Symbolic bodies: analysis of media, cybernetics and the queer-crip patient in <i>The Membranes</i>

In modern society, the advancement of technology has blurred the boundaries between real and imaginary, and human and machine. The collapse of these foundational binaries generates a hyperreal state, which philosopher Jean Baudrillard defines as a reality where truth has been replaced with symbols. This article explores the influence of signs and simulacra on medical care through an analysis of <i>The Membranes</i> by Chi Ta-wei, a Taiwanese speculative fiction novella set in the dystopic underwater T City in the year 2100. In its culminating twist, <i>The Membranes</i> reveals that the life of the main character Momo-a 30-year-old transgender celebrity 'dermal care technician'-was a simulation written by Mother. Through the lens of Baudrillard's <i>Simulacra and Simulation</i>, this article dissects how the body has been reduced to a symbol in the hyperreality of T City and explores the impact of this on Momo as a queer-crip patient; then, by analysing the ethics of Mother's decision, this article examines considerations for caretaking in a world of simulacra. Altogether, these findings reflect the potential of speculative fiction works 'of the universe of simulation' as a tool for reimagining queer-crip futurity.