Transformers: Unique

bobaprime85 · Post by **bobaprime85** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:18 pm

Just a thought that occurred to me over the weekend. Now, before anyone starts off with 'Boba, you've been under your rock too long. Giant robots are nothing new!', let me say that yes, giant robots are hardly new, but the Transformers manage to occupy a special place in Science Fiction nonetheless. For one, the robots in this series occupy the center stage, with each having their personal tendencies and ideas, with the human characters as merely the hangers-on. In fact, when humans do take center stage, it usually means disaster for story quality. Certainly a switch from the usual human-centric nature of sci-fi.

Continuing my indulgence, now look at the nature of the story. It is quite the grandiose tale, centering on a society created to defeat a fallen god, only to fall into a highly destructive civil war with most of what they are supposed to be protecting getting torn up in the process. It really does help the TF mythos to reach different levels, since you can do the up-and-up sci-fi elements (Notably the frickin' giant robots everywhere), then you can have the gritty war tale, featuring a society coming apart, and finally, to tie it all together, there is that grand overarching sense of the apocalyptic, embodied in a certain chaos-bringer. Neat stuff, eh?

So, there you have my cursory look at the uniqueness of the TFs. I think it's a decent argument. Kind of.

P.S.
Wildman owns all.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:27 pm

Yep, play up all those elements and the TFs are truly unique. Oh, and kick ass too, being the galaxy's last line of defense and all. Its one reason I hate the Quintesson TF origin.

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 12:11 am

I agree. It seems like a simple idea, but everything else in the giant-robot genre involves teenage pilots. The fact that, as you mentioned, the Transformers themselves are sentient and the humans are the secondary characters is a break from the norm.

As far as sentient machines go, most robot stories follow the Asimov idea... like Data on Star Trek, they are machines built to resemble humans.

The closest thing I can think of to a Transformer (besides a Go-bot, of course) is a Bolo. Even then, they're vehicles that don't transform and are only quasi-sentient.

-J

Kup_1 · Post by **Kup_1** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 2:04 am

I know I'm gonna get ripped for this, but..

Whats a Bolo?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 6:19 am

2 balls with rope connecting them, they are ysed as a weapon and... no? uh-oh...

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 2:51 pm

They're a series of science fiction novels about gigantic tanks that have their own intelligent brains. They aren't completely sentient, and have a simple, puppy-like mentality. The stories are fun because of the way the tanks try to relate to the humans they protect, and how they often have different views of their situations.

The best collection of short stories is "Dinochrome Brigade" which I doubt is in print anymore, but I know some new novels have been published recently.

-J

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 12:07 am

Hmm, what about The Iron Man (Ted Hughes', not Black Sabbath's) and Robostory?

Not that I can remember much about Robostory(aside from the Robos, obviously), nor can I find much about it on the Net, sadly.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:56 pm

There's KITT in Knight Rider and those talking cars in the old cartoon 'Pole Position'. They obviously don't transform, but they were sentient and as intelligent - if not moreso - than a human.
However, if you say 'giant robots' to most people (in the West anyway), unless they are huge Jap robot fans, they will always say 'Transformers'. Or be too old/young to understand the words.
The same is if you mention robots that change into other things (not using the word 'transform'). In fact, most people will be even more specific and quote the name 'Optimus Prime'.

Post by **Best First** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:47 pm

Plus most lads remember Jazz cos he was a porshe..

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:27 pm

I think that if the original characters hadn't been so well defined (the toybox profiles were the key) then we wouldn't still be talking about them today.
Of course, other toylines had clever stories behind them, but died a quick death. Anyone out there enjoy 'Visionaries'? That would make a good live-action movie.
That said, if you mentioned Visionaries to anyone today, they'd go 'Eh?'