From the first page of VALIS by Philip K. Dick:
"VALIS (acronym of Vast Active Living Intell-
igence System from an American film): A
perturbation in the reality field in which a
spontaneous self-monitoring
negentropic vortex
is formed, tending progressively to subsume
and incorporate its environment into
arrange-
ments of information. Characterized by quasi-
consciousness, purpose, intelligence, growth
and an
armillary coherence.
--Great Soviet Dictionary
Sixth Edition, 1992"
Please note: The above is a quote from a science-fiction novel published in 1981. You may have noticed that the quote is attributed to "Great Soviet Dictionary...1992." This is a fictitious entry by Philip K. Dick.