Mimicking the Other: The Aftermath of First Contact in Mid-20th Century Science Fiction Novels
Image by Javier Rodriguez from Pixabay
Abstract
Hypothetical encounters between humans and alien civilizations have been a hallmark of science fiction since the inception of the genre. However, the accompanying transformation of human society in these narratives has been largely neglected in critical analyses, especially by those that fit under the “cognitive” moniker. This paper fills this gap, by comparing how the aftermath of first contact is treated in novels by the “Big Three” of mid-twentieth century science fiction - Clarke (Childhood’s End), Asimov (The Gods Themselves), and Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land). The paper argues that the stucture of first contact in these narratives is deliberately crafted to appeal to both contemporary cultural (mainly Cold War related) anxieties, and to hard-wired biological biases. The upshot of first contact in these novels is always hyper sociality — for better or worse. In addition, their success hinges on the depiction of a post humanist perspective — focusing either on aliens or on “altered” humans. In order to show the emotional valence of the post-event transformation of humanity, the paper features a “lightweight” sentiment analysis, using Matthew Jockers' “syuzhet” package.
Presentation slides available upon request! This paper was revised, expanded, and submitted as a journal article to Aigne, the postgraduate journal of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences at University College Cork. It was published in its 8th, 2020 issue, available here.
