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ABSTRACT the Progression of Societal Reflection in Science ABSTRACT The Progression of Societal Reflection in Science Fiction through Wells, Lewis, and Bradbury Cole Moore Director: Dr. Michael Thomas, PhD. Science fiction has proven to be a tremendous force with a unique power to change individuals, steering them to consider inventive alternatives. Three of the great authors of early science fiction are H.G. Wells, C.S. Lewis, and Ray Bradbury. All three share a passion for the creative, contributing multiple works to the genre leaving an impact during their time period. As the genre changed, these authors wove societal context into their works, exemplifying struggles and weaknesses of their times, and potential outcomes if society continued to move in those directions. To understand the more subtle changes and reflections of society, this thesis looks at each author’s human and non-human (alien) interactions, foreign environment through settings, and impacts of advanced technology. Observing these changes between authors, the intent is to show differing mindsets from each author’s era: Wells and the Turn of the Century, Lewis between the World Wars, and Ray Bradbury in the early Cold War. Each main element of style is analyzed on its own to display the lens the text is viewed in. Afterwards, all three authors are compared against each other to see explicit purposes in their works. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: ______________________________________________ Dr. Michael Thomas, Great Texts APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: ______________________________________________ Dr. Elizabeth Corey, Director DATE: ________________________ THE PROGRESSION OF SOCIETAL REFLECTION IN SCIENCE FICTION THROUGH WELLS, LEWIS, AND BRADBURY A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Cole Moore Waco, Texas May 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 Chapter Two: Interactions between Human and Aliens ..................................................... 8 Chapter Three: Fusion of Science Reality with Science Fantasty via Setting .................. 33 Chapter Four: The Styles and Roles of Technology ......................................................... 49 Chapter Five: Comparison and Conclusion ...................................................................... 71 Works Cited ...................................................................................................................... 87 ii CHAPTER ONE Introduction A black gloved, outstretched hand accompanied by the words “I am your father” should bring an immediate trigger to the pivotal scene in Star Wars that left first time viewers speechless. Teleporters and space ships, aliens and time travel, all serve as clear indicators of science fiction novels across bookshelves everywhere. As the commercial science fiction industry has exploded, since the advents of both Star Wars and Star Trek, it has called into question the validity of science fiction as literature worth studying. In order to support the claim that science fiction is a distinct genre of great literature, a concise definition is necessary; a description that encompasses a select set of novels capable of joining works that have stood the test of time and have value beyond mere entertainment. To form this definition though, the basic elements of science fiction need to be addressed as well. Some call it the genre of change (Thomas). Others phrase the purpose as stories whose focus is exploration, discovery, and learning by means of extrapolation, about mankind and the universe (Thomas). Still more require a sense of impossible technology, or vision of an extraterrestrial environment (Thomas). A synthesis of these thoughts and others appears like this: Science fiction is the construction and analysis of a perceived foreign realm, where authors utilize a variety of technologies, real or imaginative, as elements with which characters interact to reveal interpreted workings of mankind and the universe. 1 Beginning from this definition, understanding what separates literature from commercial becomes a little easier. Not only does an author absorb the reader into their world, they actively convey reflections of society and philosophical concepts in their works, sparking commentary by challenging readers to consider more than the story. Developing over the last century and a half, science fiction has garnered respect in the literary community due in part to the three authors H.G. Wells, C.S. Lewis, and Ray Bradbury. Certainly these men are not the sole pioneers in this field, though in relation to their generations they are exemplar in technique, creativity, and social criticism. As prominent names of their times, Wells, Lewis, and Bradbury all have several things in common, including three elements their novels share: interactions between human and non-human entities in a foreign environment, fusion of science reality with science fantasy through setting, and futuristic technology all the while reflecting current societal dilemmas through stylistic approach. Before these themes are approached though, it is essential to understand factors that may have influenced each author during their lifetime. This begins with the oldest, Wells, and will continue through Lewis, finishing with Bradbury, as each particular section of history is filled with turmoil and drastic changes in global dynamics. H.G. Wells, also known by many as the “father of modern science fiction,” created at least seven novels in the genre, as well as a variety of other works (Wells i). A turn of the century writer, Wells’s first novels appeared around 1896 as a fresh perspective designed to engage the fantastic with reality conveying social projections (Wells ii). With industrialization rapidly increasing and the advent of 1900 on the horizon, Wells captures the attention of hopeful readers, dreaming of the future and the 2 perils that may lie with it. Establishing this element, we are open to interpret a variety of meanings in character interactions, philosophical commentary, and driving plot forces, which are prevalent in his novels The Time Machine (1896) and The War of the Worlds (1898). The primary focus will be these two novels as they have the greatest similarity to the other authors, Lewis and Bradbury, in their prescription to a classic science fiction environment. In The Time Machine Wells brands a character bent on exploring the future, whose adventures center around calamity that is a result of a polarized society. The Time Traveler’s name is symbolic in the story as well, representing the community inspired by such possibility, expanding his characteristics from just one named man to any number of people. This simple element is contrasted later with Lewis’s Dr. Edwin Ransom, a similarly adventurous educated man, possessing a different set of concerns and principles relative to Lewis. Turning back to Wells, the emphasis on The War of the Worlds will focus on the interactions with a superior life form. Possibly the most famous of his novels, in part from various movie renditions, The War of the Worlds is a narrative of alien wrought destruction and humanity’s inability to stop it. Even at the conclusion of the novel, the happy ending is not within human control, but instead a product of the natural world, a reflection of humanity’s imperfection when compared to the “superior” status of the aliens. Wells uses this dynamic to challenge the ideas of progress and where humanity is heading in topics that are still on the forefront of scientific research. Elements of this are paralleled later in Ray Bradbury’s composite work The Martian Chronicles where in early chapters the Martians seem to be nonchalant about interactions with Earth people, until they are spontaneously eliminated by a disease common to humans. Smaller references will be made to The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), as it is 3 the most explicitly philosophical of the three Wells novels and most gruesome. Amongst all the vivisection and bizarre atrocities on the island, the main focus pulls the reader back to the ultimate questions of “What does it mean to be human?” and “How far is too far for science?” in a challenging tale. Following The Island of Doctor Moreau, and tying in elements from the previous Wells works, we are given glimpses into the underlying concepts prevalent throughout these novels, themes that will pervade in works by both Lewis and Bradbury. Shortly after the turn of the century The Great War swept across the world, leaving carnage both in the streets and hearts of the nations (Smith). Arising from this period, though, was sustained growth and ingenuity inspired among the universities and growing populations. As this growth continued, repercussions from World War I left their impact on authors such as C.S. Lewis. Lewis’s transition from atheist to theist to Christian and highly reasoned conclusions were greatly influenced by this, and the impending World War II as seen in his works. Elements of his logicality, British, and Christian background are fundamental to many of his works, especially the universe he designs in his Space Trilogy. Most of the emphasis for this thesis is on his first book, Out of the Silent Planet (1938), but each of his works has philosophical doctrines, which he challenges throughout the course of both Perelandra (1943) and That Hideous Strength (1945). As the most exploratory piece and easiest read, Out
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