The idea of the cyborg has been in existence for decades, and is one of the most persistent cultural images of the past century. The cyborg is a cypher - an enigmatic image of figure that is human but not human, a machine but not a machine. It exists at the intersection of science, technology, and culture. For some the cyborg is already evident in the massive presence of technology: we are constantly aided by machines, whether they are computers, vehicles, or military weapons that extend and amplify our presence in the natural world, or by medical prosthetics, such as pacemakers, artificial limbs, and eyeglasses, that maintain and reinforce our existing physical body. THE UNCANNY is a dazzling and provocative examination of the cyborg in popular culture. The book collects essays and images presenting the cyborg in all its imaginative guises. The title takes its name from an essay by Sigmund Freud which deals with the sensation of 'uncanniness' as being strange and familiar at the same time. The book also includes contributions from William Gibson, Donna Haraway, and Toshiya Ueno.
