Simulated reality The simulation theory is the hypothesis that reality could be simulated—for example by quantum computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds that may or may not know that they live i ...

is a common theme in

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

. It should not be confused with the theme of

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), edu ...

Literature

Theater

* '' Possible Worlds'' (1990) and the 2000

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

* ''World of Wires'' (2012), directed by Jay Scheib.

Comics and anime

Film

Television

* '' Altered Carbon'', Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom. * ''

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, an ...

'', the third arc of the 4th season focuses on the characters trapped within a simulated reality. *''

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW See ...

'' **" Invasion!" a crossover of ''Supergirl'', ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'', ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...

'' and ''

Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American time travel superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, who are also executive producers a ...

''. * '' Ascension'' - A Netflix mini-series about 600 people who believe they live on a spaceship halfway to Proxima Centauri, but who are actually trapped in a simulated environment on Earth. * ''

Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...

'', part of the episode " The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" features a holographic simulation of the Babylon station, including initially faithful reproductions of the key characters, their knowledge and personalities but with the intention to recreate falsified versions for propaganda purposes. * ''

Black Mirror ''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology—a type of speculative fiction ...

'' ** " White Bear" ** " White Christmas" ** "

Playtest A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before releasing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with board games, collectible card games, ...

" ** " San Junipero" ** " USS ''Callister''" ** "

Hang the DJ "Hang the DJ" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of the British anthology series ''Black Mirror''. It was written by series creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Tim Van Patten. The episode first aired on Netflix, along with the rest ...

" * '' Navarasa'' episode " Project Agni" by

Karthick Naren Karthick Naren (born 23 July 1994) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Tamil cinema. Naren broke into the Tamil film industry having had directed several award-winning short films like ''Pradhi'' and ''Nirangal Moondru'' before his feature film ...

* ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' episode " The Deadly Assassin" (1976), written by Robert Holmes. *

The Expanse Expanse or The Expanse may refer to: Media and entertainment ''The Expanse'' franchise * ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey * ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...

, episodes "

Caliban's war ''Caliban's War'' is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the Solar System that involves Earth, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt (colonies of people living on astero ...

"(first appearance of 'The investigator' as a simulation in Holden's mind because of the protomolecule) and "Home"(Last appearance of the investigator) * ''

Matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** '' The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchi ...

'' computer from the ''Doctor Who'' universe. * ''

'' episodes " Forest of the Dead" and "

Extremis ''Extremis'' is a six-issue story arc from the comic book series ''Iron Man'' (vol. 4), published in issues one through six in 2005 and 2006 by Marvel Comics. It was written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Adi Granov. ''Extremis'' elevate ...

", written by Steven Moffat and " Amy's Choice", written by

Simon Nye Simon Nye (born 29 July 1958) is an English screenwriter, best known for television comedy. He wrote the hit sitcom ''Men Behaving Badly'', and all of the four ITV Pantos. He co-wrote the 2006 film ''Flushed Away'', created an adaptation of Ric ...

. * ''

Farscape ''Farscape'' is an Australian-American science fiction television series, produced originally for the Nine Network. It premiered in the US on Sci-Fi Channel's SciFi Friday, 19 March 1999, at 8:00 pm EST as their anchor series. The series was ...

'' episode "

John Quixote ''Farscape'' is a science fiction television show. Four regular seasons were produced, from 1999 to 2003. Each season consists of 22 episodes. Each episode is intended to air in a one-hour television timeslot (with commercials), and runs for ...

" (2002) places the lead character in a virtual reality game. * ''

'' (2014) ** "

Duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a sol ...

" a crossover of ''The Flash'' and ''Supergirl''. * '' Devs'' (2020) * ''

Harsh Realm ''Harsh Realm'' is an American science fiction television series about humans trapped inside a virtual reality simulation. It was developed by Chris Carter, creator of ''The X-Files'' and ''Millennium'', and began airing on the Fox Network on Oc ...

'' (1999) was a science fiction television series about humans trapped inside a

simulation. It was developed by Chris Carter, creator of ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' and ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

''. * '' Kiss Me First'' (2018) * ''

'' (2016) ** "Here I Go Again", an episode from the third season * ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...

'' (2008-2009), The U.S. TV series * '' The Orville'' episodes "

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

", " Ja'loja", " Primal Urges" and " Lasting Impressions". * '' The Outer Limits'' episode "

The Sentence ''The Sentence'' is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Rudy Valdez. Synopsis Filmmaker Rudy Valdez shows how his family is impacted when his sister is convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail. Release Reception The review aggregat ...

" (1996) * ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' (1967-1968) * ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. ...

'' episodes "

Better Than Life ''Better Than Life'' is a science fiction comedy novel by Grant Naylor, the collective name for Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, co-creators and writers of the '' Red Dwarf'' television series, on which the novel is based. The main plotline was deve ...

", " Back to Reality", " Gunmen of the Apocalypse", "

Stoke Me a Clipper "Stoke Me a Clipper" is the second episode of science fiction sit-com '' Red Dwarf'' Series VII and the 38th in the series run. It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 24 January 1997, was written by Paul Alexander and Do ...

", "

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

", " Beyond a Joke" and " Back in the Red" by

Rob Grant Robert Grant is an English comedy writer, television producer and co-creator of '' Red Dwarf''. Since ''Red Dwarf'', Grant has written two television series, '' The Strangerers'' and '' Dark Ages'', and four solo novels, his most recent being '' ...

and/or Doug Naylor with Paul Alexander, Kim Fuller and

Robert Llewellyn Robert Llewellyn (born 10 March 1956) is a British actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He plays the mechanoid Kryten in the sci-fi television sitcom '' Red Dwarf'' and formerly presented the engineering gameshow '' Scrapheap Challenge'' ...

all feature some sort of artificial reality or "total immersion video game". * '' Solar Opposites'' episode Retrace-Your-Step-Alizer (2020) features the Pretend-O-Deck a device capable of simulating realities similar to the '' Holodeck'' found in ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

''. * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' ** Episode "

Future Imperfect "Future Imperfect" is the 82nd episode of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. It is the eighth episode of the fourth season. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Star ...

" (1990): During an away mission, Commander William Riker loses consciousness; he awakes sixteen years in the future with that period of his memory lost; he is now the new

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the ''Enterprise'', is widowed and has a son named Jean-Luc (after Picard); this eventually turns out to be a simulated reality. ** Episode "

The Inner Light ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

" (1992):

Jean-Luc Picard Jean-Luc Picard is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, most often seen as the captain of the Federation starship . Played by Patrick Stewart, Picard has appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' ('' ...

is rendered unconscious by a probe of unknown origin. Within the span of 25 minutes, he lives the life of a scientist named Kamin from the doomed planet of Kataan whose sun had gone

nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...

1000 years before. The probe contains the stored memories of Kataan's civilization which Picard relives as Kamin. ** Episode "

Ship in a Bottle An impossible bottle is a bottle containing an object that does not appear to fit through the bottle's mouth. The ship in a bottle is a traditional and the most iconic type of impossible bottle. Other common objects include fruits, matchboxes ...

" (1993): The fictional

Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle coul ...

of Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

's ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' stories is allowed to exist in a holodeck simulation of the world. * ''

Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...

'' episodes " The Cage" and " The Menagerie", the unaired pilot and later episode (respectively). * '' Star Trek: Voyager'': Several episodes took place in the holodeck, including " Fair Haven", " Spirit Folk", the two part episode " The Killing Game" and "Projections". * ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...

'' episode " The Gamekeeper" *''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

'' episode " For the Girl Who Has Everything", based on the Superman story " For the Man Who Has Everything", which was written by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons for ''Superman Annual'' #11 published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

in 1985. * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (1959), and its later revivals, feature a number of episodes involving false or simulated realities of some sort. Examples include " Where Is Everybody?" and " Dreams for Sale". *''

Upload (TV series) ''Upload'' is an American science fiction comedy-drama television series created by Greg Daniels. The series premiered on May 1, 2020, on Amazon Prime Video and was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on March 11, 2022; it ...

'' (2020) Is set in 2033, when humans are able to "upload" themselves into a virtual afterlife of their choosing. When computer programmer Nathan dies prematurely, he is uploaded to the very expensive Lake View, but soon finds himself under the thumb of his possessive, still-living girlfriend Ingrid. *''

'' **" Kill Switch" **"

First Person Shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...

" **"

Field Trip A field trip or excursion is a journey by a group of people to a place away from their normal environment. When done for students, as it happens in several school systems, it is also known as school trip in the UK, Australia, New Zealand an ...

" **" Wetwired" * '' WandaVision'' (2021), miniseries. * ''

Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populate ...

'' (2016-2022) * '' Wild Palms'' (1993), miniseries.

Computer and video games

* ''.hack'' series * '' 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim'' * ''

Active Worlds Active Worlds is an online virtual world, developed by ActiveWorlds Inc., a company based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and launched on June 28, 1995. Users assign themselves a name, log into the Active Worlds universe, and explore 3D virtual wo ...

'' * '' AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative'' * '' Alternate Reality'' * ''

Assassin's Creed ''Assassin's Creed'' is an open-world, action-adventure, and stealth game franchise published by Ubisoft and developed mainly by its studio Ubisoft Montreal using the game engine Anvil and its more advanced derivatives. Created by Patrice D ...

'' * '' Astral Chain'' * '' Battleborn'' * ''

Chrono Trigger is a 1995 role-playing video game developed and published by Square. It was originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the first game in the ''Chrono'' series. The game's development team included three designers th ...

'' * '' Creatures'' * '' Custom Robo'' * ''

Cyberpunk 2077 ''Cyberpunk 2077'' is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. Set in Night City, an open world set in the ''Cyberpunk'' universe, players assume the role of a customisable mercenary kn ...

'' * '' Danganronpa 2'' * '' Danganronpa V3'' * '' Darwinia'' * ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'' * ''

Deus Ex ''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...

'' * ''

Digital Devil Saga ''Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga'' is a duology of role-playing video games developed by Atlus for the PlayStation 2. They are a spin-off of the ''Megami Tensei'' series. The first ''Digital Devil Saga'' was released in Japan in 2004, N ...

'' * '' Doki Doki Literature Club'' * '' Enter the Matrix'' * ''

Eternal Sonata is a role-playing video game developed by tri-Crescendo and published by Bandai Namco Games. The Xbox 360 version of the game was released on June 14, 2007 in Japan, September 17, 2007 in North America, and October 19, 2007 in Europe. The game w ...

'' * ''

Fallout 3 ''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...

'' * '' Harvester'' * ''

Kingdom Hearts coded ''Kingdom Hearts Coded'' is an episodic action role-playing puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, for mobile phones. ''Coded'' was a Japan-only release announced at the 2007 ...

'' * '' Knight Orc'' * '' The Matrix: Path of Neo'' * ''

Max Payne ''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York C ...

'' * '' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' * ''

A Mind Forever Voyaging ''A Mind Forever Voyaging'' (''AMFV'') is a 1985 interactive fiction game designed and implemented by Steve Meretzky and published by Infocom. It is Infocom's seventeenth game. The game was intended as a polemical critique of Ronald Reagan's pol ...

'' * ''

No Man's Sky ''No Man's Sky'' is an action-adventure survival game developed and published by Hello Games. It was released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in August 2016, for Xbox One in July 2018, for the PlayStation 5 and Xb ...

'' * '' Omikron: The Nomad Soul'' * '' Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye'' * ''

Persona A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...

'' * '' Planescape: Torment'' * ''

Prey (2017 video game) ''Prey'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Arkane Austin and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released worldwide on 5 May 2017, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game takes place in an alternate timeline in ...

'' * ''

Saints Row IV ''Saints Row IV'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is the sequel to 2011's '' Saints Row: The Third'', the fourth installment of the '' Saints Row'' series, and the final main installment i ...

'' * ''

Second Life ''Second Life'' is an online multimedia platform that allows people to create an avatar for themselves and then interact with other users and user created content within a multi player online virtual world. Developed and owned by the San Fr ...

'' * ''

Shadowrun ''Shadowrun'' is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future in which cybernetics, magic in fiction, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime fiction, crime, with ...

'' * '' Shin Megami Tensei'' * ''

SOMA Soma may refer to: Businesses and brands * SOMA (architects), a New York–based firm of architects * Soma (company), a company that designs eco-friendly water filtration systems * SOMA Fabrications, a builder of bicycle frames and other bicycle ...

'' * '' Star Ocean: Till the End of Time'' * '' Star Wars: The Old Republic'' * '' The Evil Within'' * '' The Simpsons Game'' * ''

The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation game, life simulation video games developed by Maxis and video game publisher, published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling ...

'' * '' The World Ends with You'' * '' Sonic Forces'' (Episode Shadow) * '' There.com'' * '' Thimbleweed Park'' * '' Stellaris'' * ''Ultima'' series * ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' series * ''Xenosaga'' series

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simulated Reality In Fiction Lists of fictional things Lists of fictional locations

Literature

Theater

Comics and anime

Film

Television

Computer and video games

See also

References