THE NEXT GENERATION & VOYAGER Kim Louise Parrent A
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1 HOLO-PURSUITS: HOLOGRAPHIC IDENTITY & AGENCY IN STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION & VOYAGER Kim Louise Parrent A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English University of Canterbury 2017. 2 Table of Contents List of Illustrations 2 Abbreviations 3 Acknowledgments 4 Dedication 6 Abstract 7 Chapter One: Introduction: “The Final Frontier”: In Pursuit of Holographic Agency 8 Chapter Two: “The Frankenstein Complex”: Creating “Monsters” Through Scientific Discourse in “Home Soil” & “Evolution” 83 Chapter Three: I Think, Therefore I Exist? 124 Chapter Four: Latent Subject 160 Chapter Five: “Author, Author”: Rebellion, Auth(or)enticity and the Hologram 201 Chapter Six: Violent Revolution in “Revulsion” & “Flesh & Blood” 229 Conclusion: “Computer, End Programme” Holographic Revolution & Rebellion – A Holo-Pursuit 260 Bibliography 269 List of Illustrations. Figure 1. Commander William Riker emerges onto the holodeck for the first time 29 Figure 2. Captain Janeway and the EMH face off on the Holodeck 70 Figure 3. Professor Moriarty contemplates his universe 134 Figure 4. The Doctor’s eye 176 Figure 5. Janeway’s disfigured eyes 178 Figure 6. Seven of Nine’s optical implant 181 Figure 7. Two EMH Mark I’s discuss ‘Photon’s be Free’ 203 All illustrations are sourced from Star Trek Wiki.com 3 Abbreviations. A.I. – Artificial Intelligence BS/WM – Black Skins, White Masks CED – Chambers English Dictionary D/P – Discipline and Punishment EMH – Emergency Medical Hologram OED – Oxford English Dictionary OS – Original Series S/K – Situated Knowledge WE – Wretched of the Earth 4 Acknowledgements The completion of this thesis has been an interesting, enlightening, protracted, and at times stressful journey. It was completed amidst the upheavals and stresses of the Christchurch earthquakes (2011), and the closure of the American Studies Department soon afterwards. Conceived within the American Studies Department, my research topic was developed from my interest in science fiction television as a medium to study the politics of identity and through discussions with Dr. Jessica Johnston, whose passion for teaching and science fiction television was infectious. She was to continue as my primary supervisor for this thesis until 2014, in conjunction with Dr. Cornelia Sears, after successfully guiding my Master’s thesis on Stargate SG- 1. I am grateful to Professor Daniel Bernardi, who was the examiner of my completed thesis on Stargate SG-1 and the politics of whiteness, for his generous and encouraging comments on my thesis, which further fuelled my interest in developing my research in science fiction television. But the seeds of this thesis go back many years, emerging from my original roots in science, and a degree in Botany/Ecology and Animal Behaviour, then in my interest and subsequent Honours Degree in post-colonial studies and human-animal relationships. Some of the theoretical concepts as they apply to my topic evolved out of these varied perspectives. After 2013, my supervisory team changed as my thesis moved under the direction of the English Department. I would like to thank Professor Patrick Evans, especially for his help in the editing of this paper and his supportive feedback on the completed draft. I am grateful to Dr Daniel Bedggood for stepping in as my new primary supervisor and for his comments on the final 5 draft. I am also grateful to the University of Canterbury’s Civil & Natural Resources Engineering Department, which over the last three years has provided me with on-going employment as a teaching assistant co-ordinator and more recently a full-time academic position. Without this financial support, I would not have been able to complete this thesis. On a personal note, I would like to thank my family for their enduring and unfailing support throughout this journey. In particular, my grandparents, John and Alicia Oliver, who sadly will not see the end result, both having passed away before this work was completed. Their endless faith and encouragement, and their ardent belief in the importance of education led me to embark on this doctorate. Finally, but not least of all, my mother Gail Parrent, whose confidence in my ability to succeed despite endless setbacks was invaluable. Without her loving and unconditional support, I would not have completed this work. Thank you. 6 To Holly, my late nonhuman companion who until her passing at the age of 13, reminded me daily with her feline antics and seemingly endless kitten-hood, to stop, look up from the page and play. 7 Abstract In this thesis, I explore issues relating to holographic identity, agency and the place and position of the hologram in Star Trek. My critique of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager explores the nature of the hologram as a subordinate or subaltern class within the hegemonic environment of Starfleet, earth’s representative for space exploration and colonization. By bringing together issues of resistance and agency and the politics of simulacra identity, I argue that the figure of the hologram represents a struggle for power, agency, and voice. My focus is on the hologram’s journey towards agency and resistance against the hegemonic discourse of Starfleet. I examine how the hologram’s journey highlights the fictional disparities in power relations between the dominant and the marginalized within American science fiction television and demonstrate how this subjugation results in the silencing of the “Other”. I examine these complex issues utilising theories on humanism, posthumanism, postcolonialism, subaltern studies, animal rights, and artificial intelligence in order to demonstrate the relevance of science fiction television, and in particular, the fictional representations of the hologram in the study of the politics of identity. Within these Star Trek narratives, the hologram is often monopolized, dominated and exploited by the humanoid. Key Words: science fiction, Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation, holograms, subaltern, agency, hegemony, counter-hegemony, whiteness, “race”, posthumanism, posthuman, ALife, Artificial Intelligence, postcolonialism, Michel Foucault, Franz Fanon. 8 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION “THE FINAL FRONTIER”: IN PURSUIT OF HOLOGRAPHIC AGENCY “The Final Frontier”: this famous phrase has echoed throughout popular culture since it was first conceived by Gene Roddenberry for the opening sequence of Star Trek (OS). 1 This phrase is never more appropriate than when applied to the frontier of Artificial Intelligence and ALife. In contemporary science fiction narratives a new mechanical phylum has arisen that includes androids, cyborgs, robots, nanobots and holograms. ALife represents the best and worst of human creativity, from mechanical monsters to cyborg heroes. Whether viewed as villains or heroes, ALife challenges humanity’s claim to supremacy and uniqueness. The final hurdle that humanity faces is to confront or to coexist with their mechanical offspring. Science fiction asks the question: Will ALife ultimately replace humans, or live alongside humanity with equal consideration? Science fiction literature has been widely studied in relation to questions of identity politics, alienation, and marginalisation. Although questions regarding the position of ALife alongside humanity have become common within science fiction literature and are well entrenched within academia, the study of science fiction television has not always received such academic acclaim. Science fiction television often takes a back seat to the study of so-called “higher” science fiction literary narratives in the form of the 1 Eugene (Gene) Roddenberry began writing for television in the 1950s and left the police force in order to pursue writing full time. His idea for Star Trek emerged out of a desire to create a “wagon train to the stars”. He wanted to use the series to comment on the “human condition” at a time in American history, the 1960s, that was particularly turbulent (Greenberger). 9 novel.2 However, as a number of scholars and academics have demonstrated over the last two decades, science fiction television is an important and versatile medium in which to study the thematic complexities of such narratives. With the rise of Posthumanism, science fiction film and television have come into their own. The ability to see such narratives on screen, with the inclusion of cinematic special effects, brings science fiction tales vividly to life and offers new ways of investigating these storylines. Arguably, the visual retelling of many classic science fiction tales allows these narratives to reach a wider and more diverse audience. Consequently, the ways in which science fiction narratives can be interpreted visually are useful additions to the analysis of science fiction texts. With the rise of digital media and the increasing interest in televisual and cinematic remaking of classic science fiction texts, the critical study of science fiction television will continue to be an important addition to university scholarship. My interest in science fiction began with television, and in particular, series like Star Trek and Doctor Who. Growing up watching these shows in the seventies introduced me to a world of otherness – the otherness of alien civilisations, and of space/time travel. Although these original series now seem dated and at times even comical, with their outdated special effects and corny dialogue, they nevertheless introduced a generation of children and adults to the delights