The process of replacing part of an organic being’s body with robotic technology is almost as central to science fiction as time travel or the depths of space. Something about mixing man and machine to create something new and incredible has captured the imagination of writers for generations.
Horror icon Edgar Allan Poe is credited with providing the first literary example of a cyborg, as his 1839 story “The Man That Was Used Up” featured a war hero whose body had to be assembled piece by piece. Nearly two centuries later, the concept has evolved into everything from weapons to medicines to the key to human evolution.
In a science fiction work, cybernetics is either a central tenant of the world’s storytelling or an excuse to allow the writer to make whatever fantastic events happen. In many cases, cybernetic prosthesis exists as a way for characters to sustain massive injuries, but bounce back later and be useful in future conflicts. In a fantasy story, magic is an all-purpose plot solution that can do what the writer needs. Sci-fi writers can abuse cybernetics in much the same way. In any work, cybernetics can replace a damaged body part, give a person superhuman strength, give an animal wisdom and much more. Despite the theoretically endless variety, there are a few themes that generally emerge in any story on the subject.
If cybernetics isn’t a central aspect of a sci-fi story, then it is a means to an end. Most examples in big budget sci-fi follow this kind of arrangement. Maybe a single character wields a cool robotic arm, maybe a character has suffered a serious wound in battle and uses cybernetic prosthetics. The Star Wars franchise offers plenty of cybernetic limbs, but they can rarely be described as enhancements. Most of Darth Vader’s body is cybernetic, but the added benefit it gives him outweighs the drawbacks. Ditto Luke’s right arm, which was replaced by a metal hand that usually only replaces his previous hand. In a series that has made famous many of the most iconic weapons and tools in the history of science fiction, it’s strange that they never take advantage of this concept.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for being a mishmash of concepts from different genres and fictional worlds, and the way it handles cybernetics is no different. Bucky Barnes lost his arm in the long rebuilding process after his presumed death, and the monsters that brainwashed him also provided him with a metal arm. His arm is the most unique of his set of skills, so it’s the most central aspect of his action sequences. Conversely, Rocket Raccoon is what he is through a combination of genetic and cybernetic enhancement. The metal rig in his spinal cord grants him his upright gait and enhanced intelligence. It’s mentioned very briefly, but the unethical experiments that created it are a fascinating aspect of the franchise’s universe. The limited philosophical exploration of the concept comes in his classic catchphrase “ain’t no thing like me, ‘cept me’. He may have once been like any other raccoon, but cybernetics makes him something completely different. This is the lightest possible dive from the toe into the pool of philosophy that surrounds this concept.
In any sci-fi work that puts cybernetic enhancement at the center of its fictional universe, the central concern is how technology’s replacement of organic matter affects identity. If humanity can replace everything they have with steel and wires, are they still human? This is the fundamental underlying question of everything from: cyberpunk until Modified Carbonup to three quarters of black mirror and further. This concept is philosophically interesting and raises questions about the role of the body and the metaphysical concept of the soul. Some would argue that with the power of the internet, wearable and wearable technology and how technology informs modern life, most of us are already cyborgs. Cybernetics in fiction takes that idea and raises it to eleven by increasing the power of the technology and anchoring it more firmly into the human genome.
There are some tricky aspects to the way cybernetics is portrayed. Questioning humanity’s relationship with technology becomes a challenge when the machine that gives one person the power of one god gives another the ability to walk or breathe. Sometimes cybernetics cause mental illness, a very unpleasant suggestion that needing medical devices or prosthetics makes a person less whole or less human. A clever work of science fiction might ask what evil and good might come from a human fusion with the machine. A less intelligent or less curious text could simply point to the bad things some people do with futuristic tools and write off the entire scientific discipline.
There are countless examples of both, as this is one of the most common questions in all science fiction. Humanity wondered if their relationship with technology was healthy when the telescope was pioneering. We’ll all have to wait and see how that conversation evolves when the companies release an iPhone that fits the brain.
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