The greatest robot of all time? The cooker on the moon, from A Grand Day Out
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Robots have always fascinated us, whether in real-life technological advancements or in the world of fiction. From the cute and lovable WALL-E to the menacing Terminator, robots have captured our imaginations in various forms. In this article, we explore some of the most iconic and memorable robotic characters from literature, film, and television.
Last month, Sierra Greer’s novel about the rebellion of a robot designed for intimacy, Annie Bot, won this year’s Arthur C Clarke award, the UK’s top prize for science fiction. It was described by judges as “a tightly-focused first person account of a robot designed to be the perfect companion who struggles to become free”. Greer’s win felt like the right moment to ask New Scientist staff to nominate their own favourite fictional robotic beings, from page or screen. After a bit of quibbling about what constitutes a robot, and a lot of people plumping for various Star Wars droids and Futurama creations, here, in no particular order, they are. Do join the discussion on Facebook and let us know if we’ve missed any…
Ex Machina is less interested in whether androids are conscious than in whether humans believe they are. In the presence of Ava (Alicia Vikander), it is easy – tragically, too easy – to forget she is a machine. In the age of AI, Alex Garland’s tale of all-too-human hubris is timelier than ever.
Kelsey Hayes
In the 1989 animation A Grand Day Out, hapless inventor Wallace and his savvy pooch Gromit build a rocket and fly to the moon. The moon is made of cheese, naturally, so the duo can indulge their passion for cheese and crackers to their hearts’ content. But, uh-oh, there is already a coin-operated robot (main picture) lurking on the moon. It is essentially a cooker with arms and wheels, who doesn’t take kindly to man and dog using the moon as a snack. The way the animators imbue this kitchen appliance with emotions (mostly indignation) is pure genius, and the way it runs out of power at opportune moments makes for comedy gold. I was about six when I first saw this short film, but it still delights me when I watch with my own children now.
Joshua Howgego
Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell
Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy
In 2029, cybernetic technology has advanced enough that people can replace some or even all of their body with robot parts. What remains of their humanity is the “ghost in the shell”. One such cybernetic entity is Major Kusanagi, a security agent hunting for a rogue hacker. Ghost in the Shell was hugely inspirational (especially for the Matrix movies) and remains relevant for its theme of consciousness in artificial intelligence.
Rowan Hooper
I think “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty” is the best episode of Rick and Morty because it is a flawless send-up of my favourite genre of film: heist movies. Key to that parody is Heistotron, a robot built by renegade scientist Rick Sanchez to undermine the pretentious “heist artist” Miles Knightley. Heistotron is always ready for one last job, stealing priceless artefacts with the help of a ragtag crew whom it brainwashes into joining the team (“You son of a bitch, I’m in,” they parrot blankly upon recruitment). Heistotron soon develops its own consciousness and double-crosses its creator – who, of course, has already double-crossed Heistotron. But what if that’s exactly what Heistotron wanted to happen?
Bethan Ackerley
I have to read a lot for work and I often long for the skill of Johnny-5, the adorably friendly and curious robot with the ability to flick through a book in seconds, from the films Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2 (the sequel is the better film in my opinion). Johnny-5, who becomes sentient after being electrocuted, is the best and cutest of robots, no argument. “More input!”
Alison Flood
