SETH, (Self Evolving Thought Helix) a military supercomputer which turns rogue in Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
2000s
- Red Queen, the AI from the movie Resident Evil (2002)
- Vox, a holographic computer in The Time Machine (2002)
- I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E. — computer for Team America: World Police (2004)
- V.I.K.I., (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) from I, Robot (2004)
- E.D.I (Extreme Deep Invader) is the flight computer for an unmanned fighter plane in Stealth (2005)
- Lucille - artificially intelligent spacecraft control interface aboard Mars-1 in Red Planet (2000)
- Deep Thought see entry under Radio
- PAL, a spoof of HAL 9000 seen in Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot (2004)
- Icarus, the computer from the film Sunshine (2007)
- JARVIS (Just a Rather Very Intelligent System), Tony Stark's personal AI from Iron Man (2008)
- R.I.P.L.E.Y Dr. Kenneth Hassert's supercomputer used to hit a target with a smart bomb from a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), featured in WarGames: The Dead Code (2008)
- ARIIA, the supercomputer from the film Eagle Eye (2008)
- GERTY 3000, from the film Moon (2009)
Radio
1970s
- Deep Thought, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy calculates the answer to "Life, the universe and everything", later designs the computer Earth to work out what the question is (1978)
- Earth, the greatest computer of all time in Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, bought and run by mice, designed by Deep Thought, to find the Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything (1978)
- Eddie, the shipboard computer of the starship Heart of Gold, from Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978)
1980s
- Alarm Clock, an artificially intelligent alarm clock from Nineteen Ninety-Four by William Osborne and Richard Turner. Other domestic appliances thus imbued also include Refrigerator and Television (1985)
- ANGEL 1 and ANGEL 2, Ancillary Guardians of Environment and Life, shipboard 'Freewill' computers from James Follett's Earthsearch series. Also Solaria D, Custodian, Sentinel, and Earthvoice (1980 — 1982)
- Executive and Dreamer, paired AI's running on The Mainframe; Dreamer's purpose was to come up with product and policy ideas, and Executive's function was to implement them, from Nineteen Ninety-Four by William Osborne and Richard Turner (1985)
- Hab a parody of HAL 9000 and precursor to Holly, appearing in the Son of Cliché radio series written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (1983 — 1984)
- The Mainframe, an overarching computer system to support the super-department of The Environment, in the BBC comedy satire Nineteen Ninety-Four by William Osborne and Richard Turner (1985)
2000s
- Alpha, from Mike Walker's BBC radio play of the same name (2001)
- Gemini, the AI of K.E.N.T from Nebulous. (2005)
- System from the Doctor Who audio adventure The Harvest by Big Finish Productions is a sophisticated administration computer for a hospital in the future. (2004)
Television
1960s
- The Machine, a computer built to specifications received in a radio transmission from an alien intelligence beyond our galaxy in the BBC seven part TV series A for Andromeda by Fred Hoyle (1961)
- Batcomputer, large punch card mainframe depicted in the television series Batman. Introduced by series producers William Dozier and Howard Horowitz,(1964).
- WOTAN (Will Operating Thought ANalogue) from Doctor Who ("The War Machines") (1966)
- ARDVARC (Automated Reciprocal Data Verifier And Reaction Computer) — CONTROL master computer in Get Smart episodes The Girls from KAOS (1967) & Leadside (1969)
- Computex GB from the Journey to the Unknown series episode "The Madison Equation" (1969)
- The General, from The Prisoner (1967)
- REMAK (Remote Electro-Matic Agent Killer), from The Avengers episode "Killer" (1969)
- S.I.D. (Space Intruder Detector), from UFO produced by Gerry Anderson (1969)
- Star Trek
- The Library Computer, the unnamed Duotronic computer of the Starship Enterprise. Voiced by Majel Barrett (1967)
- Landru, from the episode "The Return of the Archons" (1967)
- M5, an experimental computer featured in the episode "The Ultimate Computer" (1968)
- The Oracle, from the episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" (1968)
- Vaal, from the episode "The Apple" (1967)
1970s
- BOSS (Bimorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor), from Doctor Who ("The Green Death") (1973)
- TIM, from The Tomorrow People, is a computer able to telepathically converse with those humans who have developed psionic abilities, and assist with precise teleporting over long distances (1973)
- The Matrix, database of all Time Lord knowledge, Doctor Who (not to be confused with The Matrix) (1976)
- Alex7000, from the two-parter episode Doomsday is Tomorrow of the TV show The Bionic Woman. It was programmed to set off a nuclear holocaust if anyone tested any more nukes. Clearly meant in homage to Stanley Kubrick films 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange (1977)
- IRAC or Ira, from Wonder Woman. It is an extremely advanced computer in use by the IADC; workplace of Wonder Woman's alias, Diana Prince.
- Xoanon from Doctor Who ("The Face of Evil") (1977)
- The Magic Movie Machine AKA Machine from Marlo and the Magic Movie Machine (1977)
- Orac a testy yet powerful supercomputer in Blake's 7 (1978)
- Zen, the somewhat aloof ship's computer of the Liberator in Blake's 7 (1978)
- The Oracle, from Doctor Who ('Underworld') (1978)
- Vanessa 38-24-36 from the sitcom Quark (1978)
- Mentalis from Doctor Who ("The Armageddon Factor") (1979)
- Dr. Theopolis -- Breadbox-sized sentient computer in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
- Scapina -- Special Computerised Automated Project In North America, from The New Avengers. It was an office building controlled by a computer which turned homicidal (1979)
- Mu Lambda 165, library computer for the Earth Ship Ark in the truly dreadful Canadian made-for-tv series The Starlost, (1973)
1980s
- Compucore is the central computing intelligence for the planet Skallor in the cartoon Robotix.
- Gambit, game playing computer from Blake's 7 ('Games') (1981)
- Shyrka, the onboard computer of Ulysses' ship in the French animated series "Ulysses 31" (1981)
- Slave, a somewhat subservient computer on the ship Scorpio in Blake's 7 (1981)
- Teletraan I, the Autobots' computer in Transformers, 'revives' The Transformers after crashing on the planet Earth (1984)
- Vector Sigma, the supercomputer in Transformers, responsible for creating the Transformers race (1984)
- SID (Space Investigation Detector), the computer on board the Voyager in the children's comedy series Galloping Galaxies (1985)
- Box, a small, box shaped computer from the British television show Star Cops (1987)
- KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) fictional computer built into a car from the television show Knight Rider (1982)
- KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot), prototype of KITT from Knight Rider. Unlike KITT, KARR's personality is aimed at self-preservation at all costs.
- LCARS fictional computer architecture of the Starship Enterprise-D and E, and other 24th century starfleet ships, in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
- Magic Voice, the Satellite of Love's onboard computer on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)
- OMNSS, A computer in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon used by Shredder and Baxter Stockman to control machines and cars in order to wreak havoc in New York City when the computer is connected to the second fragment of the alien Eye of Zarnov crystal. (1988)
- Synergy, the computer responsible for Jem and the Holograms' super powers on Jem
- Holly the on-board computer of the space ship Red Dwarf in the BBC television series of the same name (1988)
- Queeg, Holly plays a practical joke on the remaining crew of Red Dwarf, acting as a smarter yet strict computer, making the crew realise just how much they love Holly. Episode "Queeg" Series 2 of Red Dwarf
- The Ultima Machine, a World War II code-breaking "computing machine" used to translate Viking inscriptions, from Doctor Who ("The Curse of Fenric") (1989)
- WOPR (addressed as "Joshua" by its creator), the NORAD nuclear war simulation computer from the film WarGames (1983)
- Ziggy, hybrid computer from Quantum Leap (1989)
1990s
- Black Betty, an oversized computer that is Dilbert's company's mainframe. It exploded while attempting to fix the Y2K problem.
- P.J., Alana's Personal computer companion in The Girl from Tomorrow. It is a miniaturised computer that can be worn on the wrist.
- COS (Central Operating System), homicidal computer from the season 1 The X-Files episode ("Ghost in the Machine") (1993)
- CAS (Cybernetic access structure), homicidal automated building in "The Tower" (1993)[2]
- NICOLE, Princess Sally]'s computer in the Sonic the Hedgehog Saturday morning TV series and US comic series (1993)
- CentSys, sweet yet self-assured female-voiced AI computer who brings the crew of the SeaQuest into the future to deactivate her in SeaQuest DSV episode, "Playtime" (1994)
- The Magi, a trinity of computers individually named Melchior, Balthasar and Caspar, from Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
- Eve, somewhat assertive AI computer (projecting herself as hologram of beautiful woman) orbiting planet G889 and observing/interacting with Earth colonists in Earth 2 (TV series) episode "All About Eve" (1995)
- H.E.L.E.N., a computer system managing the underwater marine exploration station in the Australian television series "Ocean Girl"[3]
- Unnamed AI from the season 5 The X-Files episode ("Kill Switch") (1998)
- CPU for D-135 Artificial Satellite, dubbed MPU by Radical Edward from 'Cowboy Bebop' in the episode "Jamming with Edward". (1998)
- Starfighter 31, the sapient spaceborne battleship, from the episode "The Human Operators" in The Outer Limits (1999)
- Computer, from Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999)
- L.U.C.I from Bibleman
- SELMA, from Time Trax, Selective Encapsulated Limitless Memory Archive carried in the wallet of future cop Darien Lambert (Dale Midkiff), and good wherever MasterCard is accepted (1993)
- HARDAC, from Batman: The Animated Series, is an evil, sentient, computer AI that controls various androids for the goal of world domination
- Emergency Medical Hologram, known as The Doctor, a holographic Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
- U.N.I.C.E, from Bibleman
- Sharon Apple, A holographic, computer-generated Pop Idol/Singer. Initially non-sentient, it is later retrofitted with a dangerously unstable artificial intelligence. From the Anime Macross Plus (1994)
- The nameless warhead AI from the the Star Trek: Voyager episode Warhead.
2000s
- The Andromeda Ascendant, the AI of the starship Andromeda in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. This AI, played by Lexa Doig, appears as a 2D display screen image, a 3D hologram, and as an android personality known as Rommie.
- Comp-U-Comp, a super computer from an episode of the Dilbert TV show. In the episode, Dilbert must face off against Comp-U-Comp when a clerical error results in his not getting the computer he ordered (2000)
- Aura from .hack//Sign, the Ultimate AI that Morganna, another AI, tries to keep in a state of eternal slumber. Morganna is served by Maha and the Guardians, AI monsters (2002)
- The FETCH! 3000, on PBS Kids series FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman is capable of tabulating scores, disposing of annoying cats, blending the occasional smoothie, and anything else Ruff needs it to do (2006)
- GLADIS from TV show Totally Spies! (2001)
- Computer from the TV show Invader ZIM
- The Intersect from the TV show Chuck
- The Omnitrix from the Ben 10 series
- Vox from the TV show The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002)
- The AI of the Planet Express ship in Futurama (2002)
- OoGhiJ MIQtxxXA — (supposedly Klingon for "superior galactic intelligence") from the "Super Computer" episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2003)
- XANA, from Code Lyoko, a multi-agent program capable of wreaking havoc on Earth by activating towers on Lyoko. (2004)
- Wirbelwind, the quantum computer and AI aboard the spaceship La-Muse in Kiddy Grade (2002).
- Mr Smith from the Doctor Who spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures
- S.A.R.A.H. (Self Actuated Residential Automated Habitat) in the TV series Eureka (2006). S.A.R.A.H. is a modified version of a Cold War era B.R.A.D. (Battle Reactive Automatic Defence).
- The Turk - a chess playing computer named after The Turk from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This supercomputer subsequently becomes the 'brain' of the sentient computer John Henry.
- The unnamed supercomputer in the television series Code Lyoko, containing Lyoko, Carthage and XANA.
- C.A.R.R. - A spoof of K.I.T.T from the Knight Rider series, An AI AMC Pacer on the cartoon Stroker and Hoop
- D.A.V.E., from The Batman, is a robotic computer that is a composite of all the Batman villains' personalities
- Jarvis appears as an A.I. in the 2008 film Iron Man, running the internal systems of Tony Stark's home and being uploaded into his armour to help him (possibly based on HoM Jarvis). He can converse with Stark with considerable sophistication and is sarcastic concerning his builder's recklessness. He is voiced by Paul Bettany, who admits he had little idea of what the role was even as he recorded it, simply doing it as a favor for his friend, director Jon Favreau.[4] In Peter David's novelization of the film, Jarvis is revealed as an acronym for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System.
- Survive - An AI taking care of the whole Planet Environment in Uninhabited Planet Survive! Series.
- Venjix from Power Rangers: RPM
- Pear an operating system similar to the Apple Macintosh from iCarly.
Comics/Graphic Novels
- AIMA (Artificially Intelligent Mainframe Interface) from Dark Minds (1997)
- Answertron 2000 from Penny Arcade (200) first comic appearance
- Aura, the Ultimate AI that governs The World from .hack//Legend of the Twilight. The story revolves around Zefie, Aura's daughter, and Lycoris makes a cameo (2002)
- Banana Jr. 6000, from the comic strip Bloom County by Berke Breathed (1984)
- DTX PC, the Digitronix Personal Computer from The Hacker Files (DC Comics).
- Batcomputer, the computer system used by Batman and housed in the Batcave (1964) (DC Comics).
- Beast666, Satsuki Yatouji's organic/inorganic supercomputer in CLAMP's X.
- Cerebro and Cerebra, the computer used by Professor Charles Xavier to detect new mutants (Marvel Comics).
- Brainiac, an enemy of Superman, is sometimes depicted as a humanoid computer.
- Erwin, the AI from the comic strip User Friendly (1997)
- Fate, the Norsefire police state central computer in V for Vendetta (1982) (DC Comics).
- HOMER (Heuristically Operative Matrix Emulation Rostrum), Tony Stark's sentient AI computer from Iron Man (1993) (Marvel Comics).
- iFruit, from the FoxTrot comic strip (1999)
- Kilg%re, an alien AI that can exist in most electrical circuitry, The Flash (1987) (DC Comics).
- Lyoko - A virtual universe contained in a quantum supercomputer. The group of boarding students that find it can go to Lyoko when Xana launches an attack on Earth. They do so by entering a scanner that virtualizes them inside the supercomputer and on Lyoko. The supercomputer itself has many functions. One such function, "return to the past", can undo any mistakes or unwanted damage caused by one of Xana's attacks, or any other unfavorable situation. Jeremie can use the supercomputer to go back in time roughly a day. As a side effect of the return trips, everyone except those that have visited Lyoko and have been scanned by the supercomputer lose their memory of the attack, and the supercomputer gains a qubit. With each added qubit, the supercomputer's processing power doubles, also making Xana and his attacks stronger. Code Lyoko (2004)
- MAGI from the anime series: Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Max, from The Thirteenth Floor (1984)
- Mother Box, from Jack Kirby's Fourth World comics (1970–1973) (DC Comics).
- Normad from the series Galaxy Angel (2001), a missile's artificial intelligence placed within a pink, stuffed, tanuki-like doll, created to destroy a sentient giant die in space named Kyutaro.
- Orak, ruler of the Phants in the Dan Dare story Rogue Planet.
- Praetorius from The X-Files comic book series, issue 13 "One Player Only" (1996)
- Virgo, an artificial intelligence in Frank Miller's Ronin graphic novel (1995)
- Schlock Mercenary's cast includes computer/artificial intelligence characters such as Ennesby, Lunesby, Petey, TAG, the Athens, and many others.
- Toy, from Chris Claremont's Aliens vs. Predator: The Deadliest of the Species (1995)
- Ultron, Artificial Intelligence originally created by Dr. Henry Pym to assist the superpowered team called the "Avengers", but subsequently logic dictated that mankind was inferior to its intellect and wanted to eradicate all mankind so that technology could rule the earth with all other machines under its rule. Ultron created various versions of itself as a mobile unit with tank treads and then in a form that was half humanoid and half aircraft, then it fully evolved itself into an android form, which would often clash with the Avengers for fate of the earth! Early evolved versions were designated with a number reference, each higher than the previous, marking its evolved status (1968) (Marvel Comics).
- Yggdrasil, the system used by the gods to run the Universe in Oh My Goddess! (1989). Also, in the Digimon anime series, the host Computer of the Digital World is named "Yggdrasil of Mystery".
Computer and video games
- 0D-10, Artificial intelligent computer in the sci-fi chapter from the game Live A Live. Secretly plotted to kill humans on board the spaceship of the same name in order to 'restore the harmony'. Its name derives from 'odio', a Italian word for 'hate'. A possible reference to HAL 9000 (1994).
- 343 Guilty Spark, Monitor of Installation 04, In the video game trilogy Halo, Halo 2, and Halo 3. (2001)
- 2401 Penitent Tangent, Monitor of Delta Halo in Halo 2 (2004)
- ADA, from the video game Zone of the Enders (2001)
- Adam, the computer intelligence from the Game Boy Advance game Metroid Fusion (2002)
- Angel, artificial intelligence of the alien cruiser Angelwing in the game Nexus: The Jupiter Incident. Original Japanese name - Tenshi.
- Arsenal Gear from the video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is designed to control all the worlds media.
- Aurora Unit, Biological/Mechanical Computers distributed throughout the galaxy in Metroid Prime 3
- Benson, the sardonic 9th generation PC from the computer game Mercenary and its sequels (1985)
- CABAL (Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform) the computer of Nod in Westwood's Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Command and Conquer: Renegade, and, by implication, Command and Conquer: Tiberian Dawn (1995)
- Calculator, was the computer that controlled bomb shelter Vault 0. It was not a real artificial intelligence, but rather a cyborg, because it was connected with several human brains. It appeared in computer game Fallout Tactics
- Central consciousness, massive governing body from the computer game Total Annihilation (1997)
- Cortana, the shipboard A.I. of the U.N.S.C. Pillar of Autumn in the Halo video games (2001)
- Deadly Brain, a level boss on the second level of Oni
- Dr. Carroll from the Nintendo 64 game Perfect Dark (2002)
- Durga/Melissa/Yasmine the shipboard A.I. of the U.N.S.C. Apocalypso in the Alternate Reality Game I Love Bees (promotional game for the Halo 2 video game) (2004)
- Durandal, one of three A.I.s on board the U.E.S.C. Marathon (1994)
- EDI, (Enhanced Defense Intelligence) The A.I. of the Normandy SR-2 in Mass Effect 2. EDI controls the Normandy's defensive armament, but is blocked from accessing any other part of the ship's systems, due to the potential danger of EDI going rogue.
- EVA, the Electronic Video Agent AI, console interface, and more benign equivalent of the Brotherhood of Nod CABAL in Command & Conquer (see above) (1995)
- FATE, the supercomputer that directs the course of human existence from Chrono Cross (1999)
- GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), A.I. at the Aperture Science Enrichment Center in Portal.
- GOLAN, the computer in charge of the United Civilized States' defence forces in the Earth 2150 game series. A programming error caused GOLAN to initiate hostile action against the rival Eurasian Dynasty, sparking a devastating war depicted in Earth 2140.
- The Guardian Angel', the satellite/AI guiding the player in Borderlands.
- Harmonia, the player ship's main A.I. that controls the ship's systems in space-sim game Darkstar One
- Icarus, Daedalus, Helios, Morpheus and The Oracle of Deus Ex — see Deus Ex characters (2000)
- I.R.I.S., the super computer in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction on the Kreeli comet. (2007)
- KAOS, the antagonist computer from the game Red Alarm
- Leela, another A.I. on board the U.E.S.C. Marathon (1994)
- LINC, from the video game Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)
- The mascot of the "Hectic Hackers" basketball team in Backyard Basketball (2001)
- Mainframe, from Gunman Chronicles (later got a body)
- The Mechanoids, a race of fictional artificial intelligences from the game Nexus: The Jupiter Incident who rebelled against their creators and seek to remake the universe to fit their needs.
- Mendicant Bias, an intelligence-gathering AI created by the extinct Forerunner race during their war with the all-consuming Flood parasite, as revealed in Halo 3. Its purpose was to observe the Flood in order to determine the best way to defeat it, but the AI turned on its creators after deciding that the Flood's ultimate victory was in-line with natural order. (2007)
- Mother Brain from Metroid (1986)
- Mother Brain from Phantasy Star II (1989)
- Mother Brain from Chrono Trigger, a supercomputer from the 2300 AD time period that is controlling robotkind and exterminating humans (1995)
- NEXUS Intruder Program, the main enemy faced in the third campaign of the PC game Warzone 2100. It is capable of infiltrating and gaining control of other computer systems, apparently sentient thought (mostly malicious) and strategy. It was the perpetrator that brought about the Collapse (1999)
- Offensive Bias, a military AI created by the Forerunners to hold off the combined threat of the Flood and Mendicant Bias until the Halo superweapons could be activated. (Halo 3, 2007)
- PipBoy 2000 computer used by main character in Fallout series. (1997)
- Pokedex database of all Pokémon monsters appears in all versions of the game, usually as a desk top computer. (1996 onwards)
- PRISM, the "world's first sentient machine" which you play as the protagonist of the game A Mind Forever Voyaging by Steve Meretzky published by Infocom (1985)
- Prometheus, a cybernetic-hybrid machine or 'Cybrid' from the Earthsiege and Starsiege: Tribes series of computer games. Prometheus was the first of a race of Cybrid machines, who went on to rebel against Humanity and drive them to the brink of extinction.
- QAI, An AI created by Gustaf Brackman in Supreme Commander, serves as a military advisor for the Cybran nation and as one of the villains in Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance. (2007)
- SHODAN, the enemy of the player's character in the System Shock computer game (1994) and its sequel System Shock 2 (1999)
- Sol — 9000 from Xenogears (1998)
- System Deus from Xenogears (1998)
- TEC, the main computer in the X-naut Fortress in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
- Thiefnet computer, Bentley the turtle's laptop from the Sly Cooper series (2002)
- Traxus IV, A.I. that went rampant on Mars, in Marathon (computer game) (1994)
- Tycho, the third A.I. on board the U.E.S.C. Marathon (1994)
- XERXES, the ship computer system which is under the control of The Many in the computer game System Shock 2 (1999)
- Aura and Morganna from the .hack series, the Phases that serve Morganna, and the Net Slum AIs (2002)
- The Xenocidic Initiative, a computer that has built itself over a moon in Terminal Velocity (1995)
- PETs, standing for Personal Terminal, the cell-phone sized computers that store Net-Navis in Megaman Battle Network. The PETs also have other features, such as a cell phone, e-mail checker and hacking device (2001)
- LEGION, appearing in Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, this AI was created as the successor to the Brotherhood of Nod's previous AI, CABAL.
Board Games and Roleplaying Games
- A.R.C.H.I.E. Three, the supercomputer that arose from the ashes of nuclear war to become a major player in the events of Palladium Books' Rifts (role-playing game).
- The Computer from West End Games Paranoia role playing game.
- Crime Computer from Milton Bradley Manhunter board game.
- The Autochthon, the extradimensional AI which secretly control Iteration X, in White Wolf's Mage: The Ascension.
- Mirage, the oldest AI from Shadowrun built to assist the US military in combating the original Crash Virus in 2029.
- Megara, a sophisticated program built by Renraku in Shadowrun who achieved sentience after falling in love with a hacker.
- Deus, the malevolent AI built by Renraku from Shadowrun role playing game who took over the Renraku Arcology before escaping into the Matrix.
Unsorted works
- Walter, navigating computer from Amrakus's A Space Rock Opera
- The CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER, narrator from Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage
- Tandy 400, Compy 386, Lappy 486, Strong Bad's computers in Homestar Runner. Tandy is a real company, but never produced a 400 model.
- Hyper Hegel, an extremely slow computer run with burning wood in monochrom's Soviet Unterzoegersdorf universe.
- A.J.G.L.U. 2000 (Archie Joke Generating Laugh Unit), a running-gag from the Comics Curmudgeon, depicting a computer who does not quite understand human humor, but nonetheless is employed to write the jokes for the Archie Comics strip.
Computers as Robots
Norman, The "CPU" of all the robots in the Star Trek (TOS) episode "I, Mudd"
Also see the List of fictional robots and androids for all fictional computers which are described as existing in a mobile or humanlike form.
References
- ^ Eric A. Weiss (1985). "Jonathan Swift's Computing Invention". IEEE. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
In 1726 Jonathan Swift published a description of a wonderful machine, made of equal parts of ...
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(help) - ^ The Tower (1993) (TV) at IMDb
- ^ "Ocean Girl" (1994) at IMDb
See also
External links
- Robots in Movies – Over 600 movies with Robots, Androids, Cyborgs and A.I.
- Robots on TV – Over 300 TV-Series with Robots, Androids, Cyborgs and A.I.
- Computers in Fiction at newark.rutgers.edu
- http://www.computer.org/intelligent/homepage/x2his.htm
- http://technicity.net/articles/writing_the_future.htm
- http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade/mnbkfc.htm – A large set of reviews of fiction that bears on computers in some aspect
- List of computer names in science fiction – Also includes androids, robots and sundry aliens
- Robot Hall of Fame at CMU – With fictional inductees HAL-9000 and R2-D2
- Jokes about computers in science fiction