Hubris and its comeuppance

Hubris and its comeuppance in fiction: 11 works

1. -800The OdysseyHomer

   Odysseus's pride, such as revealing his name to Polyphemus, often leads to divine wrath and prolonged suffering.

2. 1818FrankensteinMary Shelley

   Victor's overreaching ambition to conquer death brings ruin upon himself and everyone he loves.

3. 1879The Begum's MillionsJules Verne

   The creation of a dystopian city through scientific and industrial power, leading to negative outcomes, suggests hubris in attempting to shape societal ideals.

4. 1896The Island of Doctor MoreauH.G. Wells

   Moreau's godlike ambition to reshape nature collapses into savagery and his own death.

5. 1909The Machine StopsE.M. Forster

   Blind faith in the Machine leaves humanity helpless when it fails.

6. 1960A Canticle for LeibowitzWalter M. Miller Jr.

   Humanity's recovered knowledge leads it to repeat its self-destruction.

7. 1971The Lathe of HeavenUrsula K. Le Guin

   The psychiatrist's attempts to steer Orr's dreams toward utopia unleash catastrophe.

8. 1973WestworldMichael Crichton

   The park's operators' overconfidence in controlling their creations invites disaster.

9. 1993Jurassic ParkSteven Spielberg

   The park's creators assume they can control life they revived, and nature proves them wrong.

10. 2014Ex MachinaAlex Garland

    Nathan's certainty that he can contain his creation leads to his death.

11. 2022M3GANGerard Johnstone

    Overconfidence in controlling the doll's learning drives the disaster.