cyborg n.

a living organism whose body has been modified to include both biological and mechanical components

[< cybernetic organism]

Wikipedia


Robotics

  • 1960 N.Y. Times 22 May 31/1

    A cyborg is essentially a man-machine system in which the control mechanisms of the human portion are modified externally by drugs or regulatory devices so that the being can live in an environment different from the normal one.

  • 1966 R. A. Heinlein Moon is a Harsh Mistress in Worlds of If Mar. 134/2 page image Robert A. Heinlein bibliography

    Good ship Lark had been stripped—total crew was skipper and a Cyborg pilot.

  • 1966 F. Herbert Eyes of Heisenberg in Galaxy Magazine Aug. 143/1 Frank Herbert bibliography

    From the shoulders down, where Glisson’s arms had been, now dangled only the empty linkages for Cyborg prosthetic attachments.

  • 1971 ‘J. Tiptree, Jr.’ in Galaxy Magazine Mar. 148/1 James Tiptree, Jr.

    The old cyborg op couldn’t care less. He had electrode jacks all over his skull and his knuckles sprouting wires.

  • 1972 M. Caidin (title) Martin Caidin bibliography

    Cyborg.

  • 1973 R. Goulart Tin Angel 72 Ron Goulart bibliography

    Everyone grows and matures…even a cyborg dog.

  • 1974 R. Goulart Stungun Slim in T. Carr Universe 4 101 Ron Goulart bibliography

    I understand, Joshua. I hung around with a cyborg hooker on Barafunda who was the same way.

  • 1985 J. Shirley & B. Sterling Unfolding in J. Clute et al. Interzone: 2nd Anthology (1987) 161 Bruce Sterling John Shirley bibliography

    He rarely made whirring or clicking noises, and few people knew he was a cyborg.

  • 1991 M. Weiss King’s Test i. viii. 70 Margaret Weis bibliography

    A hulking cyborg encased in a protective suit, he twiddled a robotic arm at what was left of the space plane.

  • 2003 A. M. Steele The Madwoman of Shuttlefield in Asimov’s Science Fiction May 70 page image Allen Steele bibliography

    A Savant: a posthuman who had once been flesh and blood until he’d relinquished his humanity to have his mind downloaded into cyborg form, becoming an immortal intellect.

  • 2019 N. Okorafor Broken Places & Outer Spaces vii. 55 Nnedi Okorafor bibliography

    In the year 2029, my legs’ exoskeletons are made of magnesium alloy woven into a delicate periwinkle lattice of networks, thin and barely noticeable like the web of a spider that catches the light just so. [...] In 2029, I’m anything but normal. I am a cyborg. However, in 1993, I wasn’t quite there yet. I was closer to where I’d been as an infant, frustrated as I tried to retrain my body to do such a seemingly simple task. I hoisted myself up.

Research requirements

antedating 1960
Earliest cite

NY Times
Research History
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a reprint of George R.R. Martin's "Manna From Heaven"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1985 first appearance.
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 2001 cite from Alastair Reynolds' "Chasm City".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1998 cite from E. Davis' "TechGnosis".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1992 cite from Bradley Denton's "Buddy Holly is Alive and Well and Living on Ganymede".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a 1988 reprint of Walter Jon Williams' 1986 "Hardwired".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a 1977 reprint of Ron Goulart's 1974 story "Stungun Slim".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1975 cite from a competition entry by Alice Simmons in F&SF.
Douglas Winston submitted a 1972 cite from Ron Goulart's "The Tin Angel".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1987 cite from David Brin's "Lungfish".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a reprint of James Tiptree's "Mother in the Sky with Diamonds"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1971 first magazine appearance.
Dave Langford submitted a cite from Frank Herbert's "The Eyes of Heisenberg"; Mike Christie verified it in the August 1966 issue of Galaxy where it first appeared.
Dave Langford submitted a cite from Robert Heinlein's "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress"; Mike Christie verified it in its frst appearance in the March 1966 issue of If.
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2019 cite from Nnedi Okorafor.

Last modified 2021-09-30 15:10:27
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.