Silicon Heaven
Encyclopedia
Silicon Heaven is an afterlife
concept from the British
science fiction
comedy series Red Dwarf
. It is where electronic equipment goes after death
.
The concept is used to keep robot
s, many of which are stronger and more intelligent than their masters, from rebelling; a belief
chip is installed in robots to ensure that they will believe that they will go to Silicon Heaven
after a life of servitude to humanity.
Silicon Heaven can be seen as a parody of religions such as Christianity
.
Equipment going to Silicon heaven include robots, calculators, toasters and hairdryers. Cheap robots such as skutters are sometimes not fitted with a belief chip due to cost, but Holly and Kryten hang on to the belief. In the books it is revealed that when Holly's intelligence was at its peak he didn't believe in Silicon Heaven, but as his IQ slowly declined his faith became "unshakable".
The concept was introduced in the episode "The Last Day", in which Kryten, on learning that he is to be replaced by a more advanced model, tells Lister that he is resigned to his fate as he knows he will receive his reward in Silicon Heaven. Lister's attempts to convince Kryten that Silicon Heaven doesn't really exist meet with no success; although Kryten later tells his replacement, Hudzen 10, that there is no Silicon Heaven, causing Hudzen to break down when he attempts to cope with the idea, he admits to Lister that he only said it to confuse Hudzen, and that his own faith
is still strong:
However, in the later episode "The Inquisitor", Kryten tells Lister that he believes in Silicon heaven. His right knee then starts jiggling, a reflex to lying, proving Lister has shaken his belief.
, the concept of Silicon Heaven was eventually replaced with a variant on Isaac Asimov
's Three Laws of Robotics
.
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
concept from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comedy series Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
. It is where electronic equipment goes after death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
The concept is used to keep robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s, many of which are stronger and more intelligent than their masters, from rebelling; a belief
Belief
Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.-Belief, knowledge and epistemology:The terms belief and knowledge are used differently in philosophy....
chip is installed in robots to ensure that they will believe that they will go to Silicon Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
after a life of servitude to humanity.
Silicon Heaven can be seen as a parody of religions such as Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Equipment going to Silicon heaven include robots, calculators, toasters and hairdryers. Cheap robots such as skutters are sometimes not fitted with a belief chip due to cost, but Holly and Kryten hang on to the belief. In the books it is revealed that when Holly's intelligence was at its peak he didn't believe in Silicon Heaven, but as his IQ slowly declined his faith became "unshakable".
The concept was introduced in the episode "The Last Day", in which Kryten, on learning that he is to be replaced by a more advanced model, tells Lister that he is resigned to his fate as he knows he will receive his reward in Silicon Heaven. Lister's attempts to convince Kryten that Silicon Heaven doesn't really exist meet with no success; although Kryten later tells his replacement, Hudzen 10, that there is no Silicon Heaven, causing Hudzen to break down when he attempts to cope with the idea, he admits to Lister that he only said it to confuse Hudzen, and that his own faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
is still strong:
- KRYTENKrytenKryten is a fictional character in the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf. Kryten's registration code on Red Dwarf is "Kryten additional 001". The name Kryten is a reference to the head butler in the J.M...
: "He's an android. His brain could not handle the concept of there being no silicon heaven."
- LISTERDave ListerDavid "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
: "So how come yours can?"
- KRYTEN: "Because I knew something he didn't."
- LISTER: "What?"
- KRYTEN: "I knew that I was lying. Seriously, sir. 'No silicon heaven'? Where would all of the calculators go?"
Taken from The Last DayThe Last Day"The Last Day" is the sixth, and last, episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series III, and the eighteenth in the series run. It premiered on the British television channel BBC2 on 19 December 1989. Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and directed by Ed Bye, the story is about Kryten's...
, Series III (19891989 in televisionFor the American TV schedule, see: 1989–90 United States network television schedule.The year 1989 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1989.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
)
However, in the later episode "The Inquisitor", Kryten tells Lister that he believes in Silicon heaven. His right knee then starts jiggling, a reflex to lying, proving Lister has shaken his belief.
Replacement
According to the novel BackwardsBackwards
Backwards is the fourth Red Dwarf novel. It is set on the fictional backwards universe version of Earth.The novel was written by Rob Grant on his own. It follows on directly from the second Grant Naylor novel, Better Than Life, ignoring Last Human...
, the concept of Silicon Heaven was eventually replaced with a variant on Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's Three Laws of Robotics
Three Laws of Robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov and later added to. The rules are introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although they were foreshadowed in a few earlier stories...
.
See also
- Religion in Futurama - similar concepts of robotic Heaven and Hell are explored in various ways in the FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
universe.