A Post-Cyberpunk and Post-Modernist Deconstruction of Human in Origin (2017)

Abstract

Literary representations reflect the socio-cultural notions prevalent within the human life while such representations have a Postmodernist paradigm in the present times. Postmodernism subverts the fixity of metanarratives wherein mininarratives hold the central position. Post-cyberpunk as a subgenre of Postmodernist literature depicts the same socio-cultural aspects related to technology. Posthuman is an important theme of Post-cyberpunk that projects the subversion of human as a metanarrative rather the human is elbowed towards margin by the posthuman. Based on the notion of Posthuman this study has analyzed the novel Origin (2017) by Brown. The researchers aimed to deconstruct human as a metanarrative through the character and theme of posthhumanity under a triangular theoretical framework: Deconstruction of Metanarratives by Lyotard and Pepperell’s theory of Posthuman, along with the method of Deconstruction by Derrida. Findings of the study have categorized Origin as a contemporary Postmodernist narrative that equally has the qualities of Post-cyberpunk literature. This study also signifies the harmonious union of man and machine as an important aspect of the present society. In addition, it has highlighted many Postmodernist and Post-cyberpunk themes to be explored by the future researchers of English literature.