Frankenstein Complex

Basic Information

The Frankenstein Complex is a psychological phenomenon - mental disorder might be too harsh - related to a human tendency to reject created things that are too like humans, whilst still being visually different.

This complex has its roots in the uncanny valley of perception.

The term was coined by Isaac Asimov to describe the tendency in popular culture to portray robots as menacing. He wrote his robot stories specifically to counter this assumption, and frequently has his roboticist and robot characters contending with anti-robot prejudice in society.

Not to be confused with Frankenstein Syndrome which relates to the rebellion of the created against their creators.

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia article: Frankenstein Complex

Game and Story Use

• A useful trigger to a robot war, or any kind of pogrom against artificial or altered life (including bioroids and possibly parahumans).