IMPLANTED SELVES: CYBORG IDENTITY, MEMORY, AND SELFHOOD IN GEORGE ALEC EFFINGER’S WHEN GRAVITY FAILS

Abstract

In today’s rapidly evolving technological world, exploring the changing nature of identity is more important than ever. This research aims to examine how George Effinger’s When Gravity Fails represents the fusion of humans and technology. It focuses on how moddies (personality modules that allow a person to temporarily assume someone else’s identity) and daddies (skill modules that grant specific abilities, such as shooting, hacking, or dancing, without altering one's personality) challenge fixed notions of memory, self, and identity. Drawing on Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto, the research analyses the tension between technological empowerment and loss of autonomy.  Through qualitative textual analysis, the study reveals that Effinger’s dystopian vision contrasts with Haraway’s optimism, depicting identity as performative and fragmented. It highlights the novel’s contribution to post-humanist discourse and encourages a rethinking of identity in a technology-driven society. The study recommends further studies on non-Western cyberpunk and the application of cyborg theory to contemporary digital culture.