Let's Talk About Sex!

When covering Lilith’s Brood in class we certainly discussed a wide range of topics mentioned in the book but I feel like we barely paused to consider a very prominent element in Octavia Butler’s novel- Sex. Many of the books we have read so far this semester discuss topics of a sexual nature and compare the two spheres of sexuality (Male and Female… however to say these two are the only “spheres” is not entirely correct). In fact, Science Fiction has a history of being used as a tool to explore sexual change, forcing readers to recognize the current changes in cultural beliefs. The following is a list of topics pertaining to sex found within the Sci Fi genre:

• Sex with aliens, machines and robots
• Reproductive technology including cloning, artificial wombs, parthenogenesis, and genetic engineering
• Sexual equality of men and women
• Male- and female-dominated societies, including single-gender worlds
• Polyamory
• Changing gender roles
• Homosexuality and bisexuality
• Androgyny and sex changes
• Sex in virtual reality
• Other advances in technology for sexual pleasure such as teledildonics
• Asexuality
• Male pregnancy
• Sexual taboos and morality
• Sex in zero gravity
• Birth control and other, more radical measures to prevent overpopulation

Butler often uses many of these themes in her novels; Lilith’s Brood takes a look at several of these She introduces the concept that mankind is practically incapable of breeding without outside help from aliens. This is mainly due to the aliens, who have taken it upon themselves to render the humans infertile in human-human relationships. The “ultimate” birth control enacted on the humans by the aliens doesn’t completely work and some manage to maintain their fertility. Unfortunately the population of the human race has significantly shrunk due to violent warfare and the miniscule amount of people still fertile is not enough to repopulate the human race. When the humans discover that a few of them are still fertile they attempt to start their own breeding program. Because there are so few left fertile they must mate closely related humans and the result is a rise in incestuous relationships. She uses logic to bring her readers to the conclusion that occurring events are the evitable decisions that must be made by mankind to survive. The common belief held by the humans is that if humans are to be purebred, free of all alien DNA, then immediate family members capable of breeding must be allowed to so. We see this exemplified in the relationship between siblings Tomas and Jesusa. Both suffer from genetic disorders that leave them deformed and Tomas crippled, results of inbreeding. Butler really tries to test her readers to their limit by exploring incestuous and forced relationships and the acceptance of such behaviors by her human characters in her novel. Paul Titus for example is overcome by his sexual urges and attempts to rape Lilith. The most startling revelation of this event is when Nikanj tells her the other aliens would have possibly allowed Paul Titus to actually do so, just so they could observe what would have taken place. In an effort to breed…or sometimes just because… women are stolen and rapped. This leads to a decline in sexual equality among humans and at some point it breaks down completely and women return a submissive role in their culture- as breeders.

Even among the Oankali women play the role of breeders. However, instead of looking at the sexual equality of two, the reader is introduced to a third androgynous sex. The ooloi often mate with pairs of siblings and cousins and incestuous are not considered taboo. In this culture, the Sexual superiority seems to be held by the ooloi. They are the only ones allowed control over breeding due to their ability to manipulate genes. Growing awareness of sexuality has led to the exploration of sexual identity, as witnessed in Butler’s novel.

Homosexuality is not a dominate theme, and usually only surfaces as an insult to human males involved in alien mating. The topic of male-male, female-female relationships don’t really come up and perhaps this is evidence of growing acceptance to homosexuality. I feel that Bi-sexuality is also a theme marginally represent in Butler’s novels. None of her human characters show an interest both male and females. Her ooloi characters represent a perfect blending of “male/female” qualities. Androgyny in this case doesn’t necessarily mean “sexless”. Most people mistakenly assume androgyny implies sterility or “sexlessness”. In the Oankali culture the ooloi are very sexual creatures. They also have a pansexual quality to them. Pansexual is defined as a person who has the potential for sexual attractions, sexual desire, or romantic love, towards people of all gender identities and biological sexes. This can certainly be applied to the nature of the ooloi and the sexually open culture of the Oankali.

The Oankali’s acceptance of polygamous mating and family groups creates a unique foil to the traditional human family. By introducing these concepts a part of an alien culture Butler is able to freely explore the impact they have on society today.

Merlin Has a Tardis by Aaron Lirette

English 210-5T

Blog 2

Merlin Has a TARDIS

Doctor Who is a science-fiction television program that first aired on the BBC in 1963. He is an alien that resembles a man, but is immortal and travels through time and space in a blue Police Box. Likewise, Merlin is the great wizard of Arthurian legend. He is often depicted as a man born of devils or fey. And, though aged is also immortal and possessed of the ability to see the past and future. Both are powerful beings that entrust man to great destinies and bear witness to his greatest downfalls. It is in this way that the Doctor and Merlin are the same being, possessed of great knowledge and power and loving of humanity in a way that is completely inhuman.

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. However, in Doctor Who: the Movie it is revealed from the Doctor himself that he is part human on his mother’s side. This mixed blood Time Lord has sympathies for humanity because of these blood ties. Nevertheless, the Doctor is a man of alien origins and despite his human appearances he is still not of this planet. Comparatively, Merlin is a Wizard or Druid from a foreign tribe of Britain. In many stories he is the spawn of the Devil and a human mother. But, being blessed by human sacraments is free of evil’s taint yet retaining his mystical abilities. The similarity between their origins is striking. Both are born of man’s blood and that of an outside or alien force, and both retain their humanity and choose to be with them.

The Doctor flies around in a Blue Police Box, called a TARDIS, that is bigger on the inside and travels through time and space. In this way, he is able to know the whole of human history, past and present. Similarly, Merlin is often attributed to precognitive and post cognitive divinatory magic. And, while there may be a stark difference between time travel and divinations, both show mortals a glimpse of time outside of their temporally locked lives. In addition to the Doctor’s TARDIS, he often carries a small cylindrical device called a Sonic Screwdriver. This is of course analogous to a magic wand or diviner’s rod or druid stave. All of these have been associated with Merlin and in this way a pseudo-science/mystical tie is found between the two characters.

Above all, it is the Doctor and Merlin’s affections for mankind that define them both as similar constructs dreamt up in vast quandaries of time. Throughout the many decades of regenerating Doctors he has always stood by humanity. Often the Doctor takes on human Companions and they essentially become his Arthur. He is a constant meddler and savior of man and is often depicted as instrumental in man’s Fate. Identically, Merlin is an all-powerful wizard that is both awed by and pity’s Arthur Pendragon, his companion. With his divinatory magic he affects the outcome of Arthur’s destiny and thus the destiny of Britain. Moreover, this is what the Doctor does. He affects man’s destiny, especially in Britain. Both are possessed of similar human appreciations whilst still remaining lofty in power and wisdom.

He is born of man and something else. He will never die, but has many faces. He is possessed of uncanny knowledge of past and present. He is the Doctor. He is Merlin. In short, the Doctor is Merlin and Merlin is the Doctor. The British have found a new way to revive their old mystic and keep him alive in their dreams. Instead of a dragon, Merlin flies around in a TARDIS. Instead of divinations he is now a time traveler. Instead of a magic wand, he has a Sonic Screwdriver. And, while both are possessed of an appreciation or love for humanity they are also possessed of a need to muck around in man’s destiny. For greater or for ill, Merlin and the Doctor’s Companions live legendary lives. They are marked of his greatness and reap many of his blessings. In the end it is dangerous to be associated with such power, but it makes heroes of man. To be chosen by Merlin or the Doctor alters the course of one’s fate. But then again, it’s all in a day’s work for a Time Lord.

Those who walk away from Omelas by Usrsula K. Le Guin tells the tale of a city called Omelas. It is a utopian society but the one downfall is that the wellbeing of everyone who lives there is dependent on the suffering of one child. In the story all of the inhabitants of Omelas knew the horrible things that were done to the child but they all ignored it. I asked a few people if they would want to live in society like Omelas. Most of them said no, because of the child’s suffering. I think everyone who said no is lying. The reason I think that is many people all over the world suffer everyday so we Americans can live a more comfortable lifestyle. I think most people are aware of this fact.

Sweatshops in china are one example of people suffering for the American dream. Nike is a prime example of this. They employ underage children, withhold employee’s wages, make people work 12-14 hours a day. All so Americans can get their sneakers a little cheaper. Just look around the next time you are walking in a public area you cannot avoid the Nike logo. Most people know of the poor working conditions the Chinese have but many still turn a blind eye and continue to purchase products made in china.

Diamonds are shinny and pretty, lots of Americans want them. About 25 percent of them that make it to America come from Africa. Natives in Africa fight wars over the right to sell us diamonds. Africans will go and wipe out whole towns of people. They also enlist the help children to fight. The pretty jewels that come from war stricken areas are called Blood diamonds. I think many Americans are aware of this evil as well. A movie called The Blood Diamond came out few years ago. This movie told of the horrors going on in Africa. But still Americans will buy blood diamonds to save a few dollars.

These are just two examples of millions of people who suffer to support the American way of life. I could give many more examples, but I think two is enough. If you live in America millions of people suffer for your comfort. So any American who is happy with their way of life would love to live in Omelas. Just one child suffering is much better than the millions who suffer now.

Futuristic Evolution

Science fiction since its creation has inspected what would eventually be capable with technology and what humans would eventually be able to do with the technology. But, what if humans would eventually use technology to be able to change themselves entirely, thus creating their own evolution and in turn completely controlling their own fate?

An example of this that can happen in the near future is shown in Gattacca. In this movie, humans were using laboratories to scan egg and sperm combinations choosing the optimum version of the parents’ potential child's genes. This way of having children has, by the time of the movie, become the 'normal' version of having a child. Reading genes also started take over the potential someone was perceived to have by dictating what job position someone was able to obtain. I believe that if this method is used for many years that eventually humans will choose their own course in their evolution.

But, there will come a point where there are no longer new desired genes. When this happens, what can the human race do to continue growing as a species? I have not found a good example of humans having gotten to this point, but several aliens from science fiction have. These aliens have found ways of combining the best of other species with their own DNA. One example comes from Lilith’s Brood. The Oankali use their third sex, ooloi, to scan the genes passed from one generation to the next. They used this to make themselves look more humanoid and eventually combined their DNA with human DNA. They helped humans in a 'trade off' of DNA. They have reached a stagnant point in their own DNA and must incorporate other species' DNA into their own in order to survive and to evolve. The ‘visitors’ for V are similar to this. They want human DNA to progress their own evolution as well. They give humans some of their technology in order to earn their trust while actually adapting the environment and the humans themselves for the benefit of the visitors. They capture and kill humans secretly to extract their DNA to eventually use in their own genetic evolution as they have for many other species across the universe.

The most extreme form of a species taking control of their own evolution is Star Trek's Borg. At some point long ago, a species installed mechanic parts into themselves becoming what they consider 'perfect beings.' They grew to have one collective mind capable of talking to one another via space while losing the sense of individuality of any Borg. They have enhanced strength, stamina, and the ability to survive for periods without water, food or even air. The Borg inseminate other beings into their collective giving the Borg more variety and more individuals. They also learned quickly from their mistakes, changing the Borg to fit whatever obstacles that were faced. For example, if one was killed by a laser blast, the next would be become immune to the frequency of that laser.

These examples show what could be theoretically possible in the human race's future. But which one would we eventually become like? Would we just manipulate our own DNA into what we think is the 'perfect’ human? This however does not leave chance for mutation of DNA which is how a species changes to new stimuli, eventually making the species maladapted to the universe. Will we eventually find a way to cross-breed with other species and use their best genes to better our species? If we do, will we help the other species or will we just take the genes and leave? If we use machines to change our own evolution, will we inseminate them into our collective and say "It is for their own good?" I believe all of these are possible in the future of humans due to how the species acts now; many care more about their own good than the good of others.