Computers and science fiction – an essay - The Computing Universe: A Journey through a Revolution - page 346

the Earth had been set up as a computer experiment by hyperintelligent mice
and the experiment was mistakenly prematurely ended by the Vogons five min-
utes before the end of the calculation. In the course of their travels Arthur and
Ford hear about a computer called Deep Thought who has been asked for the
answer to the meaning of life. After a calculation lasting over seven million
years, Deep Thought returns the answer “Forty-two.” Adams has said that he
chose the number 42 because it is 101010 in binary - a string of alternating 1s
and 0s conveying no information.
As in Red Dwarf , the computer technology is there for the humor of the
situation. When Zaphod Beeblebrox, the Galactic President, arrives at the head-
quarters of the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, he has an encounter with
a Happy Vertical People Transporter, otherwise known as an elevator or lift.
These have been designed by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation to be sentient
enough to conduct a conversation. The elevators are also able to have a prefer-
ence as to where they want to take passengers:

Fig. 17.16. The Matrix movies portray
a future in which there are two worlds
running in parallel: the real world
where the humans have been enslaved
by the machines and the virtual world
generated by the Matrix program. By
connecting into a socket located at the
back of the neck humans can enter the
virtual world. To exit from the Matrix to
escape from dangerous situations calling
a phone line was their only escape route.

“Hello,” said the elevator sweetly, “I am to be your elevator for this trip
to the floor of your choice. I have been designed by the Sirius Cybernetics
Corporation to take you, the visitor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy, into these their offices. If you enjoy your ride, which will be swift
and pleasurable, then you may care to experience some of the other
elevators which have recently been installed in the offices of the Galactic
tax department, Boobiloo Baby Foods and the Sirian State Mental Hospital,
where many ex-Sirius Cybernetics Corporation executives will be delighted to
welcome your visits, sympathy, and happy tales of the outside world.”
“Yeah,” said Zaphod, stepping into it, “what else do you do besides talk?”
“I go up,” said the elevator, “or down.”
“Good,” said Zaphod, “We're going up.”
“Or down,” the elevator reminded him.
“Yeah, OK, up please.”
There was a moment of silence.
“Down's very nice,” suggested the elevator hopefully.
“Oh yeah?”
“Super.”
“Good,” said Zaphod, “Now will you take us up?”
“May I ask you,” inquired the elevator in its sweetest, most reasonable
voice, “if you've considered all the possibilities that down might offer
you?” 21

One of the major characters in the series is Marvin the Paranoid Android
who was built with a prototype of the Genuine People Personalities feature.
Unfortunately Marvin suffers from depression and constantly complains about
a “terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side.” 22
A similar irreverence to computing technology can be found on Terry
Pratchett's Discworld . Hex is an elaborate and magically self-evolving computer
at Unseen University in the city of Ankh-Morpork. Hex began life as a student
project led by the wizard Ponder Stibbons in the topic Soul Music . It was ini-
tially composed of a network of glass tubes containing ants. The wizards used

Fig. 17.17. The crew of Red Dwarf : from
left to right, Cat; Holly, the computer;
Dave Lister; Kryten, the robot; and
Rimmer, the hologram. Photographer
Chris Ridley © Grant Naylor
Productions Ltd.