Beholding the Uncanny: Replicants, Cyborgs and Clones in SF

The use of artificially reproduced organisms as primary characters in the works of science fiction literature dates back to the origins of the genre. These works have envisioned societies confronting the “other ” in the form of organisms that are “not of woman born. ” Whether they were in the form of cyborgs or clones, these characters often upset the balance of their societies, causing havoc and inviting scorn and misunderstanding. Ostensibly these works can be read as cautionary tales about the excesses of technological hubris in the face of modernity. However, the real focus of these works is not on the replicants and cyborgs, but on the fictional societies that spawn these creations, and by extension, the factual societies in which the authors were writing their stories. These works disconcert and inform their audiences, forcing the audience’s revaluation of its own prejudices against those they see as separate from themselves. Thus, the use of alternative reproduction in science fiction serves not as a prognostication about the future of technology, but rather as a means of enlightening the audience about the potential humanistic aspects of society’s members