Robots in Popular Culture: Androids and Cyborgs in the American Imaginationseeks to provide one go-to reference for the study of the most popular and iconic robots in American popular culture.
In the last 10 years, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have become not only a daily but a minute-by-minute part of American lifemore integrated into our lives than anyone would have believed even a generation before. Americans have long known the adorable and helpful R2-D2 and the terrible possibilities of Skynet and its army of Terminators. Throughout, we have seen machines as valuable allies and horrifying enemies. Today, Americans cling to their mobile phones with the same affection that Luke Skywalker felt for the squat R2-D2. Meanwhile, our phones, personal computers, and cars have attained the ability to know and learn everything about us.
This volume opens with essays about robots in popular culture, followed by 100 AZ entries on the most famous AIs in film, comics, and more. Sidebars highlight ancillary points of interest, such as authors, creators, and tropes that illuminate the motives of various robots. The volume closes with a glossary of key terms and a bibliography providing students with resources to continue their study of what robots tell us about ourselves.
Richard A. Hall, PhD, is author of
The American Superhero: Encyclopedia of Caped Crusaders in History;
Pop Goes the Decade: The Seventies;
The American Villain: Encyclopedia of Bad Guys in Comics, Film, and Television; and
Pop Goes the Decade: The 2000s. He lives in Laredo, TX. Fun, thought-provoking examination of contemporary society's use of robots and the continual evolution of AI and robotics.
Library JournalPreface
Chronology of Milestone Events
Introduction
Thematic Essays
Robots and Slavery
Heroic Robots and Their Impact on Sci-Fi Narratives
Villainous Robots and Their Impact on Sci-Fil$
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