This paper examines the relationship between the Adeptus Mechanicus, a highly tech-zealous faction in the popular Games Workshop IP Warhammer 40K, and contemporary techonarratives concerning the development, operation, and utility of modern technological systems. Through the combined examination of both official Adeptus Mechanicus lore (e.g., Warhammer 40K codex) and community engagement (e.g., posts/memes on sites such as Reddit), I highlight how fictional discourse concerning techno-religiousity, ‘human’ progression, and techno-intimacy reflects Enlightenment-era ideological structures that delineate ‘humans’ from ‘non-human’ Others through appeals to (technological) progression. Through an in-depth analysis of this fictional discourse, I seek to elucidate the various ways in which modern technonarratives either reflect or dissent from these Kantian conceptions of ‘progress’ and ‘humanness.’ Drawing upon the scholarship of James Carey, Shelia Jasanoff, Sylvia Wynter, and Robert Bullard, I argue that modern technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, perpetuate race and gender bias ideological structures which position non-white and female subjects as ‘non-human’ material whose ‘sacrifice’ is necessary for the operation of white, Western Civilization. Moreover, due to Warhammer 40K’s situation within a predominantly ‘geek masculine’ community within the sci-fi genre, I extend this argument to address how the Warhammer community’s reluctance to engage with issues of race and gender results in a reassertion of a universal ‘humanity’ assumed to be white and male. Specifically, I focus on popular online discourse around the Adeptus Mechanicus, which touches upon intersectionally charged topics while simultaneously divorcing these conversations from ‘real-world’ racialized and gendered hierarchies (Tech-Priest GF, Adeptus Mechanicus ‘toaster-fucking,’ Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus Trailer monologue, etc.). Ultimately, while this paper will focus on analyzing the Adeptus Mechanicus and its affiliated communities, I aim for this project to serve as a platform for discussing Warhammer 40K’s position within a broader sociopolitical context, emphasizing the significance and cultural impact of the media, as well as the communities that reiterate these ideological narratives.
Author bio
My name is Abel K. Gutierrez and I am a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. I am a critical cultural scholar focused on analyzing the social/economic/ecological impact of AI technology. Specifically, my current research revolves around analyzing the techno-social narratives which surround AI technology its relation to the perpetuation of Enlightenment-era colonial logics around notions of the ‘human’.
