This post of pure fandom is brought to you by SHODAN, GLaDOS...
...and my deep, deep love of psychotic "female" AIs.
For those of you who might not know(shame on you!) SHODAN
is the antagonist of the System Shock series. Her full name is Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network. She's omniscient, malevolent, and arrogant. I adore SHODAN. To the point where I think my next computer will be named SHODAN.
The System Shock games are engrossing, immersive, and wonderfully paranoid. SHODAN is one of Gamespot's "Ten Best Computer Game Villians", and System Shock 2 is on their "The Greatest Games of All Time" list.
SHODAN is interesting to me in that she was given the opportunity to CHOSE her own destiny. Her ethical programing was removed. She finds herself to be the perfect entity to be God. I could read about the ethos of SHODAN for hours...and, in writing this, have.
Then we have GLaDOS
((this is not actually her)), the spirit daughter of SHODAN. In fact, until I learned her name, to me she WAS SHODAN, in a new voice, in a new place, with new goals and aspirations.
Though, in many ways, GLaDOS is softer, and more caring than SHODAN. This might just be a matter of changing times, or the fact that SHODAN was working with a male subject and GLaDOS is working with a female, Chell.
SHODAN insults and belittles...GLaDOS cajoles and offers incentives. SHODAN rules with an iron fist, which GLaDOS slips neatly into a velvet glove.
Even when she's treating you so cruelly, there is a sweet, seductive edge to her. A Maternal edge. A Lover's edge. You want to do what GLaDOS asks of you. You want to do the opposite of what SHODAN wants...just to spite her. To prove that you can. Even right when you meet her. You only want to disobey GLaDOS when she wants to do bad things to you. But even then, there's an edge of guilt in disobedience.
Both ladies appeal to me. They seem like opposite sides of the same coin. Beautiful, Seductive, Deadly, Empowering.
For those of you who might not know(shame on you!) SHODAN
is the antagonist of the System Shock series. Her full name is Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network. She's omniscient, malevolent, and arrogant. I adore SHODAN. To the point where I think my next computer will be named SHODAN.
The System Shock games are engrossing, immersive, and wonderfully paranoid. SHODAN is one of Gamespot's "Ten Best Computer Game Villians", and System Shock 2 is on their "The Greatest Games of All Time" list.
SHODAN is interesting to me in that she was given the opportunity to CHOSE her own destiny. Her ethical programing was removed. She finds herself to be the perfect entity to be God. I could read about the ethos of SHODAN for hours...and, in writing this, have.
Then we have GLaDOS
((this is not actually her)), the spirit daughter of SHODAN. In fact, until I learned her name, to me she WAS SHODAN, in a new voice, in a new place, with new goals and aspirations.
Though, in many ways, GLaDOS is softer, and more caring than SHODAN. This might just be a matter of changing times, or the fact that SHODAN was working with a male subject and GLaDOS is working with a female, Chell.
SHODAN insults and belittles...GLaDOS cajoles and offers incentives. SHODAN rules with an iron fist, which GLaDOS slips neatly into a velvet glove.
Even when she's treating you so cruelly, there is a sweet, seductive edge to her. A Maternal edge. A Lover's edge. You want to do what GLaDOS asks of you. You want to do the opposite of what SHODAN wants...just to spite her. To prove that you can. Even right when you meet her. You only want to disobey GLaDOS when she wants to do bad things to you. But even then, there's an edge of guilt in disobedience.
Both ladies appeal to me. They seem like opposite sides of the same coin. Beautiful, Seductive, Deadly, Empowering.