A haunting fascination fuels our interest in the robot, the android, the cyborg, the replicant. Born in science fiction literature, the artificial human has come into its own in films, lurching to life, holding a mirror to humanity's soul.
Beginning with a pre-history of the filmic robot, J. P. Telotte traces its development through early sci-fi landmarks such as Metropolis (1926), the alien films of the 1950s (including Forbidden Planet), and recent explorations of the artificial human in Blade Runner, Robocop, and the Terminator films.
Replications also considers the tension between the technological wonders that science fiction depicts and the human values it champions. Film-makers employ the latest developments in technology to fashion ever more realistic human doubles, and then use them to explore what it means to be human. Telotte shows us how the sci-fi genre has always addressed changing cultural attitudes toward technology, the body, gender roles, human intelligence, reality, and even film itself.

Reviews
"A new addition to the study of film history as collective unconscious. Telotte puts our cultural obsession with artificial humans on the stand... Offers complex insights into many robotic gems." -- Hotwired



Book Information
ISBN 9780252064661
Author J P. Telotte
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 15mm