If you loved
How We Became Posthuman
N. Katherine Hayles · Book · 2024
If How We Became Posthuman captivated you, you will appreciate these explorations of how technology fundamentally redefines our physical boundaries and consciousness.
Films on the same thread
Ghost in the Shell
Mamoru Oshii · Film · 1995
Shares 2 threads with How We Became Posthuman: Artificial Intelligence, Identity.
Like How We Became Posthuman, this film interrogates the erosion of human identity in a digital landscape, specifically examining how cybernetic integration challenges our traditional definitions of the embodied self.
Ex Machina
Alex Garland · Film · 2015
Shares a thread with How We Became Posthuman: Artificial Intelligence.
This narrative mirrors the core inquiries of How We Became Posthuman by placing consciousness at the center of the man-machine divide, forcing a direct confrontation with the ethics of synthetic intelligence.
The Terminator
James Cameron · Film · 1984
Shares a thread with How We Became Posthuman: Artificial Intelligence.
This story reflects the anxieties discussed in How We Became Posthuman regarding the potential for autonomous machines to surpass their creators, illustrating the existential risk posed by unchecked technological evolution.
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos · Film · 2023
Explores: Feminist Awakening, Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Societal Critique.
This film echoes the embodiment themes in How We Became Posthuman, presenting a radical physical transformation that serves as a vehicle for challenging societal norms and the nature of human agency.
Series on the same thread
Almost Human
J. H. Wyman · Series · 2013
Explores: Man-Machine Partnership, Technological Dystopia, Artificial Intelligence Ethics.
Drawing on the man-machine partnership explored in How We Became Posthuman, this series examines the blurred lines between programmed logic and human emotion in a future defined by constant technological surveillance.
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
Adam Curtis · Series · 2011
Shares 3 threads with How We Became Posthuman: Technology and Society, Artificial Intelligence, Cybernetics.
This documentary series expands on the cybernetic theories in How We Became Posthuman, critiquing how our reliance on computer systems has fundamentally altered our human perception of social and political reality.
Altered Carbon
Laeta Kalogridis · Series · 2018
Shares 2 threads with How We Became Posthuman: Artificial Intelligence, Identity.
Consistent with the arguments in How We Became Posthuman, this show explores the decoupling of identity from the biological body, focusing on the implications of digital consciousness surviving within synthetic shells.
Humans
Jonathan Brackley · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with How We Became Posthuman: Artificial Intelligence.
This series investigates the human-robot relations addressed in How We Became Posthuman, demonstrating how the integration of artificial agents into domestic life disrupts our understanding of what it means to be human.
Podcasts on the same thread
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media · Podcast · 2026
Explores: self-optimization, evidence-based living, cognitive health.
While grounded in biology, this podcast engages with the self-optimization culture that How We Became Posthuman critiques, offering a practical view of how we exert control over our own biological hardware.
Maintenance Phase
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes · Podcast · 2026
Explores: scientific literacy, consumer protection, critical thinking.
This show applies the critical theory lens found in How We Became Posthuman to modern health trends, dissecting the narratives we construct around our bodies and the science that supposedly governs them.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the central theme of How We Became Posthuman?
How We Became Posthuman explores the shift where information becomes disembodied as it transitions into virtuality. N. Katherine Hayles examines the cultural implications of this transformation, specifically addressing the tension between the fascination with potential technological advancements and the fear of losing human identity to machines.
Does How We Became Posthuman discuss the concept of downloading consciousness?
Yes, How We Became Posthuman addresses the vision of consciousness being downloaded into a computer. The book analyzes this concept alongside other ideas like DNA computers and artificial intelligence, examining how these technologies challenge our traditional understanding of the body and its relationship to information.
Is How We Became Posthuman focused on the relationship between humans and technology?
How We Became Posthuman focuses on the intersection of human bodies and digital technology. N. Katherine Hayles investigates how the rise of artificial intelligence and virtuality causes the physical body to vanish, resulting in a posthuman state where information is separated from its biological origins.
What does How We Became Posthuman say about the future of human bodies?
In How We Became Posthuman, N. Katherine Hayles posits that as information becomes disembodied through artificial intelligence and virtuality, the physical bodies that once carried information are disappearing. The book explores the resulting societal perspectives, ranging from excitement over technological transcendence to horror regarding machine-based existence.