With the development of science and technology, humanity is entering a posthuman era. Responding to the societal demands of this upcoming age, the core of posthumanism aims to set new standards for the human condition and overcome anthropocentrism. In debates around the impact of posthumans, SF has ...
With the development of science and technology, humanity is entering a posthuman era. Responding to the societal demands of this upcoming age, the core of posthumanism aims to set new standards for the human condition and overcome anthropocentrism. In debates around the impact of posthumans, SF has been a generative tool for the posthumanists to preach effectively their agendas with cultural influence.
This dissertation explores the features of the posthuman space in SF novels, particularly focusing on the works of the three female SF writers: Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia E. Butler, and Margaret Atwood. To investigate the diversified social spaces reflecting the new era, this dissertation posits three alterations relevant to the production of posthuman space. First, the advanced technology has enabled people to have access to territorially expanded space. Second, posthumans take a role as the main agents of a new social space production. Third, the former social spaces will be reproduced according to ideological deconstruction in the posthuman period.
Inasmuch as the ultimate value of social space production concurs with the idea of utopia, the inquiry on the production of the posthuman space should also be conducted with an emphasis on the examination of utopian possibilities in the new society. Although the critical utopia that achieved its heyday in the 1970s seems to result in the occupation of dystopia, the utopian impulse still serves as a valid starting point for reconsidering the value of a society. It requires continued research of utopia in accordance with different values from those of modern utopia. Based on the varying social relations and consciousness captured in the works of the three writers, this dissertation attempts to scrutinize the major changes of thought in the last half-century on the utopian space pursued by modern society.
Therefore, chapter Ⅱ examines the features of social space, newly found or invented in the posthuman era in Le Guin’s fictions. Her SF novels are set in an alternate universe in which the evolution of human beings is considered to be a result of interstellar colonization project of another planet, Hain. Through the works of Hainish cycle, Le Guin indicates the problems of colonization repeated in geographically expanded cosmos and cyberspace. The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), a prominent examination of androgyny in SF, notes social systems affected by the political progress of civilization. Regarding utopian impulses, Le Guin delineates the paradigm shift in space of interconnectedness with a cosmic coalition. Meanwhile, The Word for World Is Forest (1976) concentrates more on detectable negatives of spatial integrity and depicts the reprehensible manner of colonizers. In the process of subversion, the Athsheans’ ability to access and control their subconscious embodies their dream as a form of cyberspace. Le Guin presses that proper responsibility and ethical consciousness conform to the new form of space that transcends the conventional space-time concept.
Chapter Ⅲ discusses the aspect of social space produced by posthuman subjects based on Butler's works. Butler has been recognized as the first African-American female science fiction writer who introduced a black female narrative in this genre. Describing both anticipation and shortcomings of posthuman space production, Butler’s literary works represent well-balanced comprehension of the posthuman space affected by the desire of posthuman individuals or collective subjects. Specifically, Wild Seed (1980) portrays the breeding of superpowers, whereas Lilith’s Brood (2000) suggests the birth of hybrid species with aliens. Each story casts light upon a cross-section called the emergence of technologically enhanced transcendent beings, while its social spaces are reproduced under the domination of colonial and patriarchal ideology. It highlights the ideas of the critical utopia, noting the deterministic limitations of transhumanists’ claims that only the transformation of mankind would ensure an ideal future for humanity. Butler’s works indicate that the spaces produced by technologically enhanced posthumans try to achieve the feature of utopia only to be confronted with their own limits.
Chapter Ⅳ delves into the spatial conversion associated with the disintegrated social values in the posthuman age through the works of Atwood. Posthuman space is easily identified as the autonomous sphere of posthuman figures. But far from being the realm of exclusion, humans still exert influence on the way how society should work and how it should change. Thus, the production of posthuman spaces is also implicated in the reproduction of human society. Atwood skeptically depicts the world in which scientism and capitalism are the axes along which people conceptualize the society. With intertwining plots of Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Year of the Flood (2009), Atwood suggests the social spaces reproduced in the posthuman era can be retrotopic or dystopian. However, the reconstruction of human society does not necessarily lead to a negative form. Depending on the desires of human individuals and groups, there still remains a potential for utopian practice.
The three authors show that the territorial expansion and reorganization of social space in the posthuman era impart both anxiety and expectation to members of the time. The production process of posthuman space in their works call for a shift in the characters’ perception of society, allowing them to identify the changing human status and society in the new era. The six works under study in this dissertation reveal that the utopian impulses and hegemony offered by existing societies are inevitably dissolved in the posthuman age. In other words, the production of posthuman spaces involves the restructuring in power relations and the forms of spatial practice. By addressing the underlying utopian impulses of colonialism, racism, capitalism, and gender discrimination, each piece of work presents models of critical utopia.
Through reconsidering the social nature of humanity, this dissertation argues that the colonialist goals, the operation of political power, and the scientific attitude are constantly interrelated in the reconstruction of social space. With these tangled interests, the production of posthuman space provides fertile ground for both challenge to and opportunity in searching for utopia. Given that SF novels present practical visions for posthuman spaces, this genre should be illuminated as a key to a ceaseless exploration of insight into the new era which has not yet fully reached.
With the development of science and technology, humanity is entering a posthuman era. Responding to the societal demands of this upcoming age, the core of posthumanism aims to set new standards for the human condition and overcome anthropocentrism. In debates around the impact of posthumans, SF has been a generative tool for the posthumanists to preach effectively their agendas with cultural influence.
This dissertation explores the features of the posthuman space in SF novels, particularly focusing on the works of the three female SF writers: Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia E. Butler, and Margaret Atwood. To investigate the diversified social spaces reflecting the new era, this dissertation posits three alterations relevant to the production of posthuman space. First, the advanced technology has enabled people to have access to territorially expanded space. Second, posthumans take a role as the main agents of a new social space production. Third, the former social spaces will be reproduced according to ideological deconstruction in the posthuman period.
Inasmuch as the ultimate value of social space production concurs with the idea of utopia, the inquiry on the production of the posthuman space should also be conducted with an emphasis on the examination of utopian possibilities in the new society. Although the critical utopia that achieved its heyday in the 1970s seems to result in the occupation of dystopia, the utopian impulse still serves as a valid starting point for reconsidering the value of a society. It requires continued research of utopia in accordance with different values from those of modern utopia. Based on the varying social relations and consciousness captured in the works of the three writers, this dissertation attempts to scrutinize the major changes of thought in the last half-century on the utopian space pursued by modern society.
Therefore, chapter Ⅱ examines the features of social space, newly found or invented in the posthuman era in Le Guin’s fictions. Her SF novels are set in an alternate universe in which the evolution of human beings is considered to be a result of interstellar colonization project of another planet, Hain. Through the works of Hainish cycle, Le Guin indicates the problems of colonization repeated in geographically expanded cosmos and cyberspace. The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), a prominent examination of androgyny in SF, notes social systems affected by the political progress of civilization. Regarding utopian impulses, Le Guin delineates the paradigm shift in space of interconnectedness with a cosmic coalition. Meanwhile, The Word for World Is Forest (1976) concentrates more on detectable negatives of spatial integrity and depicts the reprehensible manner of colonizers. In the process of subversion, the Athsheans’ ability to access and control their subconscious embodies their dream as a form of cyberspace. Le Guin presses that proper responsibility and ethical consciousness conform to the new form of space that transcends the conventional space-time concept.
Chapter Ⅲ discusses the aspect of social space produced by posthuman subjects based on Butler's works. Butler has been recognized as the first African-American female science fiction writer who introduced a black female narrative in this genre. Describing both anticipation and shortcomings of posthuman space production, Butler’s literary works represent well-balanced comprehension of the posthuman space affected by the desire of posthuman individuals or collective subjects. Specifically, Wild Seed (1980) portrays the breeding of superpowers, whereas Lilith’s Brood (2000) suggests the birth of hybrid species with aliens. Each story casts light upon a cross-section called the emergence of technologically enhanced transcendent beings, while its social spaces are reproduced under the domination of colonial and patriarchal ideology. It highlights the ideas of the critical utopia, noting the deterministic limitations of transhumanists’ claims that only the transformation of mankind would ensure an ideal future for humanity. Butler’s works indicate that the spaces produced by technologically enhanced posthumans try to achieve the feature of utopia only to be confronted with their own limits.
Chapter Ⅳ delves into the spatial conversion associated with the disintegrated social values in the posthuman age through the works of Atwood. Posthuman space is easily identified as the autonomous sphere of posthuman figures. But far from being the realm of exclusion, humans still exert influence on the way how society should work and how it should change. Thus, the production of posthuman spaces is also implicated in the reproduction of human society. Atwood skeptically depicts the world in which scientism and capitalism are the axes along which people conceptualize the society. With intertwining plots of Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Year of the Flood (2009), Atwood suggests the social spaces reproduced in the posthuman era can be retrotopic or dystopian. However, the reconstruction of human society does not necessarily lead to a negative form. Depending on the desires of human individuals and groups, there still remains a potential for utopian practice.
The three authors show that the territorial expansion and reorganization of social space in the posthuman era impart both anxiety and expectation to members of the time. The production process of posthuman space in their works call for a shift in the characters’ perception of society, allowing them to identify the changing human status and society in the new era. The six works under study in this dissertation reveal that the utopian impulses and hegemony offered by existing societies are inevitably dissolved in the posthuman age. In other words, the production of posthuman spaces involves the restructuring in power relations and the forms of spatial practice. By addressing the underlying utopian impulses of colonialism, racism, capitalism, and gender discrimination, each piece of work presents models of critical utopia.
Through reconsidering the social nature of humanity, this dissertation argues that the colonialist goals, the operation of political power, and the scientific attitude are constantly interrelated in the reconstruction of social space. With these tangled interests, the production of posthuman space provides fertile ground for both challenge to and opportunity in searching for utopia. Given that SF novels present practical visions for posthuman spaces, this genre should be illuminated as a key to a ceaseless exploration of insight into the new era which has not yet fully reached.
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