Cyborg Bodies, Human Minds: Robert Venditti's The Surrogates, Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita and the Great Myth of Posthumanism
Abstract
The topic of humans altered and improved through advanced cyborg technology—technology that amalgamates animal and machine—has long been of interest in science fiction, gaining popularity in most Western countries and Japan. This paper examines two graphic novel series, Robert Venditti’s The Surrogates and Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita, in relation to cyborg humans and the theoretical concept of posthumanism, defined as a state that transcends the limitations of human existence with the help of cutting-edge technologies. The posthuman theory of Donna Haraway suggests that the cyborg has the potential to change humanity for the better, to challenge essentialist dichotomies and harmful identity politics. However, theorists like Katherine Hayles warn about the dangers inherent in technologies that allow humanity to “master” the body—and mortality—completely. This paper critically examines both perspectives and, ultimately, the viability of a utopic posthuman state.
Description
Keywords
Literature--American, Literature--Asian
Citation
Massey, S. (2015). Cyborg Bodies, Human Minds: Robert Venditti's The Surrogates, Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita and the Great Myth of Posthumanism (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25507