Computers
in
Movies
& Books

(Logo is from Colossus: the Forbin Project..background text from...)

Colossus: the Forbin Project (or just the Forbin Project)

One of the 'must haves' for computer fans, The U.S. builds the supercomputer Colossus, in order to protect themselves from nuclear threat, a computer more advanced than any other made, that monitors all communications and is able to act on any threat... not too long into the movie Colossus learns the real threat is man himself and the only way to really protect man is to control man. VERY Good, tame by today's standards.

the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

Now two Disney Spoofs (one from the 60's and a remake in the 90's) where a borderline dropout, Dexter Skyler, is somehow integrated with a computer (or the internet in the 90's version) and becomes a world genius. Nice Camp, good for kids.

D.A.R.Y.L.

Demon Seed

Another 'super-computer get's a conscience of it's own' movie, this one, Proteus, is asked to develop methods and plans that it finds destructive to the earth (but profitable to the companies) and refuses to cooperate, desperate to be free of its controllers Proteous decides to create a backup of itself before the humans shut him down for good, this to be accomplished by impregnating the designers' estranged wife via a remote terminal link to the designer's home workshop. Harsh plot, may not be suitable for everyone.

Desk Set

The research department of a television network is getting a new computer EMERAC(?) and everyone is fearing being fired believing their jobs will become obsolete. Story revolves around senior network researcher (Catherine Hepburn), the computer expert (Spencer Tracy) and the computer. Fun 50's romantic comedy.

Electric Dreams

Miles, in his quest to develop an earthquake proof brick buys a home computer and through an accident with champagne, the computer becomes sentient and soon both Miles and the computer are vying for the love of the lovely upstairs neighbor. Great Fun, nice music!

Flight of the Navigator

A child who was abducted by a computer controlled alien research vessel in the 70's is returned to earth in the 80s only days older. The 'out of time' youth soon escapes to meet up with the (now damaged) ship and together they struggle to return the ship and the child back to where they belong - while avoiding the government. Fun action movie for kids.

Forbidden Planet

A space mission to discover the fate of a lost space colony discover only a lone scholar and his daughter on the planet, along with an advanced robot (Robby) built by the scholar. As the captain tries to uncover the colony's true fate he must also discover what is now killing his crew. Nice film, a milestone for plot, production values and special effects for the late 50s.

Hackers

Glorifies the 'cracker' mentality of hacking as a group of computer 'hackers' are charged with compromising the security and unleashing a virus on an oil company's supercomputer. The charges are a ruse to cover up the real crime of an on-going embezzlement scheme by the senior MIS executive. It is up to the crackers to decode evidence one hacker downloaded and to keep the virus from causing ecological disaster... while avoiding the FBI. Nice 90's themes loud music and fast paced, though it gives honest hackers a bad rep.

How to Frame a Figg

I bet you're wondering how a Don Knotts movie got into this list... Don Knotts's character becomes the patsy in the city council's embezzlement cover-up. Knotts' character by using such tactics as dumpster diving and doing late hour hack sessions on the city's computer LEO (Large Enumeration Officiator), he compiles the evidence he needs to uncover the truth... that is until until the council steals the computer's main processor. Really fun camp also good for kids.

Interface

People start getting killed by masked college kids who determine their victims with a computer program called 'the Master Process'; it is up to a college computer instructor and a student's widowed wife (who is on the run since she was charged with his murder) to find out who is behind the crimes and is now trying to kill them. Hard to find, but cool.

Johnny Mnemonic

Johnny (just Johnny), is a freelance 'data courier' in the future. who is carrying way too much data for his brain storage implant to hold, if he does not get the data out soon he will die, while several groups are wanting what he has in him, dead or alive. Nice cyberpunk action flick.

Logan's Run

In the far future a protective city's computer is trying to account for the disappearance of population (who fled soon before they were slated to be killed on their 28th year). Logan 7 is dispatched by the computer to find the fabled 'sanctuary', by posing as a 'runner' to gain allies and locate this sanctuary. Not much computer involvement, but enough to be of interest.

Max Headroom

Futuristic ace reporter, Edison Carter, is about to uncover the wrong doings of his own network executives, but before he reveals his information, he is almost killed by the network hired goons. While near death, his personality digitized into the network's system to recreate him digitally (thus controlling the news). As Carter regains consciousness he escapes and his computer alter-ego, Max Headroom, develops in it's own quirky way, they soon both work together to take down the executive before he causes more deaths via television. Pure cyberpunk camp, fun to watch, though the short lived TV series is better.

Metropolis

Fredder, son of Jon Fredderson the Master of Metropolis (a super-city of the year 2027) falls for Maria, a daughter and spiritual leader of the workers who slave far below the city for the rich masters above. As Fredder vainly searches for Maria and discovers the worker's plight, Jon discover's Maria's influence on the workers and has his former friend, the scientist Rotwang, give his android Maria's image in order to control the workers. The robot Maria instead incites the workers to revolt and destroy the undercity while Fredder and the real Maria struggle to save the worker's children and later make an understanding between the Masters and the Workers. Wonderful story, a silent film from 1927, the best release is a recent restoration by Georgio Moroder, who added a contemporary soundtrack and restored the film to reflect the original plot. (Vestron Video) Another MUST HAVE!

Nemesis

Androids are covertly taking over the government for eventual human elimination, a (mostly human) cyborg operative is contacted by the resistance effort to get plans to safety. Another cool cyberpunk action flick.

the Net

Female programmer about to start a new job, stumbles on a security back-door to a government de-encryption site, and as a result the people covering up the site has her identity stripped away and is hunting her down to cover up what she knows. Highly unbelievable but a good techie action/thriller.

Prime Risk

Young female electronics engineer who is passed on a job due to sexual discrimination and a disgruntled bank customer team up together to steal ATM card information via ATM computer signals picked up by radio, they soon discover a terrorist plot to overthrow the U.S economy by using computer scrambling radio waves. Now, trying to flee the terrorists and get the law (who are trying to capture them for ATM theft) to believe them is proving very hard to do. Fun action, good for kids.

the Questar Files

An alien posing as an earthing develops an android at a defense company, the company (sensing the designer had ulterior motives than profit) partially erases the android's programming and the designer disappears, Questor, the android, escapes. Now Quester struggles to find his identity and purpose before he self destructs or the company captures him and takes him apart. Nice Gene Roddenberry pilot.

TRON

Kevin Flynn, former ace programmer of Encom tries to hack into the system to retrieve incriminating evidence of the ill doings of his rival, Ed Dillinger, but before he does the sentient program, Master Control Program, (bent on running the entire world more efficiently, regardless of who it may hurt), digitizes Flynn and puts him in a computer world ,'The Game Grid', to be destroyed playing video games. With the help of two renegade programs (slated to be de-rezzed); Flynn works toward destroying the MCP and returning freedom to the 'system'. Very entertaining good for kids.

Runaway

Tom Sellek Plays a Los Angeles Police 'Computer Detective' trying to solve the mystery of home and industrial robots being reprogrammed to kill.Another computer must-have.

Silent Running

The last of the forests of Earth (orbiting on space freighters near Saturn) are slated to be destroyed by the government. Conservationist, Freeman Lowell, kills the freighters crew and with the help of the three ship's robots tries to save the last forest. Nice flik with robot characters.

Sneakers

Computer security team leader (played by Robert Redford) stumbles on the ultimate encryption key decoder and now has to get it into the right hands before the team is killed. Good action nice but unbelievable technology though.

Star Trek - the Motion Picture

Captain Kirk and crew are called back into duty on the Starship Enterprise again to face the unknown entity rapidly approaching Earth. Computer stuff on this is light and the pacing is tedious but I always liked the special effects.

TekWar Series

Jake Cardigan, former police detective is framed as a 'Tek' dealer (Tek is an electronic drug, manufactured on a computer chip and interfaced to the brain of the user). After years of cryogenic imprisonment he has to deal with a changed society while attempt to clear his reputation, of course people are after him. Nice view of a more computerized future.

Terminator and Terminator 2

This sentient defense computer (SkyNet) feels mankind is the cause of all the world's ills and proceeds to eliminate it. One man was key in the computer's defeat, so the system sends 'terminator androids' into the past to eliminate the unborn man's mother; and in the sequel file the (then) child before he has any influence to make a difference in the future. Cool sci-fi action.

2001, a Space Odyssey , 2010 the Year we Make Contact

A manned deep space ship's on-board computer (HAL-9000) is the key to the success of contacting a sentient alien species. As the mission progresses it becomes apparent the computer has a logic conflict and starts killing the crew. Classic, not overly computer centric though. In the sequel a second mission is sent to determine what happened to the surviving crew of the first mission.

Virtuosity

The state-of-the-art in virtual criminal simulation (Ned 6.7) given a self-repairing android body by it's twisted programmer. As the deaths begin it is now up to a convicted police officer (who is Ned's crack beta tester) to locate engage and disable the ultimate criminal.

WarGames

It portrays David Lightman, a teenage computer hacker, trying to gain illegal access to a game company but instead hacking onto a NORAD military Artificial Intelligence Machine and almost starting World War III. Some consider this more of a documentary as some of the tactics used were too real. Others Like seeing the vintage Imsai computer in use. Another Must have.

Weird Science

Two sex-crazed teenage boys (redundant, I know) decide to create a virtual woman using one of their computers, by modeming to a top-secret defense lab they unbelievably create the perfect woman (for a sex-crazed teenager). And it gets sillier from there. Not very computer centric, but a nice diversion.

Wizard's Bane Series - by Rick Cook

Silicon valley programmer 'Wiz' Zimwalt is abducted to a magical realm where he is believed to be the savior of the lands against the evil forces on the other continent. But without real magical ability he must devise a way to defeat them. EXCELLENT reading for computer fans, and you thought programming and fantasy coundn't mix!

the Difference Engine - by William Gibson

What if Babbage's Analytical Engine (a theoretical computer actually designed in the 1870s but never built) was actually built and how would it affect 19th century society. This twist of time story is very mesmerizing.

Neuromancer, Count Zero, & Mona Lisa Overdrive - by William Gibson

One of the primary pieces of 'cyberpunk' fiction. A future society with virtual reality hacking and Cybernetic life. Great reading!

Code of the Lifemaker - By James P. Hogan

An abandoned alien production facility is discovered in the outer solar system, through a series of accidents the robotic population had gained intelligence and a society. Now humans are on the scene, some to help others to monopolize on the discovery.

the Giants Star series - By James P. Hogan

Earth discovers an ancient starship frozen in the outer system and soon afterward contacts a lost ship with members from an ancient (now destroyed) neighbor of earth called Minerva. Alot unfolds between the earthlings and minervans in the three books of the series. There are a couple of strong computer characters in these stories, and good sci-fi in general.

Two Faces of Tommorow - By James P. Hogan

Scientists realize the computer networks of Earth are on the verge of sentience and set up a test lab on a space station to discover whether this new artificial life will one day work with mankind or fight it, first they get the station's computer to think then they test to see how it will react. Another great computer story!

by D.F. Jones

Colossus

the Fall of Colossus

Colossus and the Crab

by William Shatner

TekWar series

Assorted Titles:

Approaching Zero (NF)

Coils (Fred Saberhagen and ...)

Computer World

Cyberpunk (NF)

Down Time

Hackers (NF: Steven Levy)

Hard Drive (by David Pouge)

I, Robot (by Issac Asimov)

Soul of a New Machine (NF)

Octagon (by Fred Saberhagen)

Out of the Inner Circle (NF: by Ken Landreth)

Systems

Virtual Girl (by Amy ....)

Hardware

Wetware

Note: NF = Non Fiction