As a 90’s kid, I watched Robocop when I was a teenager. This is the story of a police officer who was injured and was rebuilt into an indestructible killing machine (or disarming machine in the later PG-rated TV series). The Six Million Dollar Man was a similar idea, except he was originally an astronaut. Then there was Inspector Gadget, although no one know what the back story is there.

These are glamorized versions of characters with artificial body parts, whether you call them cybernetics, bionics or prosthetics. Of course, in real life prosthetics are not always as fun. I recently read A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell about World Word II spy Virginia Hall who had a prosthetic leg she called Cuthbert. It gave her a lot of pain over the years and she walked with a limp, but she overcame that difficulty and even used it to her advantage sometimes (hiding things in compartments in the false leg).

The point being, having a prosthetic of any sort can be a boost or a challenge, but can make for a good story either way.

Story Prompt: September 7, 2026

Write a story about a character with a prosthetic body part.

We usually think of prosthetics as arms or legs, but here it can mean any artificial body part, from a pacemaker to a magical eyeball that lets you see through walls. That part is up to you.

If you write a story for this prompt, send me a link to your story on your own site, either in the comments or at info@greenwalledtreehouse.com.

Happy Labor Day if you’re in Canada or the US!