Posthumanism and Artificial Intelligence in Contemporary English Literature: A Critical Exploration

This research paper examines how contemporary English literature reflects and engages with the rise of posthumanism and artificial intelligence (AI). It investigates how literary narratives explore identity, consciousness, ethics, embodiment, and technology. Key works such as Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (2021), Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy (2003–2013), Ian McEwan’s Machines Like Me (2019), and Ted Chiang’s short stories are analyzed. Through critical frameworks in posthumanist theory, the paper explores how literature negotiates the boundaries between the human and the machine, challenging traditional humanist assumptions. This study contributes to understanding literature’s role in reflecting societal anxieties about technological evolution.