The 41st Millenium is swarming with transhuman imaginings. It is littered with thought experiments pushing the recognisable bounds of The Human into fantastical images. From the cyborged Mechanicus priest to the specifically “transhuman physiology” of the Space Marine 40k is fascinated with methods of expanding human capacity to incredibly limits.
But are these representations merely Science Fictional power fantasies? How far beyond the human is Warhammer 40k able to imagine? Are authors writing within this fictional space imagining a “posthuman” experience, or is “transhuman” merely used synonymously with power? In this paper I will explore the potential of Warhammer fiction to reach beyond sensationalism and reflect creatively on existing critical frameworks. To do so, I will look not at the premier transhumans, the Space Marines, but instead at the alien Necrons. Due to their position as immortal, cybernetic ancients from a long-lost dynastic structure, Necrons are perfectly placed to investigate the limits of the biological and the ways Warhammer can suggest positive escape vectors from our neoliberal present.
To undertake this analysis, I will perform a close reading of Nate Crowley’s Twice Dead King series. Using a specific text enables us to deeply investigate the potential of the worlds of Warhammer to encourage critical reflection on the world around us, providing concrete evidence as we do so. Crowley’s intimate exploration of Necron embodiment and ideology powerfully portrays anxieties of a truly transhuman future and suggests the radical steps we may need to escape the legacy of damaging, elitist ideologies.
I will combine these novels with the philosophical posthuman theories of Braidotti and Hayles, supplemented by transhumanist theory. In performing this analysis I will demonstrate the value in interrogating contemporary, popular, Science Fiction; how even literature writing within the limits of a franchise can bring important topics to a broader readership.
Author bio
Dr Adam Edwards is an independent UK scholar, based in Nottingham. His PhD is in Cyberpunk Literature and his thesis explored the persisting contemporary relevance of this SF sub-genre. His research interests surround the intersection of SF with real-world technologies, and the importance of gaming narratives) in engaging broad social audiences.
