VISION OF HUMAN STAGNATION IN THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PARADIGM OF SCIENCE FICTION: AN ANALYSIS OF «SOULMATES» BY M. RESNIK AND L. ROBIN

Abstract

The present article is an in-depth examination of the American science fiction story «Soulmates» by M. Resnick and L. Robyn, centring on its articulation of a vision of human stagnation in the face of technological advancement. The paper scrutinises the philosophical and existential dimensions embodied in the artistic representation of the world within this particular work, particularly focusing on issues concerning individual freedom and moral accountability. The article posits science fiction as a multifaceted analytical tool for investigating the constraints and potentials of human transformation within a perpetually evolving world. The story by the American authors is elucidated as a complex allegory, critiquing both existing social systems and technological transformations, whilst advocating a reassessment of what it means to be human in an increasingly mechanised environment. The study positions "Soulmates" as a paradigmatic work in the genre of science fiction owing to its salient reflections on ethical, existential, and cultural issues, which are directly pertinent to the pressing dilemmas of our contemporary epoch. Additionally, the article explores the inherent contradiction within the genre of science fiction: speculative futures laden with technological revolutions often depict a humanity that remains conspicuously static. Such apparent stasis is not a shortcoming of imaginative faculty but rather constitutes a deliberate artistic strategy. Authors of science fiction may employ this vision of human stagnation to explicate particular social and technological phenomena.