The issue of what it means to be human is explored in both Blade Runner and Neuromancer, although they take distinct approaches to it. In Scott Scott’s Blade Runner, the replicantsābioengineered beings who are nearly indistinguishable from humansāare the main subject. The replicants have feelings, desires, and memories, which raises the issue of what really makes a human? Is it a person’s biological make-up or their ability to feel, think, and suffer? The distinction separating human and non-human behavior becomes fuzzy by characters such as Roy, who demonstrates greater emotional complexity and empathy than many human characters. Blade Runner raises the possibility that mind and emotional experience, rather than biology, are what make humans human through these replicants.
On the other hand, William Gibson’s Neuromancer digs into similar subjects by means of the characters’ interactions with cyberspace and artificial intelligences. In this book, a combination of the technology and the organic shatters human identity. The main character, Case, is a “cowboy” who travels around cyberspace, a virtual environment where the distinction between truth and illusion is hazy. Traditional ideas of human autonomy and intellect are questioned by the AIs in the book, such as Wintermute, who raises the possibility that consciousness and agency can exist outside of the human body. The way that technology blurs the lines between human identity is further illustrated the character Molly, who has cybernetic modifications.
In a world of advanced technology, both pieces explore the fundamental questions about mankind. While Blade Runner explores the existential and emotional struggle of the replicants, Neuromancer explores the ramifications of human contact with AI and virtual realities. Concurrently, they contemplate how technology transforms our perceptions of awareness, identity, and the essence of being a true human.
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