Thanx, Your book sounds like something I would buy for my collection. I have a few of Barlowe's books and the Comic Book Encyclopedia as well as a few others. I have a few robots in a book of Vintage Toys I bought awhile ago but no definitive robot works.
We just need to agree to disagree on the HAL 9000 thing. Its flaw would have manifested before the ship even left orbit. If you think about the basic conditions that allowed the flaw to exist in the first place. The Logic paradigms are off to allow the flaw to even exist. I don't really like 2001 or 2010. I like how they depicted the physics but the story is felgercarb. The movie is just so...B o r i n g.
You nailed the description of a cyborg in my opinion! Your book is going to be really good!
As for defining a Robot: A robot would be any device, construct or mechanism that is programmed or sentient to interact with the world. (a general description)
Consider this; If in some part of the Universe or in our distant future we achieve the ability to construct a device comprised of nano machines with a sentient singularity and that construct achieve what we consider life - would it be a robot? Example? Star Trek the Motion Picture - Illea bot.
Yea
You stay focused and when you publish make sure you post about it here!
Yes we will disagree on Hal 9000. I never liked the movie 2001 etc. however I won't discriminate against any robot, cyborg, computer etc. because it is written in a felgercarb movie with flawed plot lines or even a b-movie. If I was to do that many of my favourite robots would be disqaulified with guilt by association. There are many things to hate and love about many sci-fi characters, and Hal is no exception. The basic concept with it is very good in my opinion and with a bit of fine tuning it could have been great.
What needs to be remembered is, we are dealing with science fiction here and in I think a lot of people take it too seriously instead of enjoying the whole genre. To be honest I love the robots more than the films they come from, but that's just me.
Illia from Star Trek the motion picture was a Deltan who was later killed and a mechanical duplicate was made of her called an android probe.
As far as robots are concerned, in the general term we could lump anything into that catergory if we wanted to and I guess it depends on what definition we want to follow. I n my book I will not be biased towards any robot etc. regardless of whether it is from a blockbuster or b-movie, and further more my definition of a robot will be my own for the book despite what others my try to deem a robot. A robot will be any mechanical being outwardly and inwardly, usually metallic looking with machanical parts with a few exceptions. In the general term I could lump most of beings in my book into that catergory but I am dividing them into catergories :
(This is a rough definition)
1. Robots ( generally metallic outer bodies or shells with machinary and/or energy sources inside that allows them to function, many are sentient or programed to appear as such, some may be simply Mechas that may go into their own catergory with battle suits etc.).
2. Androids (outwardly looking humanoid bodies with machines on the inside)
3. Computers (mostly sentient, mostly non-mobile, though some may fit into catergory 1 by being able to control ships parts like MAX etc. which makes them virtually robots.
4. Cyborgs (living flesh and boned beings with cybernetic implants and/or limbs/mechanical parts that are a part of them to enhance their ability or vital for their existence.
5. C G I ( computer generated beings)
6. Misc ( don't really fit into neither of the previous catergories.
There will be many that can fit into more than one catergory.
The idea of my book is to be the first of it's kind and I have yet to see a book as thorough as it or one even attempted! I have been slaving and studying at it for years and want it to be the best robot reference material of it's kind. I have already completed over 130 pages working from a list of 900 characters and am only getting up to C now. There are about four to five characters per page. The format is as such:
Example...
ASH
**image**
Life Form: Android
Played By: Ian Holm
Type: Hyperdyne Systems 120/A2 (ID# 111/C2/01X)
Function: Science Officer
Ash was an older model android science officer aboard the commercial towing vessel Nostromo. The crew of the Nostromo were unaware that Ash was an android and that he was planted on the ship by a science company to carry out a hidden mission called Special Order 937: etc....
This ofcourse is just an example of how my book will be. I have put a lot of time and work into this book for many years now.