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E-book Populating the Future : Families and Reproduction in Speculative Fiction

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Penilaian

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This book aims to investigate the concept of reproduction as it is imag-ined in speculative fiction. The focus is on reproduction in science fiction novels, short stories, films and young adult fiction. We investigate how speculative fiction deals with this topic and how it relates to previous concepts of reproduction. Reproductive methods, motherhood and par-enthood are now being renegotiated in social, political and cultural are-nas. As an experimental thought laboratory, speculative fiction is a good starting point for discussing alternative family structures, reproductive techniques, practices and, above all, the consequences of the choices. The authors of the different chapters relate to fiction and earlier research in the field to contextualise their findings. The emphasis is on examining alternative family structures, mother- and fatherhood, sexual preferences, human offspring as symbioses between humans and aliens, humans and machines, social constructions and ideological backgrounds. Our pri-mary interest is the future offspring from these – in some cases – myste-rious relationships and family constellations. The hypothetical methods and fictive results used by speculative fiction authors are worth taking seriously, as will become apparent in the discussions in the various chap-ters. Theory, fiction and reality that imagine it possible and desirable to separate women and childbirth are discussed from several angles in this volume. Questions about reproduction have played a significant part in specu-lative fiction, such as in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and, more recently, Karin Tidbeck’s short stories “Beatrice” and “Jagannath” (2018). Reproduction has been – and still is – a subject that challenges us. Mary Shelley’s Frankensteincontinues to interest researchers, and new dissertations focusing on it have been published. For example, Amber Lea Strother’s Speculative sexualities and futuristic families: Representations of reproduction and kinship in science fiction (2017) is relevant in this context.2 A section in Emelie Cox-Palmer-White’s dissertation, The Biopolitics of Gender in Science Fiction: Feminism and Female Machines (2021), also discusses Mary Shelley’s novel Franken-stein.3Speculative fiction provides an arena for discussing different modes of reproduction and reproductive techniques and how they affect the power dynamics in society.4 Reproduction is a trope continuously investigated as new authors emerge and new procedures and practices are introduced to society. It is a trope in speculative fiction that offers endless opportunities to explore the essential aspects of childbearing, parenthood, mothering, fathering, biolog y, responsibilities for future generations, socioeconomic and political structures, the wellknown and the unknown, gender and power structures. Ursula K. le Guin stated that when science fiction uses its limitless range of symbol and metaphor novel-istically, with the subject at the center, it can show us who we are, and where we are, and what choices face us, with unsurpassed clarity, and with a great and troubling beauty.

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Ketersediaan

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

306.874 BON p

Penerbit

Sweden : Kriterium., 2023

Deskripsi Fisik

266 hlm

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

9789189593077

Klasifikasi

306.874

Tipe Isi

text

Tipe Media

computer

Tipe Pembawa

online resource

Edisi

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Subjek

Parenthood

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

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Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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