History Literature / Berserker

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]] or [[{{Franchise/Warhammer}} Warriors of Khorne]], or [[Wrestling/JohnNord the wrestler the Berzerker]], Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.

* RecycledINSPACE:

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]] or [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} Warriors of Khorne]], or [[Wrestling/JohnNord the wrestler the Berzerker]], Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.

* AntagonistTitle: Also a OneWordTitle

* OneWordTitle: Also an AntagonistTitle.

* LesCollaborateurs: Being what the omnicidal machines call "goodlife" is universally treated as a capital crime. For good reason.

* FoodChainOfEvil: RogerZelazny's short story ''Itself Surprised'' is about the discovery of "Qwib-qwib" [[spoiler:-- a deactivated anti-Berserker Berserker invented by the Red Race shortly before their demise]].

* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: The Berserkers

* WetwareCPU: Some of the stories had the killing machines attempt to use organic brains to introduce more fuzzy logic into their tactical computers.

** ''Berserker Fury'' is a space version of the Battle of Midway. Painfully the same as the RealLife battle, except IN SPACE! (And the future. [[UnfortunateImplications With the A.I. Berserkers who want to destroy all life as the Japanese]].)

** "Stone Place" is the BattleOfLepanto IN SPACE! Berserkers are Ottoman Turks.

* ExactWords: A historian is forced to load Berserker fighters with human engrams that will serve as decoys for the Berserker-piloted craft. When questioned whether the engrams are warlike, he points to one who was turned away from the military for being half blind, another who was a mild-mannered poet, and a third who did serve in the army as a behind-the-scenes supply officer. Turns out he's talking about [[spoiler:[[AcePilot WWI flying aces]] Mick Mannock, Albert Ball and [[RedBaron Manfred von Richthofen.]]]]

* HumansByAnyOtherName: All sapient life forms are called Human. Homo Sapiens is called the E.D., or Earth Descended "theme" of humanity. (Non-human Earthlife is also referred to as E.D. lifeforms.)

** "Stone Place" is the Battle of Lepanto IN SPACE! Berserkers are Ottoman Turks.

** Fabulously turned on its head with Creator/LarryNiven's "A Teardrop Falls" - [[spoiler: the human-in-a-computer protagonist uploads himself into a Berserker, taking over two of the three redundant "brains," keeping the third Berserker brain around for reference. Now that he has a majority interest in the decision-making, he can make the Berserker do what he wants while it has no choice in the matter.]]

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]] or [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Warriors of Khorne]], or [[Wrestling/JohnNord the wrestler the Berzerker]], Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]] or [[Warhammer40K Warriors of Khorne]], Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]], Creator/FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.

** Fabulously turned on its head with LarryNiven's "A Teardrop Falls" - [[spoiler: the human-in-a-computer protagonist uploads himself into a Berserker, taking over two of the three redundant "brains," keeping the third Berserker brain around for reference. Now that he has a majority interest in the decision-making, he can make the Berserker do what he wants while it has no choice in the matter.]]

Not to be confused with [[TheBerserker crazy bloodthirsty norsemen]], FredSaberhagen's ''Berserker'' series is a collection of short stories, novels, and collaborations with other writers dealing with city-sized, spacefaring robots intent on destroying all life in the galaxy. The Berserkers themselves are relics of an ancient war between two now-extinct alien species.