In order for a non-human story to be told, it would need to be told from a non-human perspective (the adventures of Arthur Dent and Kilgore Trout would sometimes qualify as being about non-humans, yet they are seen through a distinctly human lens).
Writing non-human science fiction (provided your definition includes fiction that humans write about non-anthropomorphic, non-humans) isn't such a difficult goal if you assume that all life in the universe originates the same way and in the same basic forms that terrestrial life originates. I don't think this is something wise to assume. How likely is it that the Earth variety of life is the most common way that life evolves in the universe? (I happen to believe in ETs) Therefore, writing about non-human life from the perspective of a non-human becomes especially difficult in the traditional SF realm of outer space.
Explaining things without using human terms and concepts is not something at which we are good because our language is so closely associated with the way our brains and civilization evolved. I would wager, then, that no science fiction exists that is not told from a mostly human perspective, whether or not it claims otherwise.
I'm interested, though, in who comes close to describing a form of life that is justified as plausible by the observable laws of the universe alone (rather than what humans perceive as life). I think that Arthur C Clarke does a pretty good job of writing about a non-human, non-anthropomorphic life form in 2001: A Space Odyssey. He never gives any substantial details about the extra-terrestrials, except that they 1) understand physics way better than we 2) are looking for other forms of life.
David Bowman is a sort of guest of the ETs, who have constructed a sort of trap to lure in forms of life and bring those critters closer for study. He sees part of their past and their progression into pure radiation in his journey. If you treat "life" as a peculiar circumstance for matter to find itself in, then it would make sense that eventually that circumstance finds a way to transcend its material into other things like electromagnetic radiation. I don't think this is an idea that is painted by human experience, rather it is a conclusion reached after studying the laws of the universe.
What about Dr.Manhattan from the Watchmen? Although Watchemn isn't written from the perspective of a "non human", I'd say the good doctor offers a pretty unique non human perspective in the chapter that focuses on him.
ReplyDeleteAlso, WE3, a comic (or graphic novel if you prefer) by Grant Morrison is written almost entirely from the perspective of three animals, and their language and behavior is depicted pretty realistically I feel. They still speak English through the use of voice synthesizers, but the way they perceive the world around them and formulate ways of talking about it is pretty distinctly non-human I think.
I'm sure everyone here knows of Watchmen in some capacity, but if you haven't read WE3 I'd really strongly recommend it. If you don't have the cash to shell out,it's probably online somewhere as a scanned pdf or something...not that I condone that sort of thing...cough,www.mininova.com,erm,cough...
I think I agree. Dr. Manhattan, while being a human, kind of, is a very non-human human. He does match up really well with a human stereotype, though, that of the "architect" as described by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Read this description of the 'architect' and see if it rings a bell with Dr. Manhattan's predicament: http://www.keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=5&c=architect
ReplyDeleteFrequently in science fiction, non-human races or species are characterized as having a hive mind; that is, rather than each individual organism being an autonomous, thinking creature, organisms in a hive mind are telepathically, chemically, electronically, or otherwise linked to one another in a single consciousness. Examples include the Borg from Star Trek and the Buggers from Orson Scott Card's Ender series (relevant wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hive_mind). Portions of the Ender books deal with the Buggers' perspective, and how they never realize the humans they kill in their invasion of Earth are individually conscious organisms.
ReplyDeleteI also remember some Star Wars novella published a few years ago told from the perspective of an aspiring insectoid Jedi Knight attempting to break from a collective unconscious.
While this sort of thing pops up fairly frequently in sf, rarely is a story told from the perspective of the hive mind.
Yeah, that's a good point. I wonder how much of that has to do with the Western emphasis on the individual.
ReplyDeleteAnother classic trick is to have a non-human
character be some sort of outsider that looks human but is actually from some sort of distant planet, or far off in some distant future or alternate universe who has no grasp of what being a "human" is all about. The fact that they for all intents and purposes resemble a human is important, though, because it allows the author to comment on the human race as a whole through the eyes of this detached spectator.
I think that's really the end to which most non-human characters are used, as a way to view humanity from a broader perspective. Maybe that's what sci-fi is as well...?
I think it's important to remember that the "human experience" differs greatly from culture to culture. I think that some practices on our own planet seem really foreign to people who aren't apart of the culture.
ReplyDeleteI actually get a little frustrated when some cartoons (I distincly remember Superman doing this) act like the culture and practices of the United States are the way the entire would is set up. Way too narrow-minded for my taste.