Lim 1

Bryan Lim

Professor Eunice Johnson

English 167

09/20/2010

Super Toys and Transhumanism

“Super Toys Last All Summer Long” by Brian Aldiss does the unpredictable and strange

to the short story that will able to answer the transhumanism point of view. The short-story

inspires the movie “Artificial Intelligent (A.I)” by Stanley Kubrick, the relation to the Disney

firms, “Pinocchio,” or even the movie “I Robot” by Alex Proyas.

The short tale is about the loneliness of the humanity, the super intelligent of the replacer,

and capability to understand human emotions. The story has two different setting with four

characters: Monica (the mum), who thinks she’s very isolated; David (the son), questions if he’s

real or not; Teddy (the toy), a non-bionic being yet a friend to David and Henry (the dad), who

wanted to make the combination of robots and humans. The setting does make a specific follow

up in home and in work. Monica wants her son’s attention to her responds but David may be

afraid to tell her the truth. Henry is working on bio-electronic being that will contribute to the

society. In the end, we found out that David is a modern Pinocchio who appears to be an android.

Super Toys gives a prediction of where every human depends on one specific source,

technology. The science-fiction in his work may not be true in his time, but it can and will be

possible. In other words, advance technologies will benefit the society in several ways; however,

it would also create the loneliness as well as solitude.

I firmly believe that his perspective to this very story will bring the Nanotechnology or

Transhumanism to replace the overall downside of the humanity.

 Lim 2

Many of us do not agree with the idea of human beings with machine, but those particular

issues soon should be outdated. The reason is that we have been depending on machine our

whole life. From the industrial age to…who knows what’s next; technology may change the

ideas we conserve. For instance, the Internet/Computer; these were our life. We are slowly

evolved and adopted to this situation as Darwinism describes it.

In Darwin theory of natural selection, it is suggested that we as a human beings can

slowly but surely be better than other-wise, and each of our cells will move far ahead than

staying as a “conservative.” One of the examples by “Super toys”-during the Henry’s speech-

makes a prediction of human race and acceptance: “Our serving-man will be a boon to them; he

will always answer, and the most vapid conversation cannot bore him.” That alone does make

Adliss’ literary work and perspective towards human evolution to widely accept. But can it (as in

robots implant and human acceptance) work efficiently?

What was thought to be impossible is now possible. The reason is everyone needs a

replacement, a supporter and an improvement to make a better society. One of the recent

discoveries by Emotive System was a head set that read our own brain waves that will allow the

disability to speak their minds. Another one is ‘bio-future joint replacement’ by Kevin Stone

which replaces human bones with by animal bones merged with machinery. Yet, we’re slowly

had achieving these goals by using our imagination.

However, there’re lots of disagreements to any Pro- or Trans- movement, but like every

other movement in history, we may conform it. Brian Aldiss makes a point about replacing and

actually working in his short story where the teddy responds to Monica’s question within the

possibility choices of words. But with all those possibility implants in the machine, can it think?
 Lim 3

Finally: the minds, the emotions, and the feeling of human being. Can robots –as human -

read poetry? Will it feel the sensory detail and explain the imagination detail as human beings

do? Yes, it can if used properly. Many smart-machines cannot think nor feel at this time, but only

time will tell. Thinking is one of the powerful tools to control people. Many old century wars

were won mostly by tactics and strategies rather than force. Love cannot be forced yet

understand. Houses are built by plans rather than just throw things at it.

This is my wild hypothesis on “thinking.” seeing that a robot can be made with

“thinking,” but may be a hostile to us. But it can be good, such as helping us to make a better

place, system and friend. Of course, any science-fiction author would also implant rules into its

head through his writing. Same as our creator made laws for us to abide to. With all the freedom

of thinking and order to restrain, a balanced AI can be achieved.

In super-toys, David, as one of the successful AI; can feel and think. When wanting for

his mother’s love and asking question about ‘what is real?” yet, he does not do anything to get

his mother upset. Brain Aldiss makes his character David a balanced AI without any robotic-

killing.

In the end, Brian perspective in artificial intelligent has yet to come in today’s society but

soon and slowly, we might see the future of what we’re seeing now. It may be a pure ridiculous

claim, but years are coming down faster.

 Lim 4

Work Cited
Le, Tan. “A headset that reads your brainwaves.” Ted.com, July 2010
<http://www.ted.com/talks/tan_le_a_headset_that_reads_your_brainwaves.html>
Stone, Kevin. “The bio-future of joint replacement” Ted.com, July 2010
<http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_stone_the_bio_future_of_joint_replacement.html>
“Evolution and Natural Selection” University of Michigan, December 16 2009
<http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/selection/selection.
html>