Science Fiction and Dystopias

14 • Autumn 2005 Science fiction and dystopias ‘O brave new world,/ That has such Consolmagno, curator of meteorites at people in it’ (Shakespeare, The Tempest the Vatican Observatory: ‘Ultimately, SF Vi183) is not about spaceships or bug-eyed mon- sters; it is about human beings’ (Tablet, The ironic use by Aldous Huxley in 1932 30/7/05). He suggests that a writer who of this quotation from Shakespeare for uses story to explore the interaction of the title of his dystopian novel perhaps the human with the ‘almost-human,’ foreshadows the ambivalence character- or ‘deliberately changes one or two key istic of so much writing about imagined truths’ about our world, is using a very futures, for both children and adults. At effective technique. Such stories at their least from the twentieth century onwards, best can work towards ‘a deeper under- it seems that Utopias are far fewer standing of technology, society, and in number than dystopias. Scenarios the fears and dreams of being human.’ abound, in which worlds, either created Perhaps the reason that children’s books in accordance with political or philo- that look towards an imagined future sophical theorising, or resulting from seem to be proliferating is that such scientific progress or disaster, are shown issues have become still more crucial to be flawed. In some of them, bands of in today’s world. Authors and publish- intrepid young people find their way to ers alike realise, perhaps implicitly, how a more hopeful future, perhaps achiev- key is the involvement of young people ing a deliverance that the adults had not in shaping the future and establishing even realised that they needed. human values within it. In this issue of IBBYLink we have a range Pat Pinsent of articles by writers who vary in their interpretations of the terms ‘science The next issue of IBBYLink, Spring 2006, fiction’ and ‘dystopia’ and, as a result, will largely be devoted to summaries present a number of perspectives on the of papers at the November 12th IBBY current situation of this genre (or gen- conference on Children’s Literature in res!) in children’s literature. But I sus- Translation. We would, however, welcome pect that all those who create science reviews, comments, articles on other top- fiction or write about it would agree with ics for inclusion either in that issue or in a statement in a recent article by Guy subsequent ones. CONTENTS 2 Science Fiction – what is it? 10 Children’s Dystopias Luke Slater Kevin McCarron 5 The Transgender Factor 12 Historical If … Farah Mendlesohn Bridget Carrington 7 New dystopias and children’s literature 14 Dystopian Societies Kim Reynolds Pam Robson, with Nikki Gamble and Pat Pinsent 9 The Evils of Technology 18 Reviews Noga Applebaum 19 News and conferences Science Fiction – what is it? Luke Slater and The term science fiction describes a broad the midst of the fictional time and place church, or perhaps more accurately, at hand. Consequently, protagonists in science fiction is used as a blanket term to describe a science fiction are often outsiders – trav- wide array of disparate, squabbling and ellers, even time travellers, rebels or schismatic faiths. Science fiction is in innocent fools – because this allows the some ways the poor relation of the litera- author to use the character as the senses dystopias ture family, looked down on by ‘proper’ of the reader in exploring a new world writers as the domain of hacks and tech- and thus assign basic expository duties to geeks and permitted a sense of superi- dialogue rather than the voice-of-god. ority only in the company of that even more disreputable fictional cousin, hor- If everyone in the fictional world knows ror. To mercilessly stretch the allegory, it what a spoodgeflanger does and what its is also notable that, despite this external role in modern society is, then any expla- condemnation, the internal disputes of nation for the audience must come in the science fiction community are more the form of either a pedantic narrative savage by far; no-one hates a stranger passage which has nothing to do with with the fury they reserve for their the story, or a meaningless discussion next-of-kin. between two characters who essentially agree on everything they are saying but All genre headings are vague and nebu- apparently feel the need to say it at great lous of course, but science fiction is espe- length anyway; the ‘as I am sure you cially so, despite the superficially obvious know…’ method. If the protagonist is a dictionary definition: foreigner of some kind, however, then it makes sense for their guide to describe Science fiction: fiction dealing princi- the role of this most basic of things, as pally with the impact of actual or imagined it would for a potential rebel to receive science on society or individuals or having a diatribe on the subject of how the a scientific factor as an essential orienting spoodgeflanger is not the boon that she component. believed it to be. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Science fiction may encompass a range of sub-genres and styles, but there are a In fact, even the name of this particu- few themes which recur repeatedly, from lar genre is contentious. Many people the most pedantic speculative fiction to – including almost anyone without a the fluffiest of space operas, and perhaps particular axe to grind in the debate – provide a better definition of science fic- abbreviate science fiction to the punch- tion than content. In his Pictorial History ier ‘sci-fi’. There is, however, a corps of of Science Fiction (Hamlyn, 1976), David particularly devoted fans of ‘serious’ sci- Kyle defines four key themes: remark- ence fiction who prefer the acronym SF, able inventions, imaginary voyages, usually using sci-fi as a derogatory term future predictions and social satire. This iBBYLink 14 for low-quality, inferior science fiction, is a useful, broad definition; almost all The British IBBY pronouncing it ‘skiffy’. These purists may science fiction involves one of these four Newsletter also insist that SF stands for speculative fic- features. Autumn 2005 tion, in order to distinguish their kind of literature from mere ‘science fantasy’. Remarkable inventions could include Pat Pinsent discoveries of biology as well as marvel- Editor lous machines. It is notable that in tales Common themes in science fiction of such inventions, their effect on the In science fiction, the setting is king. world around them is as important – if Kathleen Fedouloff While all of the features of good nar- not more important – than the specif- Design & Layout rative will be well-represented in any ics of their operation. Once more we worthwhile work of SF, most science see that the it is the fictional world that To sponsor a future issue of fiction – especially that of the sort pre- dominates. Imaginary voyages, be they IBBYLink, ferred by the purists – is ultimately about through time or space, serve as a vehi- please contact Pat Pinsent the effect of a novel element on society cle for commentary on the world of the [email protected] and humanity. Science fiction frequently story, and so indirectly on the world of commences in media res, or at least in the author. This ties in very closely with 2 science fiction as social satire, wherein morass of pedantic concepts illustrated science fiction the absurdities of a future or alternate through techno-fetishist vignettes. Soft world point at less obvious faults in our SF, meanwhile, runs the gamut between own. The final theme – future prediction cheesy space opera and involving sci- and – involves the use of fiction to explore ence fantasy in which the technological possible realities, whether utopian, nihil- aspects are a vehicle for the story. istic or somewhere in between. dystopias Indeed, this last is often identified as the Less specifically, science fiction deals with key distinction between hard and soft SF. a number of key issues. These include, but In hard science fiction, technology and are not limited to: musings on alienation progress provide the focus and driving and the human condition, in particular force of the narrative. In soft science fic- the effect of scientific progress on human tion, on the other hand, all the technol- identity and interpersonal relationships; ogy in the world is purely an enabling the conflict between technocratic civili- factor. Hard SF stories would not take sation and nature, either human nature place without the science; soft SF uses it or the wider environment; and human only as a tool. reactions to the ‘other’, an unknown element in a rational worldview, which could be an alien, other humans with Sub-genres unusual abilities or beliefs, a new tech- As noted, science fiction covers a broad nology or simply an outsider to a closed territory. It is therefore in order to con- community. clude with a brief survey of some of the more common sub-genres of SF, and Journeys of discovery are a common some of the better examples of each. theme in all branches of science fiction. Whether the journey is epic or personal it • The Unknown Frontier. Exploration of will usually take the characters on a tour the unknown can combine elements of the key points of the setting. The jour- of all four key themes and is a com- ney may be literal, but especially in satiri- monplace in SF writing. The frontier cal stories it will often be allegorical. may be in space or under the sea, or it may lie between dimensions, but the journey is often more important than Hard and soft SF the destination and the reactions of A common critical distinction is drawn the travellers to their voyage matters between ‘hard’ SF – serious fiction, deal- above such trivialities as their per- ing in realistic science and the impact sonal lives.

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