Science Fiction and American Culture » August 30th: Robots and Zombies

August 30th: Robots and Zombies

Don’t forget to do the Weekly Discussion post “Introduce Yourself” before Thursday at 11:00pm.

Plan for Today

Critical Theory

We’re reading science fiction to help us think about the world around us. Although I ask questions on Tests about what happened in a story, that’s to make sure you’re reading. However, this class isn’t about your ability to recall plot and characters–it’s about thinking. And thinking separates us from zombies. It’s hard to be autonomous if you don’t think for yourself, and I want you to push yourselves to think more deeply in general. The texts we read have themes that become apparent when we read between the lines. I’m trying to get you to recognize that. If you’re ever not sure, please ask.

Why is this section titled “critical theory”? Great question! Critical theory is a school of thought, and, in the interest of brevity, consider it an approach to a text that asks what social, cultural, historical, etc. influences mediate the text. There is also a goal for this type of analysis, and Max Horkheimer (1984) claims it is “to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them” (Critical Theory, 244). Our view of literature privileges this analysis because it allows us to understand motivations, and it can also help us understand why we make the choices we make (and whether or not those are free choices).

Literary Vocabulary

These are important terms to know when talking about literature. Sometimes we (English professors) use different terms interchangeably, but the definitions below are good for our purposes in this class.

  • Intentionality fallacy: this fallacy refers to the shortsighted belief that textual meaning comes solely through the author’s intent. Even when authors or directors are around and claim “I meant this…I didn’t mean that…,” meaning is beyond their total control. After all, they’re products of a culture.
  • Theme: a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.
  • Allusion: making reference to something, often in a text. For instance, many early American writers alluded to Biblical stories in their works.
  • Allegory: “figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.” For instance, the characters or events in a text symbolize a deeper meaning than what’s on the page.
  • metaphor: figurative and not literal language; “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.” {I will often ask you to read our texts metaphorically as opposed to literally. Don’t expect the words on the page to be interpreted on face…learn to read between the lines.}
  • extended metaphor: a metaphor that continues throughout a work or short passage. Again, it’s figurative language.

Asimov, Isaac “Reason” (1941)

Because I use “Reason” in so many classes, I have a separate page devoted to it.

Heinlein, Robert. “All You Zombies–” (1959)

Heinlein is a famous (and controversial) science fiction writer. He might be best known for his novel Starship Troopers (1959), which has a film adaptation (1997) that pokes fun at the audience. Heinlein and Asimov (along with Arthur C. Clarke) are considered the three greatest science fiction writers from the “Golden Age of Science Fiction” (the 1950s were part of that age but in a transition). Although this stigma is still part of people’s views of science fiction, Heinlein was instrumental in raising the literary bar of science fiction from goofy entertainment to a thought-provoking genre.

Heinlein is important as a bridge between an artificial distinction in science fiction:

  • social science fiction: concerned with social aspects of imagined worlds and projections of technology and science.
  • hard science fiction: emphasizes technical or scientific accuracy in narratives.

Of course, this class is more concerned with social science fiction because we’re reading science fiction in order to discuss culture. Fans of hard science fiction often get hung up on the plausibility of technologies and might consider a work’s value based on it ability to predict the future. Heinlein was an engineer, so he understood the science behind space flight, satellites, and communication technologies. Heinlein and other science fiction writers of this Golden Age were instrumental in exciting public imagination about other worlds and space travel. That’s important for citizens to get behind government initiatives for rockets, satellites, and, of course, the space race.

The Paradox of Jane/Bartender/Single Mother

This isn’t just a story about a guy who, using time travel, fathers and mothers himself and spills his/her guts to himself who serves him drinks. That’s confusing, but we need to think metaphorically. Although we’re not coming up with THE meaning and, instead, looking for a meaning, let’s consider the following themes Heinlein’s story could be directing us to think about:

Heinlein’s text could be telling readers that we construct our own realities. Think about this with a postmodern lens—no grand narrative. Even if we’re social products, we still pick and choose and filter information from our own points of view. The word solipsism is good for this discussion: only the self can actually be known and knowledge beyond oneself can’t truly be verified.

Zombies are metaphors for the masses—for people. People who are considered non-thinkers are called zombies. Zombies aren’t necessarily aimless; they just don’t understand why they’re engaging in the behaviors they carry out. When we get to consumerism, we’ll discuss zombies again.

Next Class

Monday is Labor Day, so there’s no class, but it’s a good time to catch up on the reading or even get ahead. Don’t forget to do the Weekly Discussion post “Introduce Yourself” by tomorrow at 11:00pm. No makeups given for Discussion Posts. Next week, you’ll have a prompt that you’ll need to respond to in at least 250 words. You’ll have three readings for Wednesday, 9/06:

  • Weinbaum, Stanley. “A Martian Odyssey” (1934) online
    • This is less satirical and might be more straight forward about conquest…let’s see
  • Delany, Samuel R. “Aye, and Gomorrah” (1967) online
    • Read this one for satire like Tiptree’s “And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill’s Side”
  • Delany, Samuel R. “Racism and Science Fiction,” New York Review of Science Fiction, no. 120, August 1998. online