Thread: Idea For A Sf Story...

Last night I got an idea for a SF story, not really a dream, but I was lying in bed thinking. It doesn't seem quite as cool as it did last night, but I guess I'll describe it. If anyone wants to write a story based on this, feel free, just let me read it. And if you get famous, send me a signed copy.

This is the story: There are some self-aware robots, some kind of artificial intelligence machines, and they get left behind or crash-land on a planet during a space mission. There are maybe a couple of them, and they don't have any cotact with humans for thousands of years. The originals build more machines and program them. The machines begin to evolve, using the resources of the planet, but without the constraints of organic beings, and they fill all the niches of the robot society, each an individual machine with a mind of its own. Robots evolve to fill all of the jobs that need to be done and are designed according to their purpose, tiny one, big ones, forming classes and unions. Maybe some are spaceship-robots and go out and eventually contact people again.

Anyway, I guess this is very derivative of like Terminator and several other stories like that, except I wasn't thinking of the robots as being evil, more like exploring the nature of their society and what comes from this ability to evolve without limits on size or shape, according to needs of the society.


(why is [banned term] a "banned term") (Ok that didn't work, why is the common short term for science fiction a "banned term"?)

Neat idea, Moonbeam

and for the record, the term "sci-fi" or "science ficton" isn't banned - it was discouraged by the use of one member who was repeatingly using it in the wrong context and confusing people.

[Edit: Weird - I thought you wrote "banned term" - but it must be something weird with the board - I'll have to get back to you on this.]

Can we PLEASE take the ban off scii-fii? It's REALLY annoying, and the member in question isn't on too often anymore anyway.

Originally Posted by The

Can we PLEASE take the ban off scii-fii? It's REALLY annoying, and the member in question isn't on too often anymore anyway.[/b]

No shit, Matt. She's banned.

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

This is the story: There are some self-aware robots, some kind of artificial intelligence machines, and they get left behind or crash-land on a planet during a space mission. There are maybe a couple of them, and they don't have any cotact with humans for thousands of years. The originals build more machines and program them. The machines begin to evolve, using the resources of the planet, but without the constraints of organic beings, and they fill all the niches of the robot society, each an individual machine with a mind of its own. Robots evolve to fill all of the jobs that need to be done and are designed according to their purpose, tiny one, big ones, forming classes and unions. Maybe some are spaceship-robots and go out and eventually contact people again.
[/b]

Asimov must have done something like that before. Surely there must not be much he hasn't written about robots.

Originally Posted by Identity

Asimov must have done something like that before. Surely there must not be much he hasn't written about robots.
[/b]

Yea probably. I've read so much SCI-FI (testing the system) especially when I was a kid I was hoping I hadn't read a story like this and forgotten it. I guess it is hard to come up with a totally original idea, especially about robots, but surely there are more to be written, with new twists. I was thinking that somebody (who can actually write a good story, unlike me) could emphasize something about the strangeness of a society made up of beings that were all so different, yet all related, or something like that. I was just picturing nanobots and giant mining bots and space-ship bots, etc. with different personalities and goals to suit their respective duties, but who all think that they are being logical and doing what is best.


(Side note: I was thinking of other robot stories, trying to remember which one I might be plagiarizing, and it reminded me of the movie A.I. I didn't go see that right away, because I thought it looked kind of stupid. But then I finally watched it a year or so ago--oh my god, what a tear-jerker! I rarely cry at movies, but that was really sad! Really good tho, I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.)

Ok, the sci-fi thing has been fixed.

there is a fiction (not being nasty, it litterally was a fiction book) book I read about evolution (at the time I beleived in that), and how a robot probe with Von Neuman properties was left on the moon, and completly devoured it, and then left to become a machine society that thought it was decended from the first accsidentle gears that came together.

Originally Posted by Keeper

a machine society that thought it was decended from the first accsidentle gears that came together.
[/b]

That could totally happen!

(I am curious how somebody could abuse a term like "sci-fi" to the point that it was banned&#33

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

(I am curious how somebody could abuse a term like "sci-fi" to the point that it was banned&#33[/b]

It had to do with the member referring to OBE's and AP's as "sci-fi's." It was confusing to new members, and even after repeated warnings to stop using the term "sci-fi" in this context, the member continued to do it - thereafter the word got banned. But that person is no longer a member here, so now it's a nonissue.

why wasn't he/she band instead?

Originally Posted by Keeper

why wasn't he/she band instead?
[/b]

for as far as i can remember she was banned, albeit temporarily...

after that, she appearantly left...

or got banned because she threatened to kill herself...

or something in that direction

i can't really remember... (so i could easily be mistaken... this was the only thing that popped up into my mind about the subject... so: if i'm wrong just say so and/or say what really happened (i forgot ))



't sucks too... she wasn't an evildoer at all... just someone who liked to use her own words for stuff... and stuff...


she was really nice...

Originally Posted by Keeper

why wasn't he/she band instead?[/b]

They WERE banned after awhile.

OK - back on topic!

lovely idea
i write qutie a few short stories
but the scope of the idea is so large, I dont think it could ever be compressed into 20 pages or so
so i'ma just admire the idea and leav eit to someone else to use it =)
Imran

Originally Posted by imran_p

but the scope of the idea is so large, I dont think it could ever be compressed into 20 pages or so
[/b]

OK you can make it a novel.

nah, thtd take far 2 much time up
plus i dont ahve the ability to write anovel
i tried once
its sooo hard
Imran

that reminds me of Cyberiad. Cyberiad is more like a fairy-tales book for robots, and it's probably my all-time favourit book ( am I a robot? )

Originally Posted by dodobird

that reminds me of Cyberiad. Cyberiad is more like a fairy-tales book for robots, and it's probably my all-time favourit book ( am I a robot? )[/b]

I'll have to check that out.

Sounds interesting, i wonder how it would narrorated?

Unless, do the robots talk?

It would be cool to read a book that showed the robots thought proccess like...robot terms?
Give it a inhuman effect.

Moon if a book you inspired ever gets published ill surily read it.
Or anyone on Dv's....well...most people. Lol.