Techno-human : expedition of altered human by technology from science-fiction cinema to the post-industrial world

Abstract

This thesis defines techno-human as a new notion to describe altered human body and identity by technology following its expedition from the fictional world of science-fiction cinema to non-fictional world of post-industrial society. Science-fiction cinema has always significant role as an art form to define and discuss the future of interaction between human and technology.

In 1993, Scott Bukatman has studied this reformed human figure in SF cinema with the notion of terminal body and identity, after ten years, Giuseppe O. Longo (2003) use the term homo-technologicus define the human being of the 21st Century. In addition, today, almost ten years later than Longo, combining the study of Bukatman for science-fiction cinema and the study of Longo for the actual life, this thesis, so the concept of techno-human, discusses the cyborgs, artificial organs, prosthesis, information and communication technologies (ICTs), the Internet, cars, cyber and virtual space, automated homes and such in both fictional and non-fictional areas. Besides, the thesis compares the post-industrial society of today with the proclamation of science-fiction cinema about future in terms of human and technology relationship trying to find the similarities between the today and the future of the science-fiction.

As human being is a whole existence with the body and identity, thesis includes the altered body and the identity of techno-human together with their relation considering technology and machines affects both of them. With these two features of human, further, the thesis concentrates on the space which has become significant figure in the SF films for the reason that the space is where techno-human lives, therefore; the body and identity is affected by the space in both fictional and non-fictional area.

In conclusion, the thesis discusses physical and personal existence of human who is affected by technology and machines, using the notions of techno-body and techno- space and watching the expedition of these notions and techno-human from science-fiction cinema to today’s world.