LITR 4632 Literature of
the Future
Sample Student Midterms 2009
Josh Hughey
24 June 2009
Alternapocalypsolution
Having learned about this course a couple semesters ago I have had plenty of time to speculate as to what we would be reading and discussing. The only text I was told we would be reading with any certainty is Burning Chrome, a collection of short stories by William Gibson. With a good two-thirds of a year of that idea in my head I was certain that we would be reading nothing but cyberpunk and hard sci-fi because after all, that is surely how the world will be in the future, and this is Literature of the Future after all. Well, despite my usual knack for predicting things exactly as they will be I could not have been more wrong. Sure, Burning Chrome is full of all kinds of futuristic gizmos and gadgets, but on the flipside technology above fire and the automobile is non-existent in stories like “Bears Discover Fire.” When viewed alongside any other literature survey course, in terms of stories covered and discussion method, this class is “virtually” typical. The course covers stories from a wide range of dates as well as genres, though all can be classified, at least, as speculative fiction.
As long as there has been writing there have been written narratives, and as long as there has been speech there have been spoken narratives. Stories, whether fictitious or based on real occurrences, have always been deeply integrated into the vast cultures of the world. Just as there are many different types of narratives there are, and have been, many different cultures throughout the world. The logical conclusion that can be drawn from this is that different cultures value different types of stories for different reasons. Well, in all these differences is there one thing that connects all genres and cultures? Almost. There are two that encompass all others. Most narratives are meant to either force the reader to examine the world he or she lives in with great scrutiny, or to provide an escape from said world, be it good or bad. Two examples of the former are “The Revelation of John” and Parable of the Sower. Though a little more abstract, “Revelation” forces people to face the world they live in, should they believe in scripture, by telling them what will become of the world and how it will end. Parable on the other hand is a more direct example. It is a very believable future should current negative economic and social trends continue to worsen. Two examples of narratives as an escape are The Time Machine and “Bears Discover Fire.” The latter is almost like a fairy tale with its torch-wielding bears whereas the former, though there are undertones of class struggle, provides a glimpse so far into the future that it is almost hard for one to connect the story to the present.
What separates the stories examined in the course from many others is that, while some may provide either more of a lesson or more of an escape, they all possess the ability to do both. They are able to do this because of the three distinct yet overlapping genres they are part of. These genres are Apocalyptic, Evolutionary, and Alternative. A superb example of these genres’ ability to overlap is Parable of the Sower. The story is primarily, and quite obviously, apocalyptic. The world is basically falling apart. Through this portrayal of a possible apocalyptic future the story forces the reader to think about current economic and social trends and how they may lead to such a future. Parable, however, is also an evolutionary tale. With the world being as dangerous and difficult as it is in the story the characters have, through only two generations, been made to completely change their way of life, be it by building walls around their community or going everywhere armed. The story’s time is so different from our own that it is just strange enough to offer an escape into fiction without worrying about the future. Another example of overlap is “Mozart in Mirror Shades.” It is primarily and alternative history story, what with all the time hopping and past-screwing, causing a new future to fork off of the timeline. It too, however, is apocalyptic because the new future that forks off is absolutely terrible due to the time travelers’ meddling. A third example of overlap is “Bears Discover Fire.” It is primarily an evolutionary tale, quite obviously so, where bears have developed the ability to start fires and stay awake through winter. If that’s not evolution I don’t know what is. And seeing as bears, in the real world, do not know how to make fire and most likely never will, the story is also alternative in nature. These three examples represent the three-abovementioned genres in every combination possible. The genres are more like sub-genres of Speculative fiction, or SF.
These stories are definitely of great literary importance, despite the literary community’s shunning of science fiction, due to their many romantic qualities. This is particularly the case with the two longer stories, Parable and Time Machine. The fantastic journeys (to the northern U.S. or far into the future), endless obstacles (naked painted pyromaniacs or subterranean beasts), and surreal qualities (…also naked painted pyromaniacs or subterranean beasts) all add up to become great romances. They are also very important culturally for their ability to be very personal as in “Better Be Ready ‘Bout Half Past Eight” and “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” In both of these stories the reader gets to know one or two characters personally, such as Zoe who is going through the difficult process of matching her sex to her gender, or Dante in his quest to reconnect with his estranged wife Snookie Lee, and really reflect on aspects of his or her own life that are in some way related. The stories’ important literary and cultural qualities go hand in hand with their ability to provide an escape from life or a reminder of life’s difficulties.
Whether religious or not there is one key phrase that really captures the essence of literature of the future. This phrase is from Parable and it’s “God is change.” The future cannot be written already for the future is dependent on change and the decisions of all who have free will. It is, however, being written. Whether providing a pleasant or unpleasant escape from the present the romances give us ideas to change the future and the stories that make us reflect on the present show us why we need to change it.