Robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be ...
s and
androids have frequently been depicted or described in works of fiction. The word "robot" itself comes from a work of fiction,
Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal ...
's play, ''
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)'', written in 1920 and first performed in 1921.
This list of fictional robots and androids is chronological, and categorised by medium. It includes all depictions of robots, androids and
gynoid
A gynoid, or fembot, is a feminine humanoid robot. Gynoids appear widely in science fiction film and art. As more realistic humanoid robot design becomes technologically possible, they are also emerging in real-life robot design.
Name
A gyno ...
s in literature, television, and cinema; however, robots that have appeared in more than one form of media are not necessarily listed in each of those media. This list is intended for all fictional computers which are described as existing in a humanlike or mobile form. It shows how the concept has developed in the human imagination through history.
Theatre
* ''
Coppélia
''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-� ...
'', a life-size dancing doll in the ballet of the same name, choreographed by
Marius Petipa
Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters and ...
with music by
Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and operas. His works include the ballets '' Coppélia'' (1870) and '' Sylvia'' (1876) and the opera '' Lakm ...
(1870)
* The word ''robot'' comes from
Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal ...
's play, ''
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)'', written in 1920 in
Czech and first performed in 1921. Performed in New York 1922 and an English edition published in 1923. In the play, the word refers to
artificially created life forms. Named robots in the play are Marius, Sulla, Radius, Primus, Helena, and Damon. The play introduced and popularized the term "robot". Čapek's robots are biological machines that are assembled, as opposed to grown or born.
Literature
19th century and earlier
* The woman forged out of gold in Finnish myth ''The
Kalevala
The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies an ...
'' (
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
folklore)
* From 600 BC onward, legends of talking bronze and clay
statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
s coming to life have been a regular occurrence in the works of classical authors such as
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...
,
Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institutio ...
,
Pindar
Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar i ...
,
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
, and
Pliny. In Book 18 of the ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
'',
Hephaestus
Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter ...
the god of all mechanical arts, was assisted by two moving female statues made from gold – "living young damsels, filled with minds and wisdoms". Another legend has Hephaestus being commanded by
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, ...
to create the first woman,
Pandora
In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...
, out of clay. The myth of
Pygmalion, king of
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
, tells of a lonely man who sculpted his ideal woman,
Galatea, from ivory, and promptly fell in love with her after the goddess
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion (emotion), passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman god ...
brought her to life.
* Talos, bronze giant
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos — also spelled Talus (; el, Τάλως, ''Tálōs'') or Talon (; el, Τάλων, ''Tálōn'') — was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. He circled the island's ...
in
Apollonius of Rhodes
Apollonius of Rhodes ( grc, Ἀπολλώνιος Ῥόδιος ''Apollṓnios Rhódios''; la, Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for the ''Argonautica'', an epic poem about Jason and t ...
' ''
Argonautica
The ''Argonautica'' ( el, Ἀργοναυτικά , translit=Argonautika) is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only surviving Hellenistic epic, the ''Argonautica'' tells the myth of the voyage of Jas ...
'', 3rd century BCE
*
Brazen heads, attributed to numerous scholars involved in the introduction of Arabian science to medieval Europe, particularly
Roger Bacon (13th century)
* Golem – The legend of the
Golem
A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-centur ...
, an animated man of clay, is mentioned in the
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
. (16th century)
* Talus, "iron man" who mechanically helps Arthegall dispense justice in ''
The Faerie Queene
''The Faerie Queene'' is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books IIII were first published in 1590, then republished in 1596 together with books IVVI. ''The Faerie Queene'' is notable for its form: at over 36,000 lines and over 4,000 st ...
'', the epic poem by
Edmund Spenser, published in 1590
* Olimpia, automaton who captivates the hero Nathanael so much he wishes to marry her in
E. T. A. Hoffmann
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in E ...
's ''
Der Sandmann'' (1814)
*
Artificial human-like being created by
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist and title character in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.. He is an Italian-Swiss scientist (born in Naples, Italy) who, after studying ...
in
Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...
's ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...
'' (1818)
* A mechanical man powered by steam in
Edward S. Ellis' ''
The Steam Man of the Prairies'' (1865)
* Olympia in Act I of
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''T ...
's ''
The Tales of Hoffmann
''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died i ...
'', based on the Hoffmann story (1881)
* A mechanical man run by electricity in
Luis Senarens' ''
Frank Reade and his Electric Man
Frank Reade was the protagonist of a series of dime novels published primarily for boys. The first novel, ''Frank Reade and His Steam Man of the Plains'', an imitation of Edward S. Ellis, Edward Ellis's ''The Steam Man of the Prairies'' (1868), w ...
'' (1885)
* Hadaly, a mechanical woman run by electricity, in
Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
Jean-Marie-Mathias-Philippe-Auguste, comte de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (7 November 1838 – 19 August 1889) was a French symbolist writer. His family called him Mathias while his friends called him Villiers; he would also use the name Auguste wh ...
's ''
The Future Eve'' (1886) – the novel credited with popularizing the word "
android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
"
* "The Brazen Android" by William Douglas O'Connor. First appeared in ''
The Atlantic Monthly
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', April 1891
* ''The Dancing Partner'' by Jerome K.Jerome of ''
Three Men in a Boat
''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...
'' fame (1893)
* The ''
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
''-like
tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...
s that the
Martians use to conquer the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...
in ''
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by '' Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
'' by
H.G. Wells (1897)
* "The New Frankenstein" by Ernest Edward Kellett (1899), in which an inventor creates an "anti-phonograph" that according to the narrator "can give the appropriate answer to every question I put", and installs in it a robotic female body that "will guide herself, answer questions, talk and eat like a rational being, in fact, perform the part of a society lady." The android proves convincing enough to fool two suitors who wish to marry her.
Early 1900s
* The "Metal Men" automata designed by a
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invent ...
-like scientist in
Gustave Le Rouge's ''La Conspiration des Milliardaires'' (1899–1900)
*
Tik-Tok in
L. Frank Baum's
Oz books, premiering in ''
Ozma of Oz
''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
'' (1907), and in the movie ''
Return to Oz'', largely based on ''Ozma of Oz''
* A robot chess-player in ''
Moxon's Master'' by
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by ...
(first published in the ''San Francisco Examiner'' on 16 Aug. 1899)
* In
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.
In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, ...
's ''La Poupée Sanglante'' (The Bloody Doll) and ''La Machine à Assassiner'' (The Murdering Machine), the lead character, Bénédict Masson, is wrongly accused of murder and
guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...
d. His brain is later attached to an
automaton
An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More ...
created by scientist Jacques Cotentin, and Masson goes on to track and punish those who caused his death.
1920s
* ''
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)'' (1921), by
Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal ...
– credited with coining the term "
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be ...
". In its original Czech, "robota" means forced labour, and is derived from "rab", meaning "slave." ''R.U.R.'' depicts the first elaborate depiction of a machine take-over. Čapek's robots can also be seen as the first
androids: they are in fact organic.
* ''Le Singe'' (The Monkey) (1925), by
Maurice Renard and
Albert Jean
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Alber ...
, imagined the creation of artificial lifeforms through the process of "radiogenesis", a sort of human electrocopying or cloning process.
* ''The Metal Giants'' (1926), by
Edmond Hamilton, in which a computer brain who runs on atomic power creates an army of 300-foot-tall robots.
* ''Metropolis'' (1927), by
Thea von Harbou as novel, by
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
as film, character Maria and her robot double.
* ''Automata'' (1929), by
S. Fowler Wright, about machines doing the humans' jobs before wiping them out.
1930s
* The "Professor Jameson" series by Neil R. Jones (early 1930s) featured human and alien minds preserved in robot bodies. It was reprinted in five Ace paperbacks in the late 1960s: ''
The Planet of the Double Sun'', ''
The Sunless World'', ''
Space War'', ''
Twin Worlds
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
'' and ''
Doomsday on Ajiat
Doomsday may refer to:
* Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions.
* Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fi ...
''.
* Zat the
Martian robot, protagonist of
John Wyndham's short story "
The Lost Machine
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
" (1932)
* Human cyborgs in ''
Revolt of the Pedestrians'' by
David H. Keller (1932)
* Robot surgeon in "Rex" by
Harl Vincent
Harl Vincent (October 19, 1893 – May 5, 1968) was the pen name of Harold Vincent Schoepflin, an American mechanical engineer and science fiction author. He was published regularly in science fiction pulp magazines.
Life and work
Vincent was bo ...
(1934)
* Killer robot in "The Vanishing Shadow" film serial (1934)
* "
Helen O'Loy
"Helen O'Loy" is a science fiction short story by American writer Lester del Rey, originally published in 1938 in '' Astounding Science Fiction''.
It was subsequently published many times in various collections or anthologies. The latest public ...
" from the story of the same title by
Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scien ...
(1938)
*
Adam Link
Adam Link is a fictional robot, made in the likeness of a man, who becomes self-aware, and the protagonist of several science fiction short stories written by Eando Binder, the pen name of Earl Andrew Binder and his brother, Otto Binder. The st ...
of ''
I, Robot
''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines '' Super Science Stories'' and ''Astounding Science Fiction'' bet ...
'' by
Eando Binder (1938)
* Robots discover their "roots" in ''
Robots Return "\n\n\n\n\nThe robots exclusion standard, also known as the robots exclusion protocol or simply robots.txt, is a standard used by websites to indicate to visiting web crawlers and other web robots which portions of the site they are allowed to vi ...
'' by
Robert Moore Williams (1938).
* Robot as murder witness in ''
True Confession'' by
F. Orlin Tremaine (1939)
1940s
*
Gnut
Gort is a fictional humanoid robot that appeared first in the 1951 20th Century Fox American science fiction film '' The Day the Earth Stood Still'' and later in its 2008 remake. His depiction varies between film adaptations, however, the origi ...
in ''
Farewell to the Master'' by
Harry Bates (1940), later made into the classic 1951 science fiction film ''
The Day the Earth Stood Still''
* Unnamed "living plastic" robot in "
Vault of the Beast" (1940), short story by
A. E. van Vogt
* Jay Score ("J20"), emergency pilot of the Earth-to-Venus freighter ''Upskadaska City'' (colloquially called "Upsydaisy") in "Jay Score", a short story by
Eric Frank Russell
Eric Frank Russell (January 6, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Much of his work was first published in the United States, in John W. Campbell's '' Astounding Scienc ...
in the May 1941 issue of ''
Astounding Science Fiction
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' (1941)
* Jenkins in ''
City
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
'' by
Clifford D. Simak (1944)
* Alojzy Gąbka in
Akademia Pana Kleksa
The Academy (Ancient Greek: Ἀκαδημία) was founded by Plato in c. 387 BC in Athens. Aristotle studied there for twenty years (367–347 BC) before founding his own school, the Lyceum. The Academy persisted throughout the Hellenistic ...
by
Jan Brzechwa
Jan Brzechwa (), (15 August 1898 – 2 July 1966) was a Polish poet, author and lawyer, known mostly for his contribution to children's literature. He was born Jan Wiktor Lesman to a Polish family of Jewish descent. (1946), a mischievous mechanical doll able to pass as a human boy, and the main adversary of the protagonist, Mr Blot.
* Robots by
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
:
** Robbie, Speedy, Cutie, and others, from the stories in ''
I, Robot
''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines '' Super Science Stories'' and ''Astounding Science Fiction'' bet ...
'' (1940–1950) (not to be confused with the Binder short story of the same title)
** L-76, Z-1, Z-2, Z-3, Emma-2, Brackenridge, Tony, Lenny, Ez-27 and others, from the stories in ''
The Rest of the Robots'' (1964)
**
R. Daneel Olivaw
R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. The "R" initial in his name stands for "Robot," a naming convention in Asimov's future society during Earth's early period of space colonization. Daneel is introduced in '' The Caves ...
from ''
The Caves of Steel
''The Caves of Steel'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov. It is a detective story and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction can be applied to any literary genre, rather than just being a limited g ...
'' (1954) and subsequent novels
**
R. Giskard Reventlov from ''
The Robots of Dawn
''The Robots of Dawn'' is a " whodunit" science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov, first published in 1983. It is the third novel in Asimov's ''Robot'' series.
Plot summary
Detective Elijah Baley of Earth is training with his son ...
'' (1983) and subsequent novels
** Andrew Martin from ''
The Bicentennial Man'' (1976) (later made into a film) and ''
The Positronic Man'' (a novel), co-written by Asimov and
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
**
Norby in a series of books for children and adolescents, co-written with
Janet Asimov
* The
Humanoid
A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. The earliest recorded use of the term, in 1870, referred to indigenous peoples in areas colonized by Europeans. By the 20 ...
s from two novels by
Jack Williamson
John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the term ''genet ...
(1949 and 1980)
1950s and 1960s
* ''
Astro Boy
''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 ''tankōbon'' v ...
'', series by Osamu Tezuka (published in Japan but available in English), an atomic-powered robot of 100,000 horsepower built to resemble a little boy, most specifically Tobio, the deceased son of Dr. Tenma. When not in school, Astro Boy spent his time dealing with robots & aliens. (1952)
* The Gallegher series of stories by
Lewis Padgett (
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
and
C. L. Moore) collected in ''
Robots Have No Tails'' (1952)
* The Mechanical Hound from ''
Fahrenheit 451
''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...
'' by
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...
(1953)
* Bors, an old government integration robot pivotal to
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...
's novelette ''
The Last of the Masters
"The Last of the Masters" (also known as "Protection Agency") is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. Dick. The original manuscript of the story was received by the Scott Meredith Literary Agency on July 15, 1953, and the st ...
'' (1954)
* The Fury, a large steel robot that acts as jailer and executioner, in Henry Kuttner's "Two-Handed Engine" (1955)
* Zane Gort, a robot novelist in the short story "The Silver Eggheads" by
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
(1959)
* SHROUD (Synthetic Human, Radiation OUtput Determined) and SHOCK (Synthetic Human Object, Casualty Kinematics), the sentient test dummies in the novel ''
V.'' by
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, Literary genre, genres and Theme (narrative), them ...
(1963)
* Frost, the Beta-Machine, Mordel, and the Ancient Ore Crusher in
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
's short story "
For a Breath I Tarry" (1966)
* Trurl and Klapaucius, the robot geniuses of ''
The Cyberiad'' (Cyberiada, 1967; translated by Michael Kandel 1974) – collection of humorous stories about the exploits of Trurl and Klapaucius, "constructors" among robots
* The Iron Man in the novel ''
The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights'' by
Ted Hughes
Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...
, illustrated by
Andrew Davidson (1968), later changed to The Iron Giant to avoid confusion with its predecessor, the comic superhero of the same name
* Roy Batty, Pris, Rachael and several other Nexus-6 model androids. "Androids, fully organic in nature – the products of genetic engineering – and so human-like that they can only be distinguished by psychological tests; some of them don't even know that they're not human." – ''
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' (retroactively retitled ''Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' in some later printings) is a dystopian science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1968. The ...
'' by
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...
(1968)
* Diktor, the robotic lover in the comics and film
Barbarella (1968)
* "
The Electric Grandmother" in the short story of the same name, from ''
I Sing the Body Electric
"I Sing the Body Electric" is a poem by Walt Whitman from his 1855 collection '' Leaves of Grass''. The poem is divided into nine sections, each celebrating a different aspect of human physicality.
Its original publication, like the other poems ...
'' by
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...
(1969), based on a 1962 ''
Twilight Zone'' episode of the same name
* Mech Eagles from the novel ''
Logan's Run
''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resou ...
'' (1967), robotic eagles designed to track and kill people who refuse to die at age 21
* Richard Daniel, an intensely loyal, old, un-remodeled robot, belonging to one family for generations, i
"All the Traps of Earth" by Clifford Simak When the last of his entire extended family of owners died, after 200 years, he is required by law to be disassembled; humans who made the law are still threatened by robots who are superior to them in functionality. He is sentient enough to take exception to that policy.
* Jenkins, the robot who served generations of the Webster family for nearly a thousand years, then the dogs modified by one of the Websters, dogs capable of reading and speech, who inherited the earth when humans left it by various methods, through all of the stories contained in the collectio
"City" by Clifford Simak Humans entered "the sleep", or had their bodies converted to Jovian lifeforms to live on Jupiter.
1970s
*
Personoid Personoid is the concept coined by Stanisław Lem, a Polish science-fiction writer, in Non Serviam, from his book '' A Perfect Vacuum'' (1971). His personoids are an abstraction of functions of human mind and they live in computers; they do not nee ...
s, in
Stanisław Lem
Stanisław Herman Lem (; 12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer of science fiction and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology, and literary criticism. Many of his science fiction stories are of satirica ...
's book ''Próżnia Doskonała'' (1971). This is a collection of book reviews of nonexistent books, and was translated into English by Michael Kandel as ''A Perfect Vacuum'' (1983). "Personoids do not need any human-like physical body; they are rather an abstraction of functions of human mind, they live in computers."
* ''
The Stepford Wives
''The Stepford Wives'' is a 1972 satirical "feminist horror" novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a talented photographer, wife and young mother who suspects that something in Stepford's environment is changing the wives fr ...
'' (1972) by
Ira Levin – "The masculine plot to replace women with perfect looking, obedient robot replicas"
* Setaur, Aniel and Terminus in ''
Tales of Pirx the Pilot'' by
Stanisław Lem
Stanisław Herman Lem (; 12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer of science fiction and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology, and literary criticism. Many of his science fiction stories are of satirica ...
(1973)
* The Hangman in ''
Home Is the Hangman'' by
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
(1975), winner of that year's
Nebula Award for Best Novella
The Nebula Award for Best Novella is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novellas. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novella if it is between 17,500 and 4 ...
* Andrew Martin from ''
The Bicentennial Man'' (1976) by
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
, and ''
The Positronic Man'' (1992) by Asimov and
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
* All the
droid
Droid or DROID may refer to:
* A robot, or specifically android (robot)
Entertainment
* Droid (band), an American metal band
* ''Droid'' (film), a 1988 science fiction film
* Droid (''Star Wars''), science fictional machines from the ''Star ...
s from the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'' franchise (since 1977 for the main canon, 1976 for the
Expanded Universe)
*
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Marvin the Paranoid Android is a fictional character in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' series by Douglas Adams. Marvin is the ship's robot aboard the starship ''Heart of Gold''. Originally built as one of many failed prototypes of Sir ...
in ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...
'' (1979) by
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...
and subsequent novels based on the original radio series
*
K-9 in ''
Doctor Who'' (1977-1981)
* V.I.N.CENT, Old B.O.B. & Maximillian, Robots featured in the Disney Movie ''
The Black Hole'' (1979). V.I.N.CENT. voiced by Roddy McDowall. Old B.O.B. voiced by Slim Pickens were both uncredited in the movie.
1980s
* Chip, the robot teenager in the ''
Not Quite Human
''Not Quite Human'' is the name of a series of young adult novels by Seth McEvoy about a scientist and his android creation which resembles a teenager.
Description
Widower scientist, Dr. Jonas Carson's lifetime work is to create an android he n ...
'' series (1985–1986) by
Seth McEvoy
Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bib ...
.
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
later made the book into three movies.
* ''
Roderick
Roderick, Rodrick or Roderic ( Proto-Germanic ''* Hrōþirīks'', from ''* hrōþiz'' "fame, glory" + ''* ríks'' "king, ruler") is a Germanic name, recorded from the 8th century onward.Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856)740 Its Old ...
'' (1980) and ''
Tik-Tok'' (1983) by
John Sladek
John Thomas Sladek (December 15, 1937 – March 10, 2000) was an American science fiction author, known for his satirical and surreal novels.
Life and work
Born in Waverly, Iowa, in 1937, Sladek was in England in the 1960s for the New Wave ...
, two extreme examples of robot morality, one perfectly innocent and one perfectly criminal
* The Boppers, a race of moon-based robots that achieve independence from humanity, in the series of books The ''
Ware Tetralogy'' by
Rudy Rucker
Rudolf von Bitter Rucker (; born March 22, 1946) is an American mathematician, computer scientist, science fiction author, and one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best know ...
*
R. Giskard Reventlov from ''
The Robots of Dawn
''The Robots of Dawn'' is a " whodunit" science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov, first published in 1983. It is the third novel in Asimov's ''Robot'' series.
Plot summary
Detective Elijah Baley of Earth is training with his son ...
'' (1983) and subsequent novels by
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
* All
Autobots
The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
and
Decepticons
The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capa ...
from the ''
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'' franchise (since 1984)
* Elio, a character from ''
A Tale of Time City
''A Tale of Time City'' was first published in 1987 by British author Diana Wynne Jones. It tells the story of a girl, Vivian Smith, who is kidnapped while being evacuated from London during World War II and caught up in a struggle to preserve ...
'' (1987) by
Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones (16 August 1934 – 26 March 2011) was a British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually ...
* Manders in ''
The Type One Super Robot'' (1987), a children's book by
Alison Prince
* Solo from
Robert Mason's novels ''
Weapon
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...
'' (1989) and ''
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...
'' (1993) – Note, the 1996 film titled ''
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...
'' is based solely on the first novel, ''Weapon''.
* Conal Cochran
's androids who serve central antagonists/villains in ''
Halloween III: Season of the Witch'', a non-
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. ...
consecutive film
* Sheen, a female android mysteriously programmed to guard and love Stile, a serf on the planet Proton, in the sci-fi/fantasy series ''
Apprentice Adept
''Apprentice Adept'' is a heptalogy of fantasy and science fiction novels written by English American author Piers Anthony. The series takes place on ''Phaze'' and ''Proton'', two worlds occupying the same space in two different dimensional planes ...
'' (1980–82) by
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xant ...
.
* Spofforth, the dean of New York University in
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis.
1990s
* Yod in
Marge Piercy
Marge Piercy (born March 31, 1936) is an American progressive activist and writer. Her work includes '' Woman on the Edge of Time''; ''He, She and It'', which won the 1993 Arthur C. Clarke Award; and ''Gone to Soldiers'', a New York Times Best ...
's ''
He, She and It
''He, She and It'' (published under the title ''Body of Glass'' outside the USA) is a cyberpunk novel by Marge Piercy published in 1991. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction novel in 1993."Marge Piercy Wins Arthur C. Clar ...
'' (1991)
* The One Who Waits in
Charles Sheffield
Charles Sheffield (25 June 1935 – 2 November 2002), an English-born mathematician, physicist and science-fiction writer, served as a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical Society.
...
's ''
Divergence
In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of t ...
'' (1991)
* Caliban in a
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wo ...
by
Roger MacBride Allen
Roger MacBride Allen (born September 26, 1957) is an American science fiction author. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and grew up outside of Washington, D.C., graduating from Walt Whitman High School. He graduated from Boston Universit ...
, set in the robots universe of
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
(1993)
* Solo and Nimrod in
Robert Mason's novel ''
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...
'' (1993)
* Jay-Dub and Dee Model in
Ken MacLeod's ''
The Stone Canal
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
'' (1996)
* Dorfl, and other Discworld golems deliberately described in terms reminiscent of an Asimovian robot, in
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comic fantasy, comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels.
Pratchet ...
's ''
Feet of Clay
Feet of clay is an idiom used to refer to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires. An entity with feet of clay may app ...
'' (1996) and subsequent ''
Discworld
''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat ...
'' novels
2000s
* Cassandra Kresnov, in a series by
Joel Shepherd (2001)
* Clunk, in a series by
Simon Haynes (2004)
*
Moravecs, sentient descendants of probes sent by humans to the Jovian belt, in
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
' ''
Ilium
Ilium or Ileum may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions
* Ilion (Asia Minor), former name of Troy
* Ilium (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece
* Ilium, ancient name of Cestria (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece
* Ilium Building, a ...
'' (2003)
* Nimue Alban/Merlin Athrawes, in the ''
Safehold series'' by
David Weber
David Mark Weber (born October 24, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first nove ...
(2007)
* Otis, the robot dog from
Tanith Lee's ''Indigara'' (2007)
* Freya, in
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine ...
' ''
Saturn's Children'' (2008)
* HCR-328 and Tom in ''Automatic Lover'' and ''Automatic Lover – Ten Years On'' by Ariadne Tampion (2008)
*
Boilerplate, a Victorian-era robot in the illustrated coffee-table book ''Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel'', published by Abrams (2009)
2010s
* Adam, one of the first commercially available androids in
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan, (born 21 June 1948) is an English novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of th ...
's ''
Machines Like Me
''Machines Like Me'' is the 15th novel by the English author Ian McEwan. The novel was published in 2019 by Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until h ...
'' (2019)
* The Calculators, an ancient, ongoing family of androids in
Paul Levinson's ''Robinson Calculator'' novelette (2019)
*Murderbot, a newly independent security robot in ''
The Murderbot Diaries'' series by
Martha Wells
Martha Wells (born September 1, 1964) is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has published a number of fantasy novels, young adult novels, media tie-ins, short stories, and nonfiction essays on fantasy and science fiction subjects. H ...
(2017-)
Radio
*
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Marvin the Paranoid Android is a fictional character in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' series by Douglas Adams. Marvin is the ship's robot aboard the starship ''Heart of Gold''. Originally built as one of many failed prototypes of Sir ...
in ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...
'' BBC radio series (1978–1980)
* Tidy, George, Fagor, Surgeon General Kraken and miscellaneous other androids from
James Follett's ''
Earthsearch'' BBC radio series (1980–1981)
* Fetchers, accident prone and apologetic gopher robots from the BBC radio series ''
Nineteen Ninety-Four
''Nineteen Ninety-Four'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy series and a book written by William Osborne and Richard Turner. The six-part radio series was first broadcast in March 1985, and the book published in 1986. The title is a reference to the dy ...
'' (1985)
Music
*
Mr. Roboto, the prison robot in the eponymous song from the
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
''
Kilroy Was Here'' by
Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, ...
(1983)
* Rapbot, a robot built for
rapping
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, but with various other functions, including a
toaster
A toaster is a small electric appliance that uses radiant heat to brown sliced bread into toast.
Types
Pop-up toaster
In pop-up or automatic toasters, a single vertical piece of bread is dropped into a slot on the top of the toaste ...
, from ''
Fake Songs
''Fake Songs'' is the third studio album by American musician Liam Lynch, released on April 1, 2003 through S-Curve Records and distributed worldwide by Capitol Records. The album is known for featuring his best-known song " United States of What ...
'' by
Liam Lynch (2003)
* Cindi Mayweather, the protagonist from the "Metropolis"
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
series by
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...
(2007)
*
Cyborg Noodle, the cyborg clone of Noodle from the
virtual band
In entertainment, a virtual band (also called a virtual idol, virtual singer, virtual group, cartoon group, cartoon idol, cartoon singer or cartoon band) is a band or music group whose members are not depicted as corporeal musicians, but anima ...
Gorillaz
Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (character), 2-D (Singing, vocals, Musical keyboard, keyboards), Murd ...
who was created for the storyline of their album ''
Plastic Beach
''Plastic Beach'' is the third studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 3 March 2010 by Parlophone internationally and by Virgin Records in the United States. Conceived from an unfinished project called ''Carousel'', t ...
'' (2010)
* Rovix, K-pop group
VIXX
VIXX ( ko, 빅스 pronounced "vicks"; acronym for "voice, visual, value in excelsis") is a South Korean boy band formed by Jellyfish Entertainment through the 2012 reality show ''MyDOL''. Originally a sextet, the group is presently composed of ...
's robotic mascot (2012)
Film
1940s and earlier

* The Dummy, played by
Ben Turpin
Bernard "Ben" Turpin (September 19, 1869 – July 1, 1940) was an American comedian and actor, best remembered for his work in silent films. His trademarks were his cross-eyed appearance and adeptness at vigorous physical comedy. Turpin wo ...
in ''
A Clever Dummy
''A Clever Dummy'' is a 1917 American short comedy film directed by Ferris Hartman, Robert P. Kerr, Herman C. Raymaker, and Mack Sennett.
Cast
*Ben Turpin as A romantic janitor
* Chester Conklin as A playful property man
* Wallace Beery as ...
'', a
Sennett silent short dating from 1917 when the term "robot" did not yet exist
* ''
The Master Mystery'', a 1919 theatrical serial starring
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
, featuring a fully realized mechanical man (implemented as a costumed actor)
* ''
The Mechanical Man'' from the Italian
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...
of the same name, directed by
André Deed
Henri André Chapais, known as André Deed (22 February 1879 – 4 October 1940), was a French actor and director, best known for his Foolshead comedies, produced in the 1900s and 1910s. André Deed was one of the first named actors in cinema, a ...
(1921)
* Maria/Futura, the
Maschinenmensch, a
robotic gynoid
A gynoid, or fembot, is a feminine humanoid robot. Gynoids appear widely in science fiction film and art. As more realistic humanoid robot design becomes technologically possible, they are also emerging in real-life robot design.
Name
A gyno ...
, played by German actress
Brigitte Helm in both her robotic-appearing and human-appearing forms in ''
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
'', the
silent science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstell ...
by famed Austrian-German director
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
(1927)
* Arbeitsmaschine and Kampfmaschine, working robots and fighting robots in the German movie ''
Der Herr der Welt'' (1934) by
Harry Piel
Heinrich Piel (12 July 1892 – 27 March 1963), known professionally as Harry Piel, was a prolific German actor, film director, screenwriter, and film producer who was involved in over 150 films.
Piel became a director in 1912, turning out such ...
; the mad scientist Professor Wolf (
Walter Franck
Walter Franck (16 April 1896 – 10 August 1961) was a German film actor. He appeared in 32 films between 1926 and 1952.
Selected filmography
* '' Master of the World'' (1934)
* ''The Island'' (1934)
* ''Escapade'' (1936)
* '' Stronger Than ...
) is eventually killed by his fighting robot
* ''The Tin Man'', voiced by
Billy Bletcher
William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney ...
("My name is robot!") from the
Roach comedy short of the same name featuring
Thelma Todd and
Patsy Kelly (1935)
* Annihilants, robot soldiers belonging to
Ming the Merciless
Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, television series and film adaptation. Ming is depicted as ...
in the ''
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established '' Buck Rogers'' ad ...
'' film series (1936)
* Steel "Killer" Robot in director
William Witney
William Nuelsen Witney (May 15, 1915 – March 17, 2002) was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the action films he made for Republic Pictures, particularly serials: '' Dick Tracy Returns'', '' G-Men vs. the Bla ...
's early 1940s film serial of 15 episodes ''
Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (a.k.a. ''
Doctor Satan's Robot
''Doctor Satan's Robot'' is a 1966 made for television film condensed from the original 1940 ''Mysterious Doctor Satan'' film serial named after its chief villain.Mathis 1995, pp. 50–51. Master criminal Doctor Satan has a nemesis, a masked mys ...
'') (1940, re-released in full-length 1966)
* ''
The Mechanical Monsters'' in the ''
Superman'' short of the same name (1941)
1950s
*
Gort
Gort ( or ) is a town of around 3,000 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 and R460 regional roads, ...
, the robot in the film ''
The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (1951) (loosely based on Gnut, the robot protagonist of "
Farewell to the Master" by
Harry Bates, the original short story upon which the movie is based)
* Mark 1 in ''
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire'' (1952)
*
Ro-Man, a robot bent on destroying earth, in the movie ''
Robot Monster'' (1952)
* ''
The Twonky'' (1953)
* Nyah's robot, Chani, in the British film ''
Devil Girl from Mars
''Devil Girl from Mars'' is a 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film, produced by the Danziger Brothers, directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, and Adrienne Corri. It ...
'' (1954)
* Tobor, a robot created to replace astronauts in space in the film ''
Tobor the Great
''Tobor the Great'' (a.k.a. ''Tobor'') is a 1954 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Richard Goldstone, directed by Lee Sholem, and starring Charles Drake, Karin Booth, and Billy Chapin. The film ...
'' (1954)
*
Venusian robots invading Earth in ''
Target Earth'' (1954)
*
Robby the Robot in ''
Forbidden Planet'' (1956) and ''
The Invisible Boy'' (1957)
* ''
Kronos'' (1957)
*
Moguera
is a 1957 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film begins with a giant fissure destroying an entire village. This leads to an investigation whereby the source is dis ...
, a large, mole-like robot in ''
The Mysterians'' (1957) and several subsequent Japanese films
* Colossus in ''
The Colossus of New York
''The Colossus of New York'' is a 1958 science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced by William Alland, directed by Eugène Lourié, that stars Ross Martin, Otto Kruger, John Baragrey, Mala Powers, Robert Hutton, and Charles Herbert. The ...
'' (1958)
* The Human Robot in ''
The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy'' (1958)
1960s
* Omega in ''
First Spaceship on Venus
''Milcząca Gwiazda'' (german: Der schweigende Stern), literal English translation ''The Silent Star'', is a 1960 East German/ Polish color science fiction film based on the 1951 science fiction novel '' The Astronauts'' by Polish science fiction w ...
'' (1960)
* Neptune Men, robotic aliens in ''
Invasion of the Neptune Men
is a 1961 superhero film produced by Toei Company, Toei Company Ltd. The film stars Sonny Chiba as ''Iron Sharp'' (called ''Space Chief'' in the U.S. version).
The film was released in 1961 in Japan and was later released in 1964 direct to televi ...
'', starring a young
Sonny Chiba
, known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.
Born in Fuk ...
(1961)
* Robot John in ''
Planet of Storms'' (1962), ''
Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women'' (1965) and ''
Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women'' (1968)
*The Humanoids (or "Clickers") in ''
The Creation of the Humanoids'' (1962)
*
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos — also spelled Talus (; el, Τάλως, ''Tálōs'') or Talon (; el, Τάλων, ''Tálōn'') — was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. He circled the island's ...
in ''
Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963)
* Alien robots invade Earth in ''
The Earth Dies Screaming''. (1964)
*
Torg
''Torg'' is a cinematic cross-genre tabletop role-playing game created by Greg Gorden and Bill Slavicsek, with art by Daniel Horne. It was first published by West End Games (WEG) in 1990. Game resolution uses a single twenty-sided die, ''d ...
in ''
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' is a 1964 American science fiction comedy film directed by Nicholas Webster, produced and written by Paul L. Jacobson, based on a story by Glenville Mareth, that stars John Call as Santa Claus. It also featu ...
'' (1964)
* Frank Saunders (a.k.a. "Frankenstein"), an android version of
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compare ...
in ''
Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster'' (1965)
* Sexbots or Fembots, including Robot # 11 (Diane) in ''
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' (1965) and ''
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs'' (1966), both starring
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wa ...
* Cyborg Garth A7 in ''
Cyborg 2087'' (1966)
*Robot Operator in ''
The Terrornauts'' (1967)
*
Mechani-Kong in ''
King Kong Escapes
is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was a Japanese–American co-production between Toho and Rankin/Bass, and stars Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, ...
'' (1967)
* Robot army in ''
Superargo and the Faceless Giants
''Superargo and the Faceless Giants'' ( it, Superargo - L'invincibile Superman, es, Superargo, el gigante, also known as ''Superargo'', ''The King of Criminals'' and ''Superargo the Giant'') is a List of Italian films of 1968, 1968 Italian-Spanis ...
'' (1968)
1970s
* The American defense computer Colossus that takes over the world in ''
Colossus: The Forbin Project'' (1970)
* The all-robot police force in ''
THX 1138
''THX 1138'' is a 1971 American social science fiction, social science fiction film co-written and directed by George Lucas in his List of directorial debuts, directorial debut. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Walter Murch, th ...
'' (1971)
* Huey, Dewey and Louie, drones in ''
Silent Running
''Silent Running'' is a 1972 American environmental-themed post-apocalyptic science fiction film. It is the directorial debut of Douglas Trumbull, and stars Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, and Jesse Vint.
Plot
In the future, all plant l ...
'' (1972) – notable as the first movie in which non-humanoid robots were made mobile by manning them with amputees
*
Jet Jaguar in ''
Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (1973)
* The Gunslinger (played by
Yul Brynner) and other androids in ''
Westworld'' (1973) and ''
Futureworld
''Futureworld'' is a 1976 American science fiction thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and written by Mayo Simon and George Schenck. It is a sequel to the 1973 Michael Crichton film '' Westworld'', and is the second installment in ...
'' (1976)
* The robots in ''
Sleeper
A sleeper is a person who is sleeping.
Sleeper may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics
* The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...
'' (1973)
*
Mechagodzilla
is a fictional mecha character that first appeared in the 1974 film ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla''. In its debut appearance, Mechagodzilla is depicted as an extraterrestrial villain that confronts Godzilla. In subsequent iterations, Mechagodzill ...
in various
''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
* ''
The Stepford Wives
''The Stepford Wives'' is a 1972 satirical "feminist horror" novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a talented photographer, wife and young mother who suspects that something in Stepford's environment is changing the wives fr ...
'' (1975) – Joanna Eberhart and other women are being replaced with identical robots.
* Box in ''
Logan's Run
''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resou ...
'' (1976)
* Necron-99, later called "Peace" from
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatri ...
's ''
Wizards'' (1977)
* Proteus IV from ''
Demon Seed'' (1977), an AI computer developed by Alex Harris, that eventually