Будущее человечества и перспективы трансгуманизма в межавторском цикле Warhammer

Abstract

Popular culture easily incorporates issues widely discussed in mass media. The problems of transhumanism are no exception: nowadays the prospects of scientifically upgrading human mind and body are no longer regarded as pure fantasy, they seem quite realistic and ambiguous and as such are introduced into fiction. The multi-authored cycle Warhammer offers a variety of such motifs: it features distant future (although highly stylized and not based on strict scientific assumptions) where humans use advanced technologies of genetic engineering and prosthetics in order to survive in constant wars with alien races. The cycle is meant to be commercially successful and plays on popular fears, expectations and curiosity, but some of the best authors offer interesting insights into the topic and its ethical and philosophical implications. Also different stylistic means are chosen for different aspects, such as epic and historical allusions in depicting spacemarines (genetically modified soldiers) and motifs of traditional science fiction in showing interrelations between humans and machines.