Simulated reality is a common theme in science fiction. It is predated by the concept "life is a dream". It should not be confused with the theme of virtual reality.
Animation, anime, light novel, manga and cartoons
.hack//SIGN, an anime series about a person whose mind is trapped in an online computer role-playing game
12 oz. Mouse, an American surreal comedy/thriller minimalist cartoon
Aeon Flux (1991) took place in a cartoon world
The Big O, by Hajime Yatate and Chiaki J. Konaka, N.B. the reality in question has not been confirmed as simulated, but it is extremely likely.
Danger Room, a training simulator from the (X-Men) universe
Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street'(2002)
Eternal Family (1997), surreal comedy anime OVA
Ghost in the Shell (1995), postcyberpunk anime film and series
Lyoko, the virtual world run by a super computer in the animated series Code Lyoko
Log Horizon (2013), an anime series on players being transported into the game world after an expansion update.
Megazone 23 (1985-9), an anime OVA series created by Noboru Ishiguro and Shinji Aramaki based on a simulated reality of Tokyo controlled by a super computer
Noein, an anime directed by Kazuki Akane and Kenji Yasuda where a simulated reality is created
Paranoia Agent by Satoshi Kon
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996-1999)
Robotech: The Movie (1986), anime adaptation of Megazone 23
Serial Experiments Lain, anime series by Chiaki J. Konaka
Sword Art Online, a light novel series (2009 - ongoing) and the two anime series adapted from the novel (2012 and 2013), about the Massively multiplayer online game players trapped in virtual reality by the creator until they clear the game.
Zegapain (2006), anime series
Doctor Who episode "The Deadly Assassin" (1976), written by Robert Holmes.
Matrix computer from the Doctor Who universe.
Doctor Who (2008) episode "Forest of the Dead", written by Steven Moffat and "Amy's Choice", written by Simon Nye.
Farscape episode "John Quixote" (2002) places the lead character in a virtual reality game.
Harsh Realm (1999) was a science fiction television series about humans trapped inside a virtual reality simulation. It was developed by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files and Millennium.
The Outer Limits episode "The Sentence" (1996)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)
Red Dwarf episodes "Better Than Life", "Back to Reality", "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", "Stoke Me a Clipper", "Blue", "Beyond a Joke" and "Back in the Red" by Rob Grant and/or Doug Naylor with Paul Alexander, Kim Fuller and Robert Llewellyn all feature some sort of artificial reality or "total immersion video game".
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Episode "Future Imperfect" (1990): During an away mission, Commander William Riker loses consciousness; he awakes sixteen years in the future with that period of his memory lost; he is now the now Captain of the Enterprise, is widowed and has a son named Jean-Luc (after Picard); this eventually turns out to be a simulated reality.
Episode "The Inner Light" (1992): Jean-Luc Picard is rendered unconscious by a probe of unknown origin. Within the span of 25 minutes, he lives the life of a scientist named Kamin from the doomed planet of Kataan whose sun had gone nova 1000 years before. The probe contains the stored memories of Kataan's civilization which Picard relives as Kamin.
Episode "Ship in a Bottle" (1993): The fictional Professor Moriarty of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories is allowed to exist in a holodeck simulation of the world.
Star Trek: The Original Series episodes "The Cage" and "The Menagerie", the unaired pilot and later episode (respectively).
Star Trek: Voyager: Several episodes took place in the holodeck, including "Fair Haven", "Spirit Folk" or the two part episode "The Killing Game".
Stargate SG-1 episode "The Gamekeeper"
The Twilight Zone (1959), and its later revivals, feature a number of episodes involving false or simulated realities of some sort. Examples include "Where Is Everybody?" and "Dreams for Sale".
The X-Files features a number of episodes involving simulated realities of some sort, such as "Kill Switch" and "First Person Shooter", both written by William Gibson and Tom Maddox.
The U.S. TV series Life on Mars (2008-2009)
Black Mirror
"White Christmas"
"Playtest"
"San Junipero"
A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985) by Steve Meretzky
Simulated reality in fiction Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
