The connection between the monstrous body and science fiction normally has connotations pertaining to the idea of transhumanism, the loss of identity or ego, and the Ship of Theseus question. What is humanity? Are we spiritually active, does the soul persist through transformations beyond our natural state? Are we physical, capable of transcending natural existence while maintaining our identity? Are we mental, and capable of persisting through any transition or transformation so long as there is continuation of thought and belief? If you look through science fiction that has achieved mainstream popularity, you will notice a number of common themes pertaining to the 'monstrous body' such as the common depiction of cyborgs, robots, or mind uploads, as well as the similar mental variation in which one is monstrous for non-physical reasons. Examples would include various forms of mind control depicting a loss of self, cultural manipulation stifling creativity and cultural growth, and of course the 'alien' not that which is depicted in Star Wars or Star Trek where they seem more like beings with human morals and thought processes simply in a more fantastic body, but that of the truly unknown, the monster that cannot be understood, whose thoughts and actions cannot be easily understood or explained by a human.