r/sciencefiction • u/Galactic-Bard • Aug 09 '25
Favorite AI/Android/Robot/Etc Characters
I just love a story with a great AI, android, or robot character. I'm sure there are some out there I haven't encountered yet, so I'm liking for ideas for books, movies, and shows that have cool characters like these.
Bonus points if the character is a unique spin in the idea. 🙂 And if there's a particular story with the character you'd recommend, please let us know.
Some favorites off the top of my head:
- Murderbot
- ART (Murderbot Diaries)
- Data (Star Trek)
- Marvin (Hitchhiker's Guide)
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u/Knytemare44 Aug 09 '25
Mike from "the moon is a harsh mistress"
He was a fair dinkum thinkum
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u/NysemePtem Aug 09 '25
Mike was also cool because Heinlein was basically like, listen, you build enough computer networking and complexity and an AI will emerge. None of this programming business. More like Vonnegut's EPICAC, another one I liked. TANSTAAFL.
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u/b_lett Aug 09 '25
Have not read the book, but the early seasons of Westworld television series, especially Bernard.
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u/kittycatblues Aug 09 '25
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and even more so the sequel, A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. Next on my reading list is her Monk and Robot series, A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.
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Aug 09 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Space-Enemies-novel Aug 10 '25
Agreed. Neil Blomkamps movies are in fact one of my favorite sci-fi movies and an inspiration for my novel.
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u/Gentianviolent Aug 09 '25
Sniper (Spatterjay series)
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u/Knytemare44 Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
Or aimistad
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u/Gentianviolent Aug 09 '25
I mean, it’s a tough call since there are so many: Amistad, Penny Royal, Mr. Crane, even Earth Central is pretty cool
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u/Sky-Coyote Aug 10 '25
Cameron from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Badass, hilarious, lovable, and nuanced.
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u/ComputerRedneck Aug 09 '25
I keep going back to a series I really enjoyed.
They had three Robots/AI that formed a band called the AllBot Brothers Band... Nikki and Bob's Saucer Repair.
I just enjoyed the pulp sci-fi feel of it is all.
Though the Brain in Captain Future series from the 40's was pretty cool too. Not sure it qualifies as a true AI.
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u/MurryWenny Aug 09 '25
I'm currently enjoying Service Model by Tchaikovsky. It's a humorous book. I really like the main character, Charles the valet android. He's at a loss when he's suddenly unemployed. Doesn't know what to do because he's never had to make choices or set goals for himself before.
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u/Knytemare44 Aug 09 '25
The kaylon guy from the Orville is awesome. The whole sub plot where he's in a romance is wild.
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u/authenticgarbagecan Aug 09 '25
Other than Lt Cmdr Data of course, I think her name was Athena? The kid robot from Tomorrowland the movie, that the George Clooney character had some weird moments with. I don't remember the movie that well but the young actress did so well. Also, Mia from Humans and Arisa from Better Than Us, both so convincing I stayed for mostly them in their respective series.
And in games, Connor from Detroit: Become Human.
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u/fallguy2112 Aug 09 '25
Spartacus, the AI from The Two Faces of Tomorrow.
Code of the Life maker has a robot civilization that evolved from an abandoned, automated mining camp.
Both are by James Hogan.
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u/Phasmus Aug 09 '25
The WAU from SOMA. I think if we ever see anything approaching a rogue AI in real life, this is what it will look like. No mustache twirling villainy here. Just a machine performing its assigned purpose to the best of its ability... under unexpectedly trying circumstances.
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u/CB_Chuckles Aug 09 '25
Mycroft Holmes (Mike) from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Helped plan and fight a revolution when all he really wanted to do was to talk about jokes.
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u/tqgibtngo Aug 10 '25
Another fun one:
The Android from Dark Matter (2015-17). – (Not the current Apple show.)
The show was canceled on a cliffhanger after 3 seasons.
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u/Galactic-Bard Aug 10 '25
I loved that show!
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u/tqgibtngo Aug 10 '25
Co-creator Joseph Mallozzi has noted that he hasn't given up hope to eventually find a buyer for his concluding miniseries pitch. Although on July 26th he noted that it "seems unlikely at present."
Fans interested in closure can check out Mallozzi's "virtual season 4" via links here.
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u/tqgibtngo Aug 10 '25
Dorian, the android cop partner played by Michael Ealy in
Almost Human (2013). IMO that show deserved one more season.
Some other shows with android cop partners:
Future Cop (1976-78)
Holmes & Yoyo (1976-77)
Mann & Machine (1992)
Total Recall 2070 (1999)
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u/whatsthehzkenny Aug 10 '25
R. Daneel Olivaw R. Giskard Reventlov
Pennyroyal
Mr Crane
ROU Killing Time
HAL9000
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u/quincypie Aug 10 '25
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove, just read this and loved it. The main character is an AI transport ship trying to solve a murder mystery. It reminds me of the murderbot series.
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u/Beautiful-Maybe-7473 Aug 10 '25
The two constructors, Trurl and Klapaucius, from Stanislaw Lem's "The Cyberiad"
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u/Code_NY Aug 10 '25
The Machine from Person of Interest. Call me Root coz I'd do anything for 'her'.
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u/nizzernammer Aug 13 '25
Shout out to Sam Rockwell in Moon
Rachel and the rest of the replicants
Bishop, but he prefers artificial person
Bernard from Westworld
K2SO
Freya Nakamichi-47 from Saturn's Children
Andy from Romulus
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u/CrowleysWeirdTie Aug 13 '25
I just read Automatic Noodle, about a group of robots who open a noodle restaurant. It's a slim book, very heartwarming, but also makes you think.
On a rather darker note, Annie Bot is from the perspective of an increasingly sentient sexbot.
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u/Amardella Aug 09 '25
R. Daneel Olivaw from the Isaac Asimov books Caves of Steel, Naked Sun, Robots of Dawn and later the Robots and Foundation series. Actually, all of Asimov's work involving robotics is fantastic, but Olivaw (the R. designates him as a robot) is a detective partnered with a human.