The Golem

Gustav Meyrink · 1915 · Novel

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Meyrink's novel explores the ancient concept of creating artificial, human-like life for a specific purpose, laying groundwork for later narratives on manufactured beings and their personhood.

What it is

Set in the Jewish Ghetto of Prague, the story follows Athanasius Pernath, who experiences strange visions and a blurring of identity, intertwined with the legend of the Golem, a clay figure brought to life. Meyrink's novel delves into themes of artificial creation, the uncanny, and the blurring of human identity.

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Never Let Me Go· 2005↓ open

The Golem explores the foundational idea of creating artificial, human-like life for a specific purpose, a concept that 'Never Let Me Go' later re-examines through modern bio-engineering and the ethical questions of personhood.