Organ transplantation in fiction

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Organ transplantation is a common theme in science fiction and horror fiction, appearing as early as 1925, in Russian short story Professor Dowell's Head.^[1] It may be used as a device to examine identity, power and loss of power,^[2] current medical systems; explore themes of bodily autonomy; or simply as a vehicle for body horror or other fantastical plots. Organ transplantation in fiction is often used as horror and something that harms the people involved, in contrast to how organ donation is presented in real life, as something hopefully good for those involved.^[3]

The circumstances of organ transplantation in fiction can vary widely. Numerous horror movies feature the theme of transplanted body parts that are evil or give supernatural powers, such as in the films Body Parts, Hands of a Stranger, and The Eye. Organ transplants from donors who are unwilling, or incapable of objecting, to having their organs removed are a recurring theme in dystopian fiction. In contrast to unwilling organ donors, there is the theme of individuals who want to donate their own life-critical organs, such as a brain or heart, at the cost of their own life.

As is common in science fiction, writing about organ donation can be a way to speculate on the future of science, medicine, and autonomy, based on what occurs in the present.^[4]

Narratives about organ transplants in science fiction are so widely known in public consciousness that they are occasionally referenced alongside actual medical technology developments. Explaining the advancements of his company, Revivicor, into xenotransplantation technology, David Ayares told NPR that, "[I]t's no longer a science fiction experiment. [...] It's actually a reality."^[5] Examples of casually referring to science fiction while talking about actual transplant technology can also be seen in articles such as "Beyond Science Fiction: Xenotransplantation Becoming Clinical Reality";^[6] "Kidney xenotransplantation: Future clinical reality or science fiction?";^[7] and "Science Fiction Comes Alive as Researchers Grow Organs in Lab".^[8]