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Science fiction has often dealt with existential questions related to the human mind.

We've also been pitted against the superior intellect and telekinetic powers of aliens, e.g. the large headed martians. A constant worry that we have is the future creation of a superior synthetic intellect and the promise it holds for our downfall.

 

In the four sections below, I've provided examples of stories with themes related to SPECIATION and my perspective on each one.

I - A Robot with a Conscious Mind

Note: only androids have consciousness in SPECIATION, but other authors have given consciousness to robots. The most famous being Isaac Asimov's robots and his positronic brain.

You can take a look at my detailed definitions for androids, cyborgs and robots in the Background tab.

    Star Trek's Data 

 

Data was an synthetic life form, AI and android built by Dr. Noonian Soong. Read Data’s profile here. There wasn’t much explanation as to the technology used or the methodology of Data’s creation except to say that he had a positronic brain. Data is one of the few androids in SF with more than rudimetary awareness.

The character often serves to examine aspects of humanity such as emotions, morality, self-esteem and self-awareness.

  

    Ex Machina by Alex Garland

 

This is a 2014 coming of age movie which centres around an intelligent humanoid robot or gynoid named Ava. I can't say much without giving away the story. It's well made and a fun story.

  

    Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

 

Klara is an AF or artificial friend. Like David in A.I. Artificial Intelligence, she’s meant to replace a child in the life of an adult. The story is very much about what it means to be human, the good and not so good.

 

II - A Human Brain Wrapped Within a Synthetic Host

 

    Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow

 

The 2017 movie starring Scarlett Johansson was based on the Graphic novel by Masamune Shirow. It's a police investigation carried out by the Major (Johansson) who searches into her past and discovers how she came to be the prototype 'ghost in the shell'. The ghost is all robot but is controlled by the Major's brain which sits within the robot's body.

 

    The Beyond by Hasraf Dulull

 

The Beyond is a science fiction movie which came out in 2018. Humans have perfected a way to take an astronaut's brain and transplant it into a synthetic body in order to send them on missions which would otherwise kill them. The reason they do this in the movie is to send the astronaut's through a wormhole to see what's on the other side. The downside to the procedure is that once the brain has been removed from the human body, there's no going back to life as a human.The movie is recorded as a type of documentary, as if members of the space agency sending the astronauts into the wormhole were interviewing the personnel during the mission.

 

    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

 

In this gothic story from 1818, Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, assembles a being made up of parts from corpses. He then brings the being back to life using electricity from a lightning storm. Zero plausibility but if you consider the date, it’s some pretty awesome SF.

Although it contains some elements of a romantic story, it is thought by many to be the first science fiction novel.

 

III - The Transfer of a Human Mind into a Human Host 

 

    Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan 

 

This is a great detective story. It’s part Blade Runner, part Sherlock Holmes.

An ‘alien technology’ called a stack is inserted into the top of a clone’s spine, at the base of the neck. The clone ‘hatches’ out of an amniotic sack fully formed and ready to go. A person’s mind is inserted into the stack and, in this way, someone can move from clone to clone forever, unless the stack is destroyed. It’s hard to comment on any science, there’s not much in the way of details.

 

     Transcendence written by Jack Paglan

In this movie Dr. Will Caster is the world's leading AI researcher and he's building a device which will have full consciousness. In the end, he uploads his own mind and the story spirals out of control from there. The movie definitely has a dystopian perspective.

IV - Cloning Humans

    Oblivion by Joseph Kosinski, Ian Edginton, et al.

    

This illustrated novel and 2013 movie is an alien contact (invasion) story. It follows the Jack Harper, a drone technician, as he goes about his daily routine. We eventually find out that Jack is a clone, and that there are numerous Jacks, created by the invaders.

No information is provided about how the cloning takes place. The clones are all the same age and show up with the same memories and skill set.

    Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

 

The 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro is the basis for the 2010 movie of the same name. In the dystopian story, clones are used as providers of replacement organs.

 

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