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Familiar Aliens: Science Fiction As Social Commentary

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Familiar Aliens: Science Fiction As Social Commentary Elaine J. O’Quinn and Heather Atwell Familiar Aliens: Science Fiction as Social Commentary hile literature teachers have a reputation tive consequences for the world, proving that humans for reading everything from War and Peace have the capacity to unleash the powers of destruc- W to the backs of cereal boxes, the reality tion in the name of progress; others, like vaccines and is that they sometimes fall into the common trap of pacemakers, show our ability to imagine and create many readers, which is to find a genre that gratifies ways to preserve and improve human life. In other and stick with it. Consequently, genres like science words, science and technology comprise a double- fiction may get little attention in the classroom beyond edged sword of destruction and preservation; as the the classic Ray Bradbury or Jules Verne. Teachers un- two evolve, there will be questions of ethics and familiar with science fiction cannot offer their students morality. its wealth of texts that deal seriously with a variety of Teaching students to challenge and question complex, contemporary social issues, some of which the world around them should be one of the major have obvious tie-ins to technology. Not only does goals of the literature classroom. If the intent is to science fiction offer wonderful opportunities for the encourage students to create meaning, then English English classroom, but the possibilities across the cur- curricula hold a wealth of opportunities for teaching riculum also are immense. Science, math, computer such skills. To this end, teachers traditionally teach technology, psychology, and even economics are pos- classic texts such as Frankenstein (Shelly, 1818), The sible discussion topics, and these subjects comment Invisible Man and War of the Worlds (H. G. Wells, on how humankind’s imagination can lead to the best 1897, 1898), Brave New World (Huxley, 1931), and and worst in its creations. Aliens are no longer unrec- I, Robot (Asimov, 1950). These texts, and others like ognizable monsters; they have become the scientific them, posed important questions about the nature and technological avatars of a modern world. and the future of science, society, and commerce for Throughout history, the human many generations of students. From race has developed ways to make genetic manipulation to artificial lives longer, richer, and more con- Aliens are no longer intelligence, books that reveal the venient. Our expanding knowledge power of the human mind to imag- of the world is continually applied unrecognizable monsters; ine unlikely events and situations to advancements and devices that they have become the capture readers’ attention. The “improve” lives. Each generation interest in science fiction hasn’t sees new inventions and discover- scientific and technologi- waned, and judging by the current ies that previous generations could number of texts that address these only imagine, or may never have cal avatars of a modern issues, interest may, in fact, be imagined. Some inventions, like world. increasing. bombs and weapons, have nega- The wonders of the field now 45 HE EVIEW T ALAN R Summer 2010 g45-50-TAR-Summer2010.indd 45 5/12/10 3:38 PM called “techno-science” have become an integral part individuality is removed—perform all menial labor. In of daily life in contemporary society. A generation of this society, the wealthy can extend their lives by har- teens lives in a world in which knowledge is literally vesting the organs of their own living clones. When at their fingertips. Even the word “impossible” may we consider who has access to the best health care in be outdated. Through television, radio, movies, the America, this concept is not farfetched. World Wide Web, cell phones, iPods, digital down- The drug empire of Opium, set up between the loads, GPS systems, global gaming, instant messaging, United States and Mexico, is a solution to the im- and online social network- migration crisis, and the “eejits” who work there are ing, students commonly the poor souls who have unsuccessfully tried to sneak While not specifically a spend the majority of their across the border. They are turned into robot-like day exposed to technology. beings who do only what they are programmed to science or technology Similarly, medical advanc- do—eating, drinking, and resting only when com- issue, immigration, as es such as genetic testing, manded to do so—and who are forced to live in the cloning, stem cell research, most inhuman of conditions. While not specifically a imagined by Farmer, DNA identification, and science or technology issue, immigration, as imagined the manipulation of human by Farmer, simply becomes a potential spoke in the simply becomes a poten- cells have become topics wheel of a genetic conspiracy. The seemingly ridicu- of daily discussions. No lous scenario highlights the current lack of a solution tial spoke in the wheel of longer are such subject to the American immigration problem, and the menial a genetic conspiracy. matters left only to the labor the eejits must perform has a hauntingly familiar experts to debate; ethical resemblance to the current lot of many immigrants and moral challenges to progress become the province who work long, hard hours for little pay. Students will of everyone. no doubt see immediately the connection to two con- While classic texts remain powerful tools of temporary social problems—wealth distribution and discussion and historical relevance, Marc Aronson immigration—and will most likely have strong reac- (2003) reminds us that “if adults want books to be tions to and important questions about the long-term part of teenagers’ lives, they must provide books that social consequences of each, as presented in Farmer’s are equally attuned to the present” (p. 42). Young story. people need books that inspire them to question and Like the eejits, the minds of the clones are also challenge their world, much as the classic texts chal- systematically destroyed, turning them into nonsen- lenged former generations. Contemporary young adult sical beasts. Clones have no traditional mother and science fiction approaches issues of techno-science father; they are taken from an existing person’s genes to specifically appeal to adolescents and deal with and allowed to develop inside of a cow until they are problems they know are real. Many of these texts harvested as infants. Locked up and isolated, they are play off of the current technologies in which students generally detested as creatures less respectable than participate and the public dilemmas of ethics that they animals. Readers learn quickly that Matt, the main hear about in the news, from family and friends, or character of this book, is the one clone who is spared experience for themselves. The genre is a natural for the “intelligence removal” treatment. That is because thinking about how closely good and evil are related. he is the clone of the lord of Opium, El Patron, who wants his clone to have a “normal” childhood until Considering the Realities of The House he needs to harvest his organs. Matt is an intriguing of Scorpion main character because, while he feels himself to be a human being as much as anybody else, he is treated The House of the Scorpion (Farmer, 2002) is an ex- like “a bad animal,” an “it” (p. 27). The reader can- cellent example of young adult science fiction that not help but identify with Matt as he tries to define deserves to be in the classroom. Farmer addresses himself in the face of a society that tells him over and the issue of gene manipulation by creating a society over again that he is less than human. Although he is in which drones or “eejits”—whose intelligence and a genetic copy of El Patron, he is still obviously living 46 HE EVIEW T ALAN R Summer 2010 g45-50-TAR-Summer2010.indd 46 5/12/10 3:38 PM his own life, has his own thoughts and desires, and valuable. This book easily becomes a vehicle for develops his own personality, much to the chagrin of interdisciplinary study. At the same time, reading The El Patron, who would have him be nothing more than House of the Scorpion could add a level of interest to a shadow in the world. Again, the parallel thinking by what students learn in science. Students who “hate” some about those who live in society’s borderlands is English but are interested in science will be drawn in frightening. by this book. Likewise, students who love literature In the real world, human cloning is not something but feel that science is not a subject to enjoy will find we have yet accomplished, although we are surpris- important connections between the story line and the ingly close. Last year, there were reports in the news world of science they inhabit every day. of the cloning of rhesus monkey embryos to produce Other texts that deal with scientific questions and stem cells, and, in fact, it has already been ten years issues include The Angel Experiment: Maximum Ride since Dolly the sheep was cloned. Scientists are still by James Patterson (2005), Mergers by Steven Layne a long way from actually being able to grow a human (2006), and Transplant by Malcolm Rose (2003). Pat- clone inside the womb to produce a baby, but they are terson’s book raises interesting questions about the certainly closer to it than ever. In fact, 15 American potential use of DNA; Layne’s talks about a society states already have laws pertaining to human cloning. of assimilated races; and Rose tackles another is- It is not inconceivable that human cloning will be pos- sue that has already been sible in our lifetime, and it is easily imaginable during in the headlines—face the lifetime of our students.
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