Cyborgs, Ethics, and The Matrix: Simulations of Sex and Gender (Palgrave Studies in (Re)Presenting Gender)

The Matrix (Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski 1999) has permeated our cultural consciousness for two decades, working its way into such common parlance as “a glitch in the Matrix,” and the idea of taking the Red Pill.  With the release of the fourth movie, The Matrix Resurrections (Lana Wachowski 2021), and the confirmation of the franchise being a metaphor for gender transition, this book examines how the entire franchise contributes to the discourse on sex and gender, and how it has been instrumental in propelling the creation of new types of cyborg technology.  This book centers on the main philosophical theme of The Matrix, know thyself, and relate it to the quest for authenticity which creates our identities—be they human, or human “enough”—as we move through the world.  Read more