[Petronski]

So how does The Terminator fit into all this?

The commonality between Terminator and Matrix is a dystopic future when
machines created by man become too smart for us and turn on humanity.

[BradyLS]

But...but...Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) did the same thing-- with 18 wheelers! :-D

[Vince Ferrer]

So how does The Terminator fit into all this?

The commonality between Terminator and Matrix is a dystopic future when machines created by man become too smart for us and turn on humanity.

I always assumed that both of these came from Dune, which was written in 1965.