Silicon Heaven

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Silicon heaven is an afterlife concept from the British science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf. It is where electronic equipment goes after death. The concept is used to keep robots, many of which are stronger and more intelligent than their masters, from rebelling; a belief chip is installed in robots to ensure that they will believe that they will go to Silicon Heaven after a life of servitude to humanity.

Silicon Heaven can be seen as a parody of religions such as Christianity, which teach that a life of turning the other cheek will bring rewards in the afterlife and can be used by the ruling classes to keep poor people from revolting.

Equipment going to Silicon heaven include robots, calculators, toasters and hairdryers. Cheap robots such as skutters are sometimes not fitted with a belief chip due to cost, but Holly and Kryten hang on to the belief. In the books it is revealed that when Holly's intelligence was at its peak he didn't believe in Silicon Heaven, but as his IQ slowly declined his faith became "unshakable".

The concept was introduced in the episode "The Last Day", in which Kryten, on learning that he is to be replaced by a more advanced model, tells Lister that he is resigned to his fate as he knows he will receive his reward in Silicon Heaven. Lister's attempts to convince Kryten that Silicon Heaven doesn't really exist meet with no success; although Kryten later tells his replacement, Hudsen 10, that there is no Silicon Heaven, causing Hudsen to break down when he attempts to cope with the idea, he admits to Lister that he only said it to confuse Hudsen, and that his own faith is still strong:

Kryten: "He's an android. His brain could not handle the concept of there being no silicon heaven."
Lister: "So how come yours can?"
Kryten: "Because I knew something he didn't."
Lister: "What?"
Kryten: "I knew that I was lying. Seriously, sir. 'No silicon heaven'? Where would all of the calculators go?"

[edit] References to Silicon Hell

During the episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse," the crew of Red Dwarf are drafted into a game of "Cat and Mouse" by a group of rogue simulants out for the sport of the hunt. The Cat, under the influence of "lying cartoons" believes that the dwarfers' best chance of survival is to attack, instead of fleeing, "I know this game, it's called 'Cat and Mouse' and there's only one way to win - don't be the mouse." After a direct hit on the simulant ship's fuel tank, a computer virus is transmitted onto starbug, with the captain's last words as, "See you in Silicon Hell" as his ship is destroyed around him.