Glitched: A Novel and the Perpetual Posthuman Performance of Never-Becoming
Date
2024-01-15
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Abstract
This thesis aims to illuminate the nuanced ways posthuman manipulation, coupled with the allure of hope, becomes a potent force for dominant systems to extinguish individual autonomy. The narrative in Glitched unfolds against the backdrop of a collapsing Canadian society, with citizens eventually falling under the rule of the Regime. Through this storyline, the fictional narrative and subsequent research intend to unravel the complexities of human agency within speculative fiction, particularly dystopian literature, by focusing on a narrative that emphasizes the absence of hope and revolution. While dystopian stories predominantly center on rebellion-centric narratives, this thesis investigates the implications of autonomy under authoritarian rule without the catalyst of revolution by drawing on the theoretical framework of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s assemblages and the impossible act of becoming. Through close readings and thematic analyses of other novels and counterrevolutionaries, the thesis illustrates a complex interplay between the Regime’s control through nanotechnology, individual identity, and the blurred boundaries between conscious and unconscious states. Glitched contributes a distinctive perspective to speculative fiction, presenting an alternative to conceptual frameworks surrounding autonomy in dystopian societies and re-evaluating the role of hope and rebellion in shaping narratives of human agency.
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Dystopian, Posthumanism, Creative, Assemblages, Counterrevolutionary
Citation
Grue, J. (2024). Glitched: a novel and the perpetual posthuman performance of never-becoming (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.