A science fiction implant: Organ transplants in literature

Authors

  • Xavier Duran TV3

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.10498

Keywords:

transplants, literature, bioethics, Russian science fiction, organ donation

Abstract

Long before the first successful transplants were performed on humans, some writers had wrote about them in fiction. In this article, we show some examples and explain how even seemingly crazy ideas were inspired by real experiments. Starting from the 1970s, when transplants had already been standardised, some narratives started to pose real problems such as the lack of donors. The works mentioned here show the importance of literature and its contributions to the ethical and social debate surrounding transplants. They can also spread those debates to many other sectors.

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Author Biography

Xavier Duran, TV3

He has a degree in Chemical Sciences and a PhD in Communication Sciences, and now works as a science journalist for TV3, as well as writing books of essays and other science popularisation works. He has published several books, among which La ciència en la literatura (University of Barcelona, 2015) stands out. His work L’imperi de les dades. El big data, oportunitats i amenaces (Bromera, 2018) won the XXIII European Award of Science Communication General Study.

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Published

2018-06-05

How to Cite

Duran, X. (2018). A science fiction implant: Organ transplants in literature. Metode Science Studies Journal, (8), 231–237. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.10498
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Issue

Making science: A multitude of perspectives (2018)

Section

Narrating health. Literature and medicine

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