History Main / RecursiveCreators

* The Hypotheticals from Robert Charles Wilson's novels ''Spin'' and ''Axis'' are of the Von Neumann type seen below

* UrExample: Long before the VonNeumannMachine concept appeared in fiction, William Paley's ''Natural Theology'' (1802) posited a hypothetical 'watch' that could make copies of itself, as part of a lengthy argument claiming proof of God.

* It's not quite self-replication, but the [[http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap RepRap]] is a 3D printer, which can construct (among other things) almost all the parts needed to build another RepRap.

* The android girl (called synthetics) in ''AlienResurrection'' is from a line of synthetics designed by synthetics rather than humans.

* The short story ''Second Variety'' by PhilipKDick has a handful of US Marines find out what has been happening since they gave the deadly robots built to fight off the new URSS the capability to reproduce simply because they were so dangerous nobody wanted to work on them anymore. It's not pleasant.

* The imaginatively-named Replicators of ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}''.

* The short Novel ''Model II'' by PhilipKDick has a handful of US Marines find out what has been happening since they gave the deadly robots built to fight off the new URSS the capability to reproduce simply because they were so dangerous nobody wanted to work on them anymore. It's not pleasant.

* Cylons in ''BattlestarGalactica.'' It didn't turn out well for them, either.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', the plane of Mirrodin and its inhabitants were created by the [[PhysicalGod Planeswalker]] Karn, who in turn was created by the [[PhysicalGod Planeswalker]] Urza.

* [[BigBad Jail Scaglietti]] of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'', creator of the various [[SuperSoldier Artificial Mages]] and Combat {{Cyborg}}s in the series, is eventually revealed to be an ArtficialHuman himself [[spoiler:[[GovernmentConspiracy who was created by the very founders of the]] [[TheFederation Time-Space Administration Bureau]] so that they could have a MadScientist with [[SuperIntelligence the necessary genius and drive]] to unlock the [[LostTechnology long-lost secrets]] of the [[{{Precursors}} Al-Hazard and Ancient Belka]]]]

* A good one from ''{{Transformers}}'' Generation One. Wheeljack creates tbe Dinobots from scratch. Years later Grimlock, leader of the Dinobots created the Technobots from scratch. Arguably all of the Transformers count since they were given life by Vector Sigma, a computer, and built by the Quintessons. Not sure if they're fully machine though.

* The imaginatively-named Replicators of ''{{Stargate SG-1}}''.

* The Dingbots from ''GirlGenius'' can create other Dingbots, but each successive generation is stupider and weaker. There are only about three originals ("Queenie Dingbot", "Prime A", and "Prime B") from which the best can be made directly.

* There's a ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' example, when the android Data creates its own android offspring, Lal.

* The plot of ''{{Discworld/Feet Of Clay}}'' revolves around golems creating [[spoiler: a "king" golem. It doesn't go so well.]]

* StanislawLem's "constructors" (Mortal Engines ([[MortalEngines not that one]]), ''Literature/TheCyberiad'').

* Similarly, in ''GunnerkriggCourt'' the {{golem}}s and then robots continued manufacturing more of themselves after their creator's death. Because many of his [[SuperPrototype initial designs]] were beyond their understanding, subsequent generations were greatly simplified.

* The very first robot story, Karel Capek's ''Theatre/{{RUR}}'' a.k.a. ''Rossum's Universal Robots'', has the robots learning how to do this, eventually resulting in humanity's extinction when they [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turn against their masters]]. This makes this trope OlderThanTelevision at least.

* StanislawLem's "constructors" (Mortal Engines ([[MortalEngines not that one]]), ''TheCyberiad'').

* The very first robot story, Karel Capek's ''[[RossumsUniversalRobots Rossum's Universal Robots]]'' or ''R.U.R.'', has the robots learning how to do this, eventually resulting in humanity's extinction when they [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turn against their masters]]. This makes this trope OlderThanTelevision at least.

Has nothing to do with a RecursiveReality. [[OrIsIt Maybe]]. Or RecursiveFanfiction.