| 1950 |
Isaac Asimov: 'The Evitable Conflict' (story): optimistic vision of computer-controlled world government
Clifford D. Simak: 'Skirmish' (story): machines revolt
Kurt Vonnegut: 'EPICAC' (story): computer produces poetry |
| 1951 |
[FIRST COMMERCIAL COMPUTER - UNIVAC]
Isaac Asimov: 'The Fun They Had' (story): mechanical teacher
Isaac Asimov: 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' (story): mistaken identity (robot/human)
Lord Dunsany: The Last Revolution (novel): revolution of the machines
C. M. Kornbluth: 'With These Hands' (story): mechanical sculpture
A. E. van Vogt: 'Fulfilment' (story): artificial 'Brain' has developed consciousness and self-determination |
| 1952 |
Walter Miller: 'Dumb Waiter' (story): we fail to understand and control our tools
Kurt Vonnegut: Player Piano (novel): dystopian vision of automation |
| 1953 |
Poul Anderson: 'Sam Hall' (story): technology used for state surveillance
Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 (novel, filmed 1966): dystopia in which technology is used repressively
Arthur C. Clarke: 'The Nine Billion Names of God' (story): computer ends everything
Philip K Dick: 'Second Variety' (story): robot out of control
Philip K Dick: 'Imposter' (story): mistaken identity (robot/human)
Fritz Leiber: 'Bad Day for Sales' (story): blindness of technological systems |
| 1954 |
Isaac Asimov: 'Caves of Steel' (story)
Fredric Brown (1954): 'The Answer' (story): Computer as God
Frederick Pohl: 'The Midas Plague' (story): blindness of technological systems |
| 1955 |
Isaac Asimov: 'Risk' (story): robot test-pilot of spaceship has to be replaced by a human being
Robert Bloch: 'Comfort Me, My Robot' (story): mistaken identity (robot/human)
Philip K. Dick: 'Autofac' (story): machines can self-reproduce
Walter Miller: 'The Darfsteller' (story): actor made redundant by robot theatre; mistaken identity (robot/human) |
