Human in the machine : a posthuman analysis of Machines Like Me, Klara and the Sun and Frankissstein

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the representations of androids and artificial beings in contemporary science fiction literature that involve elements of artificial intelligence, bio technology and digital immortality. In doing so, this it explores the ethical implications of creating artificial life and how this can serve as a mirror for its human creators. The novels chosen for close analysis are Ian McEwan’s Machines Like Me (2019), Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (2021), and Jeanette Winterson’s Frankissstein (2020). Each novel presents a unique case that represents an aspect of personhood, such as morality, love, or identity, with a chapter covering each of these novels in detailed analysis. The dissertation also draws on arguments posed by posthuman scholars, such as Rosi Bradiotti, N. Katherine Hayles, as well as philosophers and roboticists, such as John Searle and Masahiro Mori. Ultimately, it concludes on a series of comparisons of the three novels to show the similarities in message as well as how they all show how fiction about artificial beings can serve to educate their audiences on aspects of human nature and how they can serve as both satirical indictment of our present and cautionary tales for our futures.