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Doctoral Thesis A Transhumanist and Critical Posthumanist Study of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, Jeannette Winterson’s Frankissstein: A Love Story and Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon(2024) Yastıbaş, Gülşah Çınar; Tekin, KuğuThis dissertation aims to study three twenty-first-century dystopian science and speculative fiction, focusing on Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson and Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan within the context of transhumanism and critical posthumanism. By examining the technologies developed to transcend human physical, cognitive and psychological limitations that intersect with transhumanism, as well as the ethical, environmental, and socio-political concerns that intersect with critical posthumanism, this thesis aims to show the inherent conflicts between the techno-optimistic vision of the transhumanist approach and the unprecedented outcomes of such a vision that arise in techno-capitalist societies within the selected novels. The selected novels are analysed to understand the role of technology in shaping human experiences and relationships with other beings, ultimately leading to the redefinition of what it means to be human. This dissertation employs the theoretical frameworks of transhumanism and critical posthumanism, drawing on key proponents such as Julian Huxley, Max More, Nick Bostrom, Donna Haraway, N. Katherine Hayles, and Rosi Braidotti. Through this analysis, the dissertation highlights the power of literature to shape societal perspectives on emerging technologies and provoke critical reflection on the future of humanity. By comparing transhumanism's techno-optimistic vision with posthumanism's critical perspectives, this dissertation underscores the need for a balanced approach to technological progress that considers the broader implications for individuals, society, and the environment. The study ultimately seeks to demonstrate how these literary works reflect and warn against the anxieties associated with human enhancement technologies, offering a nuanced understanding of the potential future of humanity in an age of rapid technological change.
