Sentient Weapons: Lord of the Rings, Bleach, Ironman, and Doctor Who

I had a conversation with my brother not too long ago, and it got me thinking about sentient weapons.  

When you take a look at science fiction, there aren't many good examples of AI weapons. However, when you look in fantasy there are. A perfect example is The One Ring, from Lord of the Rings. It has a personality and it weighs on the ringbearers' conscience; it corrupts them and it causes them to do things that they wouldn't normally do. Another example is the anime Bleach. All of the Soul Society have sentient swords--each with a soul and personality of it's own--and they influence the warriors who wield them. Sometimes they even take over the soul reapers' consciousness in order to fight. 

That's all fine and good because it's fantasy and you have magic. That explains everything away (as long as the writing is consistent).

But, for science fiction, sentient weapons have been taboo. Up until recently, that is. A few years ago this little movie called Ironman hit Hollywood. That sort of changed the way contemporary audiences viewed sentient weapons. Jarvis, Ironman's half-sentient  artificial intelligence was a game changer. Jarvis interacts with Tony Stark and controls the robotic exosuite. Also, Jarvis' calculations enhance Tony's reaction times in battle. 

That got me to thinking... what if you had a fully sentient weapon (in the form of artificial intelligence or virtual intelligence or some other form of intelligence)? For example, what if there was a gun with feelings and thoughts?

What if it could make decisions? And sometimes... without the wielders permission??? 

I love this terrible, horrifying, dastardly idea! 

It's a writer's dream! Then you can have a fantastic conflict of character. The wielder and the weapon are in a sense one entity. And yet, they can be at contra-disposition (meaning at odds--I like big words...) with each other. The sentient weapon sees its purpose as only to destroy. And because of that, we know it craves murder. That's how it feels satisfied in life. Whereas the wielder (human or whatever species the wielder might be) may be trying to save lives. What happens when the blood thirsty weapon goes on a rampage?

CONFLICT!

That's what happens. Conflict. 

Now take it a step further and ask, “What if technology were so advanced that the artificial intelligence/virtual intelligence was sentient and NOT ONLY could make its own decisions but also TAKE OVER the mind/body of the host!?!?!" 

Then you would have a very conflicted character! 

Just a few plot ideas that came to mind (shooting from the hip):

1. Someone comes across this weapon that's been buried away in an ancient alien locker somewhere. They accidently activate it and they decided want to study it. As they do, the weapon starts to connect to the neural pathways of the individual until it takes over the body.
2. The other thing was, “How does how does the weapon speak?”  There are a few ways you could speak.
1. via display
2. It could not speak, maybe it just takes action (like pulling the trigger, even when the host/wielder didn't intend to).
3. or it could speak through the user
4. OR it could use telepathy. This is especially cool, because you could have it mind meld with the host, but because no one else hears these "voices" then the wielder isn't sure if they're going insane or if they're actually communicating with a weapon. A new form of crazy!
5. or, or, or,  ZOMFG or, it could communicate with other computers (like the Geth in Mass Effect)! 

The point is, there's a lot of interesting ways you could play with a sentient weapon in a story. Why don't we have more of these portrayals in science fiction!?!?!

****Below are Doctor Who Spoilers. If you haven't seen the 50th Anniversary Episode, then do not read!!!!****

One of the best displays of a sentient weapon that I've ever seen in science fiction, was in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special, Day of the Doctor. The Moment was the weapon to end all wars. (Side note: The Tardis doesn't count because it's more of a sentient vehicle, than a weapon) Apparently the Time Lords feared it, because they knew it was a weapon that could morally judge them. Nicknamed the "Galaxy Eater", and "Bad Wolf," The Moment took the form of the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler. Through a series of events, this sentient weapon convinced The Doctor to save Galifrey (spoilers!!!) from total destruction by freezing the entire world in an alternate reality. 

I'm defiantly not doing the story justice... But having a weapon that can convince the protagonist to change their world view--as a writer--is a really fucking fascinating prospect! 

So, I bring all of this up just to say two main points: 

1. We need more ~well written~ sentient weapons in science fiction. 

2. I am writing one in my novel.

; )

That is all...

Dialogue Thief

As a polymath, you need to know how to articulate your thoughts and ideas effectively. Writing is one of the fundamental building blocks of communication. And, as a writer, dialogue can be extremely challenging. Unlike grammar and spelling, which have pretty cut-and-dry rules, dialogue is far more subjective. 

Whether we're talking about fiction or non-fiction, the challenge is the same: 

How do you get your words (and thus your characters, AND THUS, your story) to sound authentic? 

The answer: DIALOGUE

Just a few words can make your story pop like fireworks... or fall as flat as a tire.

So what can we do to hone our craft? 

In his book Writing Dialogue, Tom Chialarella gives age old wisdom to help aspiring writers--steal from other people! 

Not literally. 

But sort of. 

You see, one of the best ways to find great dialogue is to go out into the real world and see what real people are saying. Chialarella suggests storytellers should write down anything that strikes them as interesting.

I 100% agree. 

And actually I do this exercise with dialogue all the time. I love picking out little quirky things that people say. I always eavesdrop on conversations. Especially out in public. In a bar, at work, mall, gym, airport. Just about anywhere you can find people talking, you'll find dialogue worth stealing. Below are just a few that I’ve found that really stuck with me:

At a bar (guy to girl): 

“Um, could you do me a favor…”

Coffee shop: 

“Diligently studying?”

At work: 

“You had to read the bible front to back. I mean, who the hell knows who Hammond was?”

“It was a shit show.”

“I was struggle-busing in the whole day.”

Dentist office: 

“That’s not hot,it’s sizzl’n.”

Military personnel: 

“Got to take care of the beans and bullets.”

In the Grotto: 

“He’s ethnically Mexican.”

“He’s what?”

“He. Is. Ethnically. Mexican.”

“Okay, I get it. I just never heard of it like that before.”

AND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE: 

“I can do the impossible. I can eat cereal without a spoon!”

Recently a familiar source (albeit unexpected)--my son--provided me with a real gem. I don't know when he picked it up, but a few months ago he started using a particular word in almost all of his speech. At first I thought it was a passing thing, but now am convinced it’s more permanent. 

Hahaha, it’s kind of funny. 


After a while I realized this dialogue quirk was very similar to that of Gollum, from Lord Of The Rings. He’s always using the term “precious” in similar contexts. So, I decided to incorporate my son's word in one of my stories.

The point is, if you're struggle-busing to create dialogue that rings true, try looking in the real world. Listen everywhere you go. At church and work. The skating rink and park. Even with your own family and friends. You'll be surprised at what you might find.

So what about you? Have you ever stumbled upon interesting dialogue?