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"did I had an extremely expensive wife - she would see a new car that she liked and just buy it... under California law I was bound to buy her debts. I think I turned out 16 novels in five years."
- Philip K. Dick

Spider (Robotic Insects)  
  Scuttling insect robots.  

Maniacal bad guy played by KISS' Gene Simmons creates scuttling insect robots with acid-tipped stingers; they chase Tom Selleck. What more do you need to know?


(Killer-Spider-Robots attack Tom Selleck in Runaway)
Technovelgy from Runaway, by Michael Crichton.
Published by Tri-Star Pictures in 1985
Additional resources -

These little guys were pretty scary - and they worked in packs.

See this video (*spoiler alert!) for creepy details.

Here's an excerpt from the movie script:

I can't have any witnesses.

The spiders have been programmed to

kill the first one off the elevator.

They'll let you in.

But they won't let you out.

There's nothing you can do!

Compare to the metallic spider from The War of the Worlds (1898) by H.G. Wells, the scarab robot from The Scarab (1936) by Raymond Z. Gallun, the spider robot from The Mystery of Element 117 (1949) by Milton K. Smith, the mechanical hound from Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury, the metal insects from The Invincible (1954) by Stanislaw Lem, the Sheem spider robot from The Witches of Karres (1966) by James Schmitz, the spider tripod from Rendezvous With Rama (1972) by Arthur C. Clarke, the spider cable device from The Web Between the Worlds (1979) by Charles Sheffield and the recon spiders from Minority Report (Movie) (2002) by Steven Spielberg.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Runaway
  More Ideas and Technology by Michael Crichton
  Tech news articles related to Runaway
  Tech news articles related to works by Michael Crichton

Spider (Robotic Insects)-related news articles:
  - RISE Robot: Six-Legged BIODYNOTICS Runaway
  - N.S.E.C.T. Robotic Attack Insect From Tyco
  - Wall-Climbing Robots Use Compliant Electroadhesion
  - A-Pod Robot Hexapod Video
  - Dancing DIY Hexapod Robot Video
  - DreamROBO Climbing Robots
  - KMR-M6 Hexapod Robot
  - Robots Race Ahead - On Cockroach Legs
  - Oh Great, Fence-Climbing Robots
  - TITAN-III Spider Robot Is WAY Too Quick (Video)
  - Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots

Articles related to Robotics
Golf Ball Test Robot Wears Them Out
PaXini Supersensitive Robot Fingers
Artificial Skin For Robots Is Coming Right Along
Robot Guard Dog On Duty

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