Cyborg - Marie O'Mahony

'Cyborg', from the Greek for 'steersman' combined with 'organism', was coined in the mid-20th century to describe the new human who would be required for space travel - enhanced by mechanical, chemical or electronic means, he or she would be half-human, half-machine. This excitingly-illustrated book discusses the astonishing changes in biotechnology that make the cyborg seem more science fact than science fiction. Soon we could all be Superman or Wonderwoman. What will this mean to us as individuals? How will it affect society? The author reminds us that the yearning for immortality and superpowers is as ancient as the human race; it's just that these now seem within our reach. We are guided on a journey through metamorphoses old and new, fictional and factual - from werewolves to genetic engineering, from Dr Frankenstein to a professor's arm controlled by another's thoughts, from the androids of science fiction to a real robot sensitive to human moods.