Title: From “Andréide” to the “Mechanical Beauty”: The Journey of a Concept with Its Contemporary Technological Implications

Abstract: The figure of “Andréide” in the late-19th century French science fiction novel L’Ève future represents a pivotal moment in the conceptual genealogy of the “Mechanical Beauty,” profoundly shaping subsequent narratives of Human-Android romance in science-fiction literature and media. Tracing the conceptual evolution of the “Mechanical Beauty” from its early origins to contemporary interpretations reveals that the philosophical connotations embedded in the “Andréide” have been partially misinterpreted during its reception. This has led to the reconstitution of the “Mechanical Beauty” in recent works into three dominant types: the “perfect lover,” the “emotional laborer,” and the “reified object,” each deviating from its original conceptual design. The originality of L’Ève future lies not merely in its unprecedented portrayal of Android, but also in the way the “Andréide” exhibits traits of a living being and embodies “alterity,” offering technological implications for the design of companion Android today.

Keywords: the Mechanical Beauty, intimate relationship between human and Android, L’Ève future, technological implications

Author: Tingting Chen, Associate Professor, School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2025.04.012