A human disguise (also human guise and sometimes human form)[1] is a concept in fantasy, folklore, mythology, religion, literature, iconography, and science fiction whereby non-human beings — such as gods, angels, monsters, extraterrestrials, or robots — are able to shapeshift or be disguised to seem human.[2][3] Stories have depicted the deception as a means used to blend in with people, and science fiction has used the dichotomy to raise questions about what it means to be human.[4]
- ^ Or other synonymous descriptions, such as "disguised as human being(s)", or "taking human shape". This article concerns the underlying concept rather than any particular phrase.
- ^ Westfahl, Gary (2005). The Greenwood encyclopedia of science fiction and fantasy: themes, works, and wonders, Volume 1. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 202–204. ISBN 0-313-32951-6.
Disguises also aid in crossing racial barriers, often represented in science fiction through the use of aliens in space or robots. Sometimes humans attempt to pass as the other ... more often, aliens, and robots attempt to appear human.
- ^ Westfahl, Gary (2005). The Greenwood encyclopedia of science fiction and fantasy: themes, works, and wonders, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 704–706. ISBN 0-313-32952-4.
Stories of secret identities have roots in ancient mythologies as disguised deities frequently descended to walk among mortals.
- ^ The Android and the Human, Philip K. Dick, 1972