Robots That Kill: Deadly Machines and Their Precursors in Myth, Folklore, Literature, Popular Culture and Reality

by Judith A. Markowitz

This book describes real-world killer robots using a blend of perspectives. Overviews of technologies, such as autonomy and artificial intelligence, demonstrate how science enables these robots to be effective killers. Incisive analyses of social controversies swirling around the design and use of killer robots reveal that science, alone, will not govern their future. Among those disputes is whether fully-autonomous, robotic weapons should be banned. Examinations of killers from the golem to Frankenstein's monster reveal that artificially-created beings like them are precursors of real 21st century killer robots. This book laces the death and destruction caused by all these killers with science and humor. The seamless combination of these elements produces a deeper and richer understanding of the robots around us.

247 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

I was raised in Chicago got degrees in computer science (focus AI) and linguistics. Those two areas have helped me write articles and books. In the past few years, I've been writing books about robots and their ancestors, like Frankenstein and Pinocchio.
I call them "robot-precursors" because they give us insight into how we think about robots and what we want robots to be like. My most recent book is Robots That Kill - it looks at killer robots and robot-precursors in mythology, literature, comics, manga & anime, TV and other media.
Now, I'm writing Robots That Love. It is a sister book to Robots That Kill

MORE - if you're interested.
I’ve worked as a consultant in speech and language technology for more than thirty years during which time I became the leading analyst in voice biometrics (I can explain, if you are interested. If you’re not, that’s OK, too.).

I’ve delivered numerous talks and keynotes. My publications include over 100 articles and seven books on speech, language, voice-biometrics, and robots. My most recent book is "Robots That Kill: Deadly machines and their precursors in myth, folklore, literature, popular culture, and reality" (aka "Robots That Kill"). I will likely bring flyers and gently hawk the book at any event that I attend. I’m writing a follow-up book called "Robots That Love." In 2006, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) awarded me Senior Member status – a membership grade that is held by only 8% of IEEE 480,000 members. As you can tell, I’m quite proud of that.

I’ve been active in the LGBTQ literary community. I was president of Lambda Literary and I now sponsor an annual award for emerging LGBTQ writers.

In 2013, I married my partner of more than 30 years. We have no children but we’re surrounded by a menagerie of imaginary pets.