The Possibilities and Pitfalls of the Literal 'Post'human: Atwood's Paradice Project

Description

The concept of the posthuman is a fascination within contemporary culture, with the various impacts of technological and scientific advances giving way to questions about the type of subject that will inherit and inhabit the consequences of these developments. This talk will examine how Margaret Atwood utilises speculative fiction as a site of critical engagement in her MaddAddam trilogy to interrogate the social consequences of projected technologies through her depiction of the Crakers. As a literal embodiment of the posthuman, the Crakers address some of the more urgent questions posed by the intersection between the posthuman and feminist theory, particularly the possibilities of changing embodiment and genetic engineering. Considering how the posthuman is constructed and imagined reveals whether Atwood positions the Crakers as a symbol of hope for the future of humankind, or merely as the logical conclusion of an unquestioned corporate and commercial ethos.

Period	18 Nov 2020
Event title	Contemporary Women's Writing Association (CWWA) Margaret Atwood Birthday Symposium
Event type	Conference
Degree of Recognition	International