An Age of Frankenstein: Monstrous Motifs, Imaginative Capacities, and Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Using approaches from Science and Technology Studies (STS), political theory, and literary criticism, this paper investigates the use of monstrous motifs in British approaches to the governance of reproductive technologies and the role of the literary imagination as an “anticipatory” governance capa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science-fiction studies 2018-07, Vol.45 (2), p.244-259
Main Author: Conley, Shannon N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Births
Electricity
Embryos
Emerging technology
Governance
Human reproduction
Humans
Literary criticism
Ova
Reproductive technologies
Reproductive technology
Science fiction
Science fiction & fantasy
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft (1797-1851)
Technology
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Summary:Using approaches from Science and Technology Studies (STS), political theory, and literary criticism, this paper investigates the use of monstrous motifs in British approaches to the governance of reproductive technologies and the role of the literary imagination as an “anticipatory” governance capacity in thinking through new and emerging technologies. The analysis is divided into three cases. The first case discusses the social and scientific context from which Frankenstein (1818) emerged. It draws from insights in literary criticism to explore motifs related to reproduction, birth, and monstrosity within the text and Mary Shelley's own life. The second case discusses the context surrounding the publication of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932). It serves as a transition, linking Shelley and Frankenstein to modern considerations of reproduction and technology. The third case examines the context leading up to the birth of “test-tube baby” Louise Brown in 1978 and the how the stories, metaphors, and themes generated by Frankenstein and Brave New World permeated the debates around the innovation of reproductive technologies in Britain.
ISSN:0091-7729
2327-6207
DOI:10.5621/sciefictstud.45.2.0244