Science Fiction Research Articles

Exploring feminist translation in Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Trilogy

ABSTRACT According to the interventionist feminist translation theory, sexist ideas found in source texts should be questioned and corrected. In some materials, signs of sexism are embodied in some unnecessary and inappropriate emphases regarding women’s gender attributes, which are almost related to certain stereotypical images. The present paper aims to explore how these problematic emphases could be treated in a feminist translation praxis applying a contrastive study of the original texts and some solutions provided by translators. To this end, the current work is designed to focus on the study of six specific cases that have been collected from Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Trilogy, a well-known Chinese science fiction novel that has sparked widespread controversy in terms of sexism. In each case, after studying the questionable original Chinese fragment, I will analyze its translations into English and Spanish to assess whether the sexism found in the source text can be attenuated or avoided after the translation process. This study will shed some light on how translators could deal with sexist emphases from a feminist approach.

Why Do We Fear The Robopocalypse? Human Insecurity in The Age of Technophobia

The paper aims to determine where exactly fear of intelligent machines is located in the narrative layers embedded in science fiction film stories based on the intelligence explosion hypothesis. The analysis departs from the assumption that the Robopocaliptic narrative, a science fiction narrative depicting the dystopian future of human–robot relationship, is constitutive of the irrational technophobic stance widespread in the public opinion of today’s postindustrial societies. As narration plays an essential part in our daily reflective and social practices, we are naturally inclined to look for narrative structure in popular culture, particularly in film, the most popular form of visual art, and the easiest one to consume. Nine science fiction films have been selected as relevant empirical evidence: The Invisible Boy (1957), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Westworld(1973), Futureworld (1976), Demon Seed (1977), Blade Runner (1982), The Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999), Ex Machina (2015). The Robopocaliptic narrative interwoven with the themes of the analysed films uncovers four recurrent ideas or messages that create robotophobia: redundancy of the human race, moral indifference of robots, robots as emotional abusers, and the loss of control over one’s own mind and body. The author proposes that these four ideas or messages mirror four layers of fear, all pointing to a meta-fear: the fear of rejection to be recognised and treated as a morally worth human being. In conclusion, the author suggests that Axel Honneth’s concept of recognition opens a plausible avenue to clarify the roots of the fear of the Robopocalypse.

The Internet Doesn't Exist in the Sky: Literacy, AI, and the Digital Middle Passage

AbstractThis article utilizes speculative and visual storytelling alongside interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic oppression to engage in a thought experiment on how literacy studies might refuse the oppressionist logics currently undermining the possibilities of AI in literacy education. As technological advancements in education will only continue to increase and as society is yet to ascertain the parameters of an ethical AI system, it is paramount to analyze the past and present and contemplate potential futures, especially those that do not result in violence against Black and Brown peoples. To engage in speculation, we employ Endarkened Storywork (Toliver, 2022) to present an empirically driven, futuristic, science fiction narrative from two perspectives: (1) a US, Black girl who is forced to participate in AI‐structured secondary schooling and (2) a Black girl in Haiti who is forced to live in a country polluted by technological byproduct. This narrative, which is grounded in academic research and news editorials, is accompanied by comic art and followed by a companion analysis detailing the theoretical backdrop of the story. By utilizing multiple methods of scholarly distribution, we provide multiple entry points for readers to engage with this work. We offer a means for readers to see—via story, art, and scholarship—the potential impacts of AI on Black people globally. Additionally, by situating this article in the creative and scholarly realms, we strategically deconstruct traditional forms and methods of knowledge production that have constrained academic research and rendered invisible alternative forms of data representation.

Narrative Matters: Ursula Le Guin's writings and adolescence.

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) was an influential American writer who was a leading literary figure of the 20th century. She is known for her contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres. She wrote numerous novels, short stories, poems, and essays throughout her career, exploring various themes and pushing the boundaries of speculative fiction. In this article, I discuss Le Guin's writings on the developmental tasks of adolescence. In Le Guin's fiction, she examines how different social and cultural contexts determine patterns of maturation and the acquisition of the roles and responsibilities of adulthood. This article focuses on two novels, A Wizard of Earthsea from the Books of Earthsea (Le Guin, 2018), and Coming of Age in Karhide (Le Guin, 2017).

Catastrophe écologique et quotidien dans Les grands cerfs de Claudie Hunzinger

Anticipation and science fiction have long monopolized the theme of environmental disaster, representing it as an accomplished reality that is impossible for humanity to ignore. This study focuses on a novel which, going against the grain, describes the current catastrophe in a realistic manner, considering it as a continuous process, almost imperceptible except in the smallest of its daily manifestations. Les grands cerfs by Claudie Hunzinger evokes the meeting of Pamina, its narrator, with the deer she observes in the Vosges forest where she lives. Through an enlightened and empathetic contemplation of the wild world, Pamina observes its decline and – in deep dismay – questions the inevitability of death.

The Metaverse for Cognitive Health: A Paradigm Shift

The Metaverse, frequently dubbed as ”the successor of mobile internet”, is a paradigm which aims to build an immersive, spatiotemporal and self-sustained virtual, but realistic world for all age groups. The Metaverse is stepping from science fiction to reality due to the advances in technologies like Extended Reality, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Everything, eXtended meta-uni-omni-Verse and Digital Twins. Consumer electronics such as wearables, television, and smartphones are essential components of the Metaverse that can be used to accurately collect and measure data concerning user interaction and thereby create an immersive environment. This article discusses the state of art literature about how the Metaverse can be used for improving cognitive health, various scenarios where the Metaverse could help doctors to better treat cognitive patients, and finally, the future research directions that can realize the potential of the Metaverse for cognitive health.

Revisiting Predictions about the Future of Human Life in 20th Century American Sci-Fis

Predictions and illustrations of life in the future are often integrated in works of science fiction, which could not be immediately proven yet possibly fascinating when looked back on several decades later or at the times predicted in the works. Science fiction authors foretell such events by borrowing theories, concepts, or simply terms used by scientists. Those theories, concepts, and terms can be written in scientific journals or in more popular media. American science fiction works, for instance, illustrate the future by their adaptation in the forms of more popular media such as movies, video games, and the works categorized as the subgenres of cyber literature. All of them are discussed in this paper from the lens of New Historicism, which believes in equality between literary and non-literary texts in viewing phenomena that exist in society, one of which is the relationship between science fiction works, their writers, their readers, and society. Technology is seen as a product of society, so it becomes broadly part of culture. Meanwhile, emerging technology is sometimes coincidental and random, so it can also be seen that technology determines people’s movements and lifestyles. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on the ethical and societal implications of speculative narratives by highlighting the interconnectedness between literature, science, technology, and society.

인공지능(AI)시대의 호모 사케르(Homo Sacer)

This study examines the evolution of posthumans in novels and movies as a relationship between sex and love, focusing on Giorgio Agamben's Homo Sacer. Agamben tried to reveal the essence of life politics through the concept of Homo Sacer, which is, bare life. Bare life means only biological life in all living things that Aristotle divided into Zoe and Bios, and humans pursue the life of Bios, who live as a member of a community of society, politics, and culture beyond the life of Zoe. Artificial intelligence robots have only Zoe's life, deprived of their social and political life, Bios. With the development of technology, such AI has a more human appearance, emotion, intelligence, and ability than humans, and dreams of the realm of Bios pursued by humans. I analyzed the emotions and identity of humans and posthuman beings in the AI era, focusing on Rachel in Phillip Dick's novel, the movie Ex Machina's Ava, and David Mitchell's novel of the same name, Cloud Atlas' Sonmi-451. Female mechanical humans are creatures that have life but have no value for existence, and they become invisible others in oppression and governance, appearing as unfamiliar fears, that is, the uncanny. This study examined why humans pursue sexual relationships with machine humans through female AI's uncanny, whether it is possible to fall in love with them, and what it means for programmed AI to evolve on its own, control emotions, and use it to mock humans. As machines become more human-like, their uncanniness makes humans even more uneasy and fearful. If humans can no longer be distinguished from machines, it is necessary to redefine humanity to understand what makes us human. Only then, when the science fiction imagined becomes a scientific reality, can we truly live as humans.

The Mechanism of Survival in Post-Apocalyptic Pandemic Narratives: A Comparative Study

Post-Apocalyptic Fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which a global crisis takes its toll on the human population, leaving only a few with the luck of surviving the scene. However, survival slowly develops into a determining power as the remaining people try to reconstruct a new civilization with the use of different strategies and mechanisms of survival. This study is then based on post-apocalyptic texts, particularly ones that are concerned with pandemics, and carefully examines and compares two ground-breaking narratives of post-apocalyptic fiction: Stephen King’s The Stand (1978) and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven (2014). It attempts to explore the two narratives in terms of the strategies and mechanisms of survival as the two novelists recapture the survivors’ experiences and their struggle to survive the ongoing post-apocalyptic setting.

The Right to Mental Autonomy

A number of moral philosophers and legal scholars have now recognized that we possess a natural, or moral, right to mental autonomy. This right is standardly characterized as our right against significant, nonconsensual interference with our minds. However, the precise scope of this right remains under-theorized: what makes some ways of influencing someone’s thinking—rational argumentation, say—permissible, but other ways—pharmacological manipulation—impermissible? Here I argue that the right to mental autonomy should be analyzed as the right to form attitudes in light of reasons. Once understood this way, we can see how this right protects us against all “nonrational” interventions on our thinking—including, but not limited to, nonconsensual neurosurgery, pharmacological manipulations, science fiction mind control, subliminal messaging, and non-reason-giving advertising or nudging. Rather, the only fully permissible ways to seek to influence someone’s thinking are through methods that seek to engage their rational faculties. This result, I claim, accords with our moral intuitions concerning the matter.  

Kilbourn, R.J.A., & Empey, J.A. (Eds.). (2023). Feminist posthumanism in contemporary science fiction film and media. From annihilation to high life and beyond. Bloomsbury.

Feminist Posthumanism in Contemporary Science Fiction Film and Media strategically places itself within a consolidated and distinctly recognizable field by prioritizing science fiction as “the ideal venue for the exploration of [a] constellation of crucial themes” (1). These themes notably include HuManism and Anthropocentrism, along with their implications for the erasure or marginalization of ‘Woman’. Simultaneously, the book goes beyond mere placement within this established field, actively taking steps to advance and enrich the interconnections between feminist theory, posthumanist perspectives, and the expansive realm of science fiction. In doing so, it does not only acknowledge the centrality of science fiction in unraveling key societal themes, but it also contributes to the ongoing debate that seeks to bridge these critical frameworks for a more nuanced understanding of contemporary cultural narratives.

A Futuristic Living Room Experience with Robotic Serenity

Automation, environmental consciousness, and robots are dancing on our houses more and more. Imagine your living room filled with friendly robots, air-purifying trees that swing to the beat of the sun, and vacuum cleaners that scutter over the floor. The intelligent design of household robots, environmentally conscious marvels like smart trees, and even the robotic makeover of the common vacuum cleaner are shaping this future—it's no longer science fiction. Developing technology that works with us, not against us, is the key. Adopting this human-centered strategy will enable us to build dwellings that are full of life, where technology speaks softly rather than loudly, and where convenience and sustainability go hand in hand. The future house is a symphony just waiting to be created, so let's welcome the robots, make friends with the cleansing trees, and enjoy the dance of the vacuums.

Writing Back Against Amazon’s Empire: Science Fiction, Corporate Storytelling, and the Dignity of the Workers’ Word

Since its founding in 1994 as an online bookstore, Amazon has “revolutionised” not only the market for literature but also expanded aggressively and transformatively in sectors including consumer retail, film and television, groceries, logistics, robotics, surveillance, AI, and web services. This growth and expansion is grounded in the firm’s internal and outward-facing rhetoric about its leading contribution to a brighter future, a narrative deeply inspired by the genre of science or speculative fiction (SF). But Amazon’s utopian vision is largely experienced as a dystopia by most of its rank-and-file workers, who labour under exploitative conditions of surveillance, robotization, and relentless managerial control. Hence our team inaugurated the Worker as Futurist project to support rank-and-file Amazon workers to read/watch SF stories to collectively understand their employer and its world, and also to write short, SF stories about “the world after Amazon.” In this preliminary report on the project, we explain the inspirations for the project and reflect on some of what we have learned from the participants, as well as some implications for the futures of platform workers generally.

Концепции герметизма и гностицизма в современной научно-фантастической литературе

The aim of the research is to clarify the features of the interpretation of the concepts of hermeticism and gnosticism in science fiction in the late 20th and 21st centuries devoted to the problems of trans- and posthumanism. The paper examines the features of the integration of gnostic and hermetic ideas into modern English-language science fiction. The scientific novelty of the research lies in considering the works of contemporary science fiction writers (G. Egan, R. Sawyer, N. Stephenson, W. Gibson, Ch. Stross) and in identifying the main variants of how gnostic and hermetic themes are developed in the writings of these writers. The author sees the influence of gnostic and hermetic ideas in science fiction works devoted to the topic of transhumanist changes in the form of interventions in the human body at the biochemical level, the themes of mind scanning and digital immortality, and the rational observer of the Universe. As a result, it is proved that gnostic and hermetic elements in contemporary science fiction devoted to the problems of trans- and posthumanism allow writers to include the problematic of hypothetical technologies for improving human nature into the context of a centuries-old religious tradition.

Works of R. Edelbauer in Context of Contemporary Austrian Literature of Early 21st Century

This study explores the novels of contemporary Austrian writer Raphaela Edelbauer (Raphaela Edelbauer, b. 1990) “The Fluid Land” (Das flüssige Land, 2019), “DAVE” (DAVE, 2021), “The Incommensurables” (Die Inkommensurablen, 2023) in the context of contemporary Austrian literature of the early third millennium. The relevance of the research is driven by the necessity to comprehend the trends in Austrian literature during an era of global changes. It is revealed that, on one hand, the author continues the traditions of Austrian literature of the second half of the 20th century, particularly on a thematic level (Austrian identity, overcoming the past, the false idyll of provincial Austria, conflicts between fathers and children, etc.), while on the other hand, delving into pressing contemporary issues (transhumanism, artificial intelligence, etc.). The concept of fictionality is central to the analysis, exploring the ways and specifics of its implementation in the artistic text in alignment with the author’s communicative intentions. Special attention is given to Edelbauer’s individual style, the uniqueness of narrative organization in the examined genre varieties (parable novel, science fiction novel, historical novel), and the quest for a “personal” language. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that Edelbauer’s work, distinguished by prestigious literary awards in Austria and Germany, has not been a subject of study in Russian literary studies.

Demystifying the Metaverse: A Deep Dive into Characteristics, Enabling Technologies, Key Components, Surmounting Challenges, and Unveiling Boundless Applications

The metaverse, a concept evolving from science fiction to tangible digital reality, represents a complex, interconnected virtual space where individuals interact, collaborate, and create within immersive environments. This paper offers a comprehensive exploration of the metaverse, dissecting its core components, and characteristics and unraveling its transformative potential. Beginning with a definition of the metaverse, we delve into the enabling technologies that drive its existence, including extended reality, blockchain, decentralized infrastructure, etc. Through the analysis of key components such as virtual environments, avatars, and interoperability standards, we illuminate the foundational elements that facilitate connectivity and interaction within this digital realm. Additionally, we address the surmounting challenges facing the metaverse, ranging from technical hurdles like scalability and interoperability to societal concerns surrounding privacy and digital inclusion. Finally, we unveil the boundless applications of the metaverse across industries such as gaming, entertainment, education, healthcare, and commerce, showcasing its potential to revolutionize human engagement and innovation in virtual spaces. This deep dive aims to demystify the metaverse, providing insights into its evolution, challenges, and limitless possibilities for the future. INDEX TERMS Metaverse, Interoperability, Scalability, Data Security, Societal Limitations, Privacy Concerns, Accessibility Barriers, Ethical Considerations, Avatar, Extended reality, Blockchain.

Décentrer le réel dans la fiction post-coloniale

Postcolonial literature primarily emerged as a response to colonial representations of reality, so it comes as no surprise that a persistent dialogue with the real is one of its defining features. Since its initial attempt to question colonial constructions of the real and engage in self-representation, postcolonial literature has found “new angles at which to enter reality”. By exploring some of the commonly employed modes and genres in both early and contemporary postcolonial fiction, ranging from realism, magic(al) realism, historiographic metafiction, and science fiction to the Gothic, each illustrated by representative authors and works, this article intends to give a brief overview of postcolonial approaches to reality.

A Critical Study of Blade Runner from A Posthumanism Perspective

Posthumanism is the theory concerned with how the developments in technology and science has challenged our conception of what it means to be human. It looks for representations of a posthuman condition within literature, mostly in science fiction texts. The theory mapping the development of humanism into the present day and its relationship with technology and devoting in looking at the distinction between humans and animals and/or humans and machines. As one of the most notable artworks in the film industry, the Blade Runner is always regarded as a representative research object of posthumanism theory. This paper would mainly focus on the analysis of Blade Runner, to see how posthumanism is performed and distillated in this classical film.

Science fiction in military planning—Case allied command transformation and visions of warfare 2036

AbstractThis article focuses on using science fiction for military purposes to anticipate the future of warfare and presents a new tool for creating military science fiction. As technology is a significant driver in the future of warfare, science fiction has increased its popularity for military purposes. Armies and defense organizations have begun utilizing science fiction to anticipate and prepare for future wars. Examples can be found in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and NATO. Even though military sci‐fi is on the rise, there is a lack of a more profound analysis of the sci‐fi narratives of the military and its foundations. Allied Command Transformation's, (NATO's Strategic Warfare Development Command) report called Visions of Warfare 2036 (2016) exhibits an example of military‐based science fiction employed to anticipate and get prepared for the future of warfare. It includes 12 narratives of the future of warfare varying from gene‐manipulated soldiers to AI‐generated warfare. By analyzing the report qualitatively using the Atlas.ti program and manual methods, the basic elements of the stories were identified. One of the findings of the analysis was that the stories were somewhat similar to each other. To create more diverse military science fiction scenarios, a new tool: the Military Science Fiction Scenario Card was created. This tool can be used in practical work when thinking about the war of the future and in particular the role of technology in it. It can also be seen as a new tool in the field of futures research.

Robot pack mules remain science fiction for now.

The plot of the 2014 science-fiction movie Young Ones revolves around a robot pack mule based on the real-world BigDog.