1. Reading Response 8/31 (1)
Isaac Asimov’s Story “Robot Dreams” is an interesting take on the functionality and ability of robots. The story revolves around how the robot Elvex has been modified so he can dream. The characters Susan and Linda express their interest and concern behind the robot gaining this new level of cognition. In the end Elvex perishes when he expresses that he was the one human within his dream and that he wanted to free his sisters and brothers, the other robots, in his dream. Stanislaw Lem wrote an essay explaining how different types of games or stories work to create the setting and rules of the world they have created. When analyzed, “Robot Dreams” follows its own set of rules too. One such rule is that the author doesn’t play god. What I mean is, he doesn’t take a position of being all knowing, and this can be seen by him not explaining every aspect of the world to the reader. The reader must pick out and put together the world through the conversations that ensue through the story. Also the world doesn’t take on any unexplainable or completely unrealistic ideas. For example it doesn’t seem normal that a piece of machinery could have its own thought process and even less dream, but through the conversations the author and their characters provided they give a logical and scientific explanation for the unbelievable situation. An example of such rules were put in place with the idea of the laws of robotics, this rule set a tone for the situation after it was explained and reveals why the doctor was so quick to destroy Elvex when he expressed his own concerns indirectly through the dream. While these rules set a precedent for the situation it also had a great effect on the reader’s view of the world that the story takes place in. The game and its rules are set in place so when the reader starts reading the book they are in the same position as the author and/or other readers. These rules personally made me feel like I was spying in on the conversation or I was present in the room while it was being discussed. This feeling helps give the story a sense of world building every time it is read and also leaves plenty up to the imagination.
2. Reading Response 10/5 (2)
Reading Response #2.
The Thaw was a time when the science and literature of the Soviet Union took a turn for better or worse. In this time after the fall of Stalin and his ideals, the Soviet Union made new policies to transform and move away from Stalinism. During this time restrictions on the literature were still in place but were not as harsh and the sciences of the Soviet Union flourished while leaving Stalin’s idea of technology to rot. This expansion in technology and the ability to write even with restrictions brought on Thaw science fiction.
With a lot of the writers having knowledge in Engineering and the sciences it led to a whole new world of science fiction, but over time the Soviet Union went back to trying to control and/or shut down the literature in order to present a certain image. The original idea was to move away from not allowing literature at all, to allowing it and controlling it to present and provide ideas of the future and what is to come.
During this time science fiction was very important because of the impact or influence it had on the population of the Soviet Union. The SF works brought new ideas and hope to the weary and deprived people of the Soviet Union. The works gave extravagant and hopeful ideals for how the future could or would unfold and gave inspiration to the people to strive for a technologically advanced future. This was even more important due to the halt in the Cold War due to the threat of nuclear annihilation. During the halt, instead of focusing on the arms race, other events like the space race took place to bring confirmation and new hope to the Soviet Union in their attempt to make up for lost time and catch up to bourgeois science and to put more distance between Stalin and the current ideals.
Closer towards the end of the Thaw more of a freeze took place and things returned to a more restricted society once again. Authors were killed or imprisoned due to them supposedly giving the enemy too much ammunition. So while things were seemingly turning for the better during the Thaw, things eventually reverted back and returned to a state where science fiction couldn’t flourish.
3. Reading Response 10/12 (3)
This novel is insane because of how it perfectly teases and explains the limits of what these researchers and the world they live in are capable of understanding while also trying to explain the experience they are going through to get our own view on the matter. To start off, the author has me guessing whether they’ve fully thought out the capabilities of this alien world and know for themselves what is going on. If he has then I would argue that this novel isn’t the limit of human cognition or imagination. If he truly has laid out a situation where the human species as a whole, including himself, is exploring a new world, then this novel is pushing the boundaries of human cognition.
There are many instances where the main character Chris interacts with an alien life form and the immediate and logical conclusion is that he is hallucinating or is going insane. It is only when he tests himself and other crewmates that he realizes the situation and is as clueless as the reader. Even on an alien planet the researchers are trying to apply their own understanding of life and science to the situation, even though on this alien planet it seems more reasonable that this new environment introduces new information to life to be explored. To this end, a dispute starts whether the limits of their knowledge is the sole truth of the universe versus the opposing side saying that there is more to be discovered and learned.
When alien life is presented to the characters of the book I can only assume that this is not what they were expecting because of how unimaginable or unrealistic the situation sounds. I can assume they were expecting life that worked with in the limits of their understanding like another creature with a different structure than something they have seen, but in the reading the alien life form resembles things they are familiar but with the different and currently unexplainable properties like when Harey punches the interior of the 8 ton shuttle and shakes the structure. Chris is unable to put a finger on it because of his known ties to Harey and the unknown and unexplainable properties of her presence and ability. So far every time a character has interacted with alien life there has been obvious bewilderment most likely due to the fact that the alien’s capabilities didn’t fall within their expectations for life. Another interesting point that breaks the foundations of human understanding is the instance when Chris is examining Harey’s blood. When he examines the blood everything he sees up to a point is normal and to be expected. It is when he gets to the point where he should be able to see atoms that he is startled. The idea of the atom is that it is the basic building block of the universe, everything has atoms, living or not, but when he discovers that Harey doesn’t have any atoms logically that means she shouldn’t exist and that everything before that point he observed is more a clever disguise. So by human understanding, Harey is once again closer to a hallucination than an existing being.
4. Reading Response 10/19 (4)
The scene I am observing starts at 3:23 and goes to 7:56. The scene starts by showing flowing water and plant life being pushed by the current. It is at this point the camera pans up to reveal the character Kris perched and observing his surroundings while in complete silence. His positioning and appearance after showing the peace of nature in this quiet setting reveals how he himself is quietly taking in the setting while nature works around him. He continues his walk through the woods in silence seemingly enjoying the peace and the end of his walk is marked when he approaches a swamp which is bordering a house. It is at 6:27 when I notice the first sounds of the movie. The chirps and noise of birds somewhere in the surrounding area. The time before when no sound was present seemed to give lifelessness to the woods which made the scene seem desolate, or the sound could be a sign that Kris was deep in thought and it is only when he starts his approach to the house that he puts his thoughts aside. With that second thought in mind we could assume that Kris wasn’t taking in the scenery around him but using the familiar lay of the land to get lost in his own thoughts. Kris goes on washes his hands in the swamp and is nearing the house when the sound of a passing car is heard and his name is called out from the road. Kris looks over notices who is there and ignores them and walks away, the camera changes and we are listening to what the people on the road are saying. We learn from them that Kris takes an hour walk everyday and they refer to him as a Solarist. The way the camera positions itself on both sides of the interaction at two different points is what allows us to see how both parties react and regard each other. Kris seems to want to distance himself from them and this is shown by how he regards them at first then decides to avoid them. The people on the road Greet Kris from afar but when the camera is on their side one of them talks about Kris like he knows him well and seems to regard Kris as strange. It is also when the camera is on the road side that we are shown that Kris did not in fact walk away but is slowly and also dreading walking towards them.
5. Reading Response 10/26 (5)
The idea of contact with other beings in our universe is an interesting and popular trope for science fiction. Roadside Picnic takes an interesting stance on how planet Earth and the characters of the book actually experience this contact. In this novel the characters have not actually interacted with alien life but actually interact with their technology instead. The places where their technology is found are called Zones which appear during a period labeled the Visit. Many unnatural and artificial occurrences occur within these zones but the Zones are also filled with foreign devices and constructions. One of the first alien devices presented to us is called an empty. Its purpose is seemingly simple as it is used for storage but its construction is not fully understood due to humans lack of knowledge concerning the empty’s physics and properties.
When these Zones first appeared humanities obvious and immediate reaction was confusion and distancing shortly followed by investigation. Humanities’ ideal plan for the zones was to have them closed off to the public and have the area and items of the Zone handled by government agencies to study and advance themselves from discoveries in the Zones. Without fail people not associated with these government agencies would trespass into the dangerous Zone to score alien tech in order to sell to those who are interested, these individuals are referred to as Stalkers.
The contact between humanity and the aliens of this novel isn’t direct but instead made through us examining the remains of the visit to learn more about the aliens. Compared to Solaris and Andromeda, Roadside picnic seems to have the most indirect form of contact with Andromeda being the most direct and Solaris being somewhere in the middle. Also the idea behind Valentine’s theory concerning the visit and how the Aliens may not have even noticed our existence is funny and interesting because if this theory is correct then the contact is only one-sided. If the contact is one-sided is it really considered contact? Is there any other purpose concerning their visit and humanity or was it just a roadside picnic for them.
6. Reading Response 11/16 (6)
Both Delany’s novel and Le Guin’s novel can be compared and contrasted on many levels. Comparatively both novels are placed on planets other than earth that have some connection to Earth but aren’t directly connected. They also mention or experience planets with different sets of morals and separation from each other due to legal and moral values. What is different about the setting of both books is the fact that in “The Dispossessed” the two planets are completely different in their views of government and economics, and “Trouble on Triton” seems to allow planets to describe every planet as being unique but also comparable. The characters of “The Dispossessed” are completely completely separated by class and moral views not allowing for any intermingling of ideas, views, and change. While On Triton they can choose to separate themselves by views and preferences but this can be changed at any point in time, comparatively these characters still share common views of the planet but are more likely to converse and compare views with each other which may vary very much. Between the two novels the structure and language of both vary in many ways, plus the style and the way the characters interact and conversate is very interesting too. In “The Dispossessed” characters are often found talking in regard to one another based on class and views. When it comes to the people of Triton they usually speak with a specific intention but the people speak as to inform an equal. The structure of each book and how information is portrayed is very unique too. For Le Guin’s novel that conversations, answers, and questions reflect a consensus of thought and idea of either planets, this reflection that a character offers can be assumed and applied to other characters that are comparable to each other based on their planet and/or class. For Delany’s novel the conversations that happen do not necessarily hold important information for the novel as a whole. The information that is given is usually used to deepen the ones character concerning their attitude, interests, or preferences, This information is relevant for the world that we know but using the information one could assume how one feels about another and how an interaction will play out based on the information that has been given prior on said characters.
1. Guest Response 8/31 Justin Huczko (G1.)
- In Asimov’s “Robot Dreams,” a Robot named LVX-1 is created with an advanced, human-like brain. LVX-1 is able to dream, and in it’s dream it imagines a world full of oppressed robots, one where it is leading the charge to free its people. After revealing the contents of its dream, LVX-1 is terminated by the leading scientist in the laboratory.
Though it is less than 10 pages long, the story is filled to the brim with different scientific concepts and questions. This recalls Joanna Russ’ definition of science fiction as the modern form of the didactic story. In her essay, “Towards an Aesthetics of Science Fiction,” Russ explains that many of her contemporary critics completely missed the didactic nature of science fiction, instead using outdated literary analysis tools. She argues that in order to completely understand science fiction, one must understand the “extra-literary fields”(10) found within it. You cannot separate “science” from “science fiction.” Russ states: “If the critic believes that scientific truth is unreal, or irrelevant to his (the critic’s) business, then science fiction becomes only a series of very odd metaphors for the ‘human condition’” (10). This misses the point of science fiction as didactic literature meant to teach moral lessons concerning the sciences specifically. If you were to remove the scientific element of “Robot Dreams,” much of the meaning would be lost. Questions go farther than just “what is the human condition?” in the story. For instance, one of the scientists is a “Robopsychologist,” which calls into question debates on nurture vs nature in the construction of the human mind, if simulated human minds can be created in a lab. It also presents questions concerning many other disciplines, from biology and chemistry (is the construction of a human possible with robotics?) to theology (if we can recreate human life, are we the product of a god?) to anthropology (are humans bettered by the use of technology, or could it pose a threat to us as a species?). The multiple scientific disciplines all having questions raised by this one story shows that a simple analysis from a purely literary standpoint would not suffice, and that, as Russ argued in her essay, science fiction must be viewed through multiple scientific disciplines to truly understand the didactic nature of the genre.
This reading response was Justin’s first blog post, and just like me, he wanted to discuss “Robot Dreams” in more depth too. Both of us took great joy in reading the short story and went about trying to describe it’s intentions and details in different ways. I find the similar but different approaches wee took to be interesting seeing as both our posts on “Robot Dreams” were our first for the semester.
2. Guest Response 10/12 Devin Mongan (G2.)
“We don’t need other worlds. We need mirrors. We don’t know what to do with other worlds. One world is enough, even there we feel stifled. We desire to find our own idealized image; they’re supposed to be globes, civilizations more perfect than ours; in other worlds we expect to find the image of our own primitive past.” [Lem, Stanislaw. Solaris (p. 58). Pro Auctore Wojciech Zemek. Kindle Edition.]
As this passage suggests, the “limits of human cognition” are, paradoxically, human cognition itself. We can only truly grasp and understand that which makes sense to us; generally, that which makes sense to us is only that with which we have at least some kind of analogous basis of comparison. In expanding the limits of what we know, in science, in math, we are never truly searching for an answer, per se. We are searching for affirmation. We want to see that others, on Earth or in another galaxy, have done what we have done or will do what we have done or have done what we hope to do. As Lem points out, our search is for sameness, our cognition’s limit is familiarity, because that is what is comforting; as Solaris shows, discomfort and lack of understanding is what leads to insanity. Humanity’s fascination with the idea of not just extraterrestrial life, but extraterrestrial life that is humanoid in some way, stems from that same vain desire that drives human cognition – we are terrified of and unable to reconcile with the idea of a universe in which we are completely and utterly alone. Kelvin, by the end of this section of the novel, has fallen in love with and is holding tight to this humanoid representation of his long dead wife; he says himself that she isn’t really even necessarily a faithful replica of his wife as she was, for if she were, he might not love her as he does. When he was obsessed with knowing just what this “creature,” Harey, was, he was disgusted and terrified. Once he abandoned the scientific drive for knowledge, he loved her. Why? Because that was what he already knew. He loved his wife in life. And now, as unconventional and unnatural as this Harey 2.0, who makes a point to distinguish that she is NOT the original, he knows that he loves her. This is why he is saner and more content than Snaut or Sartorius; he is not attempting to surpass the bounds of human cognition, as they are attempting to do, because he knows that the “thinking without consciousness” of the ocean is something that we, as humans, could never understand.
I chose another reading response from 10/12 because I personally loved this reading response for Solaris. Devin’s response to Solaris and the question of human cognition is beautiful and dare I say perfect. There is a great deal to understand from her post and it is perfectly executed in it’s efforts to address and assess.
3. Guest Response 11/30 Megan Barber (G3.)
One of the more interesting aspects of Trouble on Triton is how it addresses the differences in Earth society as opposed to the Martian and Tritonian societies that Bron has grown accustomed to. In this novel, Earth appears to be a very prejudiced, materialistic, and thoroughly traditional society, where gender roles hold greater importance and individual expression is discouraged. When Bron first arrives on Earth he is tortured at length by guards who refer to him and Sam as “moonies” and make wild generalizations about people who aren’t from worlds. “”It’s funny,” one of the guards said to nobody in particular. “The moonies always sit in the corner soon as you leave ’em alone. Marsies and Earthmen always sit at the center of the wall. I’ve always wondered why” (Delany 137). A few paragraphs later another guard makes a similar remark about how “moonies” always sit in the middle of the wall once you leave them alone while “Marsies and Earthmen” sit in the corner of the wall. This is clearly an absurd generalization created by the guards to distance themselves from the Tritonians so they can continue with their horrible behavior. This scene was likely included to show the absurdity of racism and how racists justify their hatred by inventing new sources of division between themselves and who they view as “the other.” Bron also describes the use of physical money on Earth, something that is virtually unheard of throughout the rest of the solar system. When he takes the Spike out on their date, he becomes extremely preoccupied with appearing wealthy and sophisticated. He asks for one of the most expensive wines the transport carries, insists on the finest table in the restaurant, and orders an obscene amount of food and liquor. One of the most important things to notice in this scene however is how the footmen act when Bron makes them do embarrassing things to earn relatively small amounts of cash. The women promptly obey each of Bron’s orders and even begin attacking each other when instructed to do so. Bron tells the Spike, “I spent a spell as a footman myself, once,” Bron said…”It gets to you” (Delany 170). This is far different from the culture we have been exposed to on Triton where material goods and money in general are not prized as highly. In fact, Sam even tells some Earthmen that almost every Tritionian is put on welfare at some point in their life so it isn’t seen as shameful in their society. Another fascinating difference is according to Bron, women and men are seen as almost completely equal in Tritonian society. However, on Earth women are more likely to be seen in servile roles like being waitresses or footmen. These three differences together create an image of Earth that is somewhat primitive and extremely flawed, providing an interesting juxtaposition to the Tritonian society we have been exposed to throughout the novel thus far.