h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Cyborgs in Science Fiction - A1056331
Author: Atlantic_Cable - U196159

This is part of the Computers in Science Fiction series, which includes:

Main entry : A1045766

Computers in Contemporary Movies : A1009405

Computers In Science Fiction: TV : A1045667

Computers In Science Fiction: Movies : A1045658

Computers In Science Fiction: Novels : A1045694

Androids In Science Fiction : A1013545

Cool. Now that you have an entry on just cyborgs you may want to change, "Darth Vader is not really an android", and "Not technically an android in full, the terminator is. . ."

Great entry on the Borg.

your friendly neighborhood

Thanks, I missed those earlier.

Do you think Daleks are cyborgs? Can't say that I've decided meself, I just wondered what you thought. The 'core' of each dalek is organic, but that's all. Does that make them more robot than cyborg? One of your entries must surely mention them. I just can't decide which one.


Geggs

Hi Atlantic,

I am just wondering, is this going a list of Science fiction films/TV only, or are you going to include books. One I was thinking of is Angus Thermopylae in Stephen Donaldsons Gap series, if books are to be included.


Regards

KJ

In reply to the question about books, the entry is not intended to be a definitive list, only to show how cyborgs have evolved over time in popular fiction, TV, films or anything else.

"Do you think Daleks are cyborgs? Can't say that I've decided meself, I just wondered what you thought. The 'core' of each dalek is organic, but that's all. Does that make them more robot than cyborg? One of your entries must surely mention them. I just can't decide which one."

Yeah, Daleks are a wierd one. I want to include them, but I have no idea where to put them. The history behind them is obscure.

In the last Dalek story, with Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, they were part organic. Their lineage is that the radiation between the war with their neighbours (The Thals, they were the Kaleds) mutated them and the "Dalek" body keeps them alive. This was also echoed in the films, starring Peter Cushing.

However, in the episode that deals with the origin of the Daleks, they were just smart machines. No organic components at all. However, when they had the second origin episode when the Doctor is sent back to kill them, they are organic, and at one point they are in a lab, sans Dalek suit and vulnerable, but the Doctor (Tom Baker) cannot bring himself to kill them.

It's all very confusing.

I would appreciate any fresh view points on this.

I can't help with the origin of the Daleks, but my thoughts have always been that a Cyborg is somthing that starts organic then is added to. If their is a discrepency in their origin maybe that is something that could be addressed in the entry.

your friendly neighborhood

What the hell. I'll add them in.

I have now added the Dalek section and I have a HUGE headache. You'll see why when you read it.

Asprin anyone?

Hi, Atlantic Cable!

I see that you have the Bladerunner Replicants listed as Cyborgs. You've defined Cyborgs as 'someone who was born human (or biologically) but then supplemented with technology (cybernetic implants usually).

You then say that the Replicants were 'indistinguisable from humans, the only difference being detectable by a special emotional response test.'

I think this is contradictory - you haven't given any evidence that there is anything mechanical/technological at all about replicants, as opposed to undetectable extra coding in their DNA. I would be very uneasy about counting them as cyborgs.


Azara

If you read the first part of the entry, I meantion the Cyborg and biomecahnical braches of cyborgs.

Replicants are biomechanical (sort of) as tye are completely srtificial lifeforms, but they are organic, just man made.

But I'll clean the entry up a bit to make it more clear.

Thanks.

Hi, Atlantic Cable!

You said:
'Replicants are biomechanical (sort of) as tye are completely srtificial lifeforms, but they are organic, just man made'

But that's exaclty what I have a problem with - I don't think you can use 'mechanical' to mean exactly the same as 'man-made'. As far as I'm concerned, something can't be biomechanical if it is purely organic.

I think this is something it would be worth checking with a wider pool of researchers: if you ask the question 'Can you say that the replicants in Bladerunner were cyborgs?' on Ask h2g2 I think you might get a better idea of whether or not this would bother other people besides me!


Azara

Yes point taken, but they are artificial and organic. That would seem to qualify for some sort of recognition.

I'll rework it in the morning.

Davros isn't dead, just "resting". He escaped in his pod at the finale of "Remembrance Of The Daleks", if you look hard enough, you can see a small dot of light falling from the mothership prior to its destruction.

Oh.

I'm glad you've amended the entry about Davros. I would hate people to think that the universe has seen the last of the prune faced old cyborg.


A not inconsidereble task, I think, to create several entries on Science Fiction, considering that there are so many Robots, Computers and Androids to choose from, but I think you've covered the most well known.

Thanks. It's a labour of love.

The entry is now in chronological order with year of first publication/airing.

"When the Doctor first meets them,2 they still wear bandages, indicating that they are only just finishing the transformation."


Thats quite a good observation, I never really gave it much thought. It also excuses the rather shoddy design of their suits. How do you explain the sellotape on their 'ears' though?

Probably unibonded surgical tape.