Some of these picks have aged badly in their details. The technology looks wrong, the interfaces are clunky. But the human questions at their centre still hold up remarkably well.
We will keep this list updated as new works arrive. Tell us what we missed; reader suggestions have shaped many of our past lists.
Where to start
For younger readers and viewers, several of these picks make a good starting point for conversations about technology, privacy and fairness at home or in the classroom.
- The classic everyone cites
- Best for a long weekend
- Best for a first introduction
- Best for discussion with friends
If you liked this
Stories about artificial intelligence are older than computers. They have always been less about machines than about us: our fears of being replaced, our hopes of being understood, our questions about what makes a person.
The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.
Edsger W. Dijkstra
We chose works that are easy to find on major platforms or in libraries. Availability changes by country, so check your local services.
Our picks
Critics have long argued about whether science fiction shapes technology or simply reflects it. The honest answer is probably both, and these works are a good place to see that in action.
Creators are also using AI as a tool, not just a subject. That raises its own questions about credit, payment and what we value in a work of art.
