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research mode - cyborgs

It was pointed out to me recently that one of the characters in the story I'm writing is a cyborg... I hadn't actually associated that term with the character because I thought of her more as the bride of frankenstein mixed with supernatural elements.

But after reading this article, Cyborgs - How Science Fiction Failed Us, the author pointed out that really Mary Shelley's creation was like the first cyborg, Frankenstein existing solely because of the science involved.

I haven't worked on my story in a long while and I think perhaps because a large plot element was missing, possibly with this character. Thinking of her as a cyborg changes my perception of her and could also completely change her importance in the story... I already had her revealing a crucial piece of information in my mind at the end but I think I need to completely re-think who parts of her were and how it could affect her actions.

So of course I'm geeking out having just finished the entire Battlestar Galactica series & The Plan... Caprica is next. But I want to be sure that my character maintains her uniqueness because I don't want in any way for her to resemble what people think of as cylons. I started this story from a dream I had and it came purely from imagination before I had even started watching BSG.

My character does not have free will... it was not given to her - she is a forced companion and essentially a slave. I'm looking forward to exploring what she does with that...

and I think I might also have some more sci-fi to watch for ideas! and of course I draw from other sources like Supernatural & Buffy as well but I really want to aim for a new kind of character like we've never seen before...

yay research / scooby mode!
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Comments

  1. Phineas DelgadoApril 29, 2010 at 5:27 PM

    I'm flattered that you took my words to heart. My cyborgs are more traditional, being mostly machine, but I explore every angle on the subject. FRom the human brain in the machine body (a la Robocop) to the maachine parts being microscopic and cell-like, I hope that I change the idea of what it means to have replacement parts.

    I look forward to seeing how you approach your character now that you have a different point of view. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. NielleApril 30, 2010 at 9:32 AM

    mine will be very UN-traditional... my story is mixing many genres; fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance, occult, mythology, history, etc... I need to find an ideal writing space though. I have trouble working at home as my cat likes to sit on the laptop & be the center of attention :) and if I lock him out of the room he'll just holler at me.
    It's so much when the writing just flows... I hope that happens again soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. NielleApril 30, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    just came across this via Facebook:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley

    ReplyDelete

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