Frankenstein complex
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Coined by American science fiction author Isaac Asimov in 1947 in his novelette Little Lost Robot. From Victor Frankenstein, the title character of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein.
Noun
[edit]Frankenstein complex (plural Frankenstein complexes)
- The fear that an artificial intelligence will turn against humans.
- 1947 March, Isaac Asimov, “Little Lost Robot”, in Astounding Science Fiction, volume 39, number 1, page 116:
- I'll admit that this Frankenstein Complex you're exhibiting has a certain justification—hence the First Law in the first place.
- 1987 December, Lois McMaster Bujold, “Falling Free”, in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, volume 108, number 13, page 30:
- Mr. Graf, you're still disturbed. You sure you're not harboring just a little of the old Frankenstein complex about all this? It's all right to admit it to me—in fact, I want you to talk about it.
- 1992, Joseph C. Segen, The Dictionary of Modern Medicine, →ISBN, page 234:
- The central character of Mary Shelley's novel by the same name 'Frankenstein' is used as an adjective in a variety of biomedical contexts, eg Frankenstein complex The fear that machines via artificial intelligence may replace physicians
- 2010, Graham J. Murphy, Sherryl Vint, editors, Beyond Cyberpunk: New Critical Perspectives, Routledge, →ISBN, page 197:
- No wonder Gibson introduces the Turing Registry agents in Neuromancer, representatives of cyberpunk's own apparent Frankenstein Complex: “For thousands of years men dreamed of pacts with demons. Only now are such things possible. […] ”
References
[edit]- Jeff Prucher, editor (2007), “Frankenstein complex”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 67–68.
- Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2024), “Frankenstein complex n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.