This is my Science Fiction essay written in 2007 for my final year project at university.
The Past Present and Future of Mankind: Are there any grounds as to whether Science Fiction could be real?
Human prehistory, and the origin of man, is a very much debated subject, as the only way to prove anything, would be to build a time travelling machine and go and visit prehistoric man, or even the dinosaurs. The main two arguments are: Darwinism and the theory of evolution, and, religious beliefs that God created man from nothing. Most people find Darwinism the most logical explanation because of biological and scientific evidence which it would seem supports this. Science fiction, allows writers and readers to use their imaginations and to speculate upon other theories, such as extra-terrestrial origin. Many fictional explanations for human origin stem from religious ideas, or at least from the myths belonging to ancient religious cults and civilisations: for example from the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians to aboriginal and druid mythology. The most well known mythology tales are those from either the ancient Greeks, or from the Romans. Most legends follow the same outlines: a set of old Gods replaced by the newer Gods (Greek, Egyptian, Roman), and one of the newer Gods declares himself to be leader, designating all the other Gods, areas to maintain, like a hierarchy. The Gods then being bored create humans, and watch over them as well as interfere with them; sometimes even producing offspring and families with them.
All forms of Science fiction at some point incorporate elements inspired from local and ancient mythology and folk tales, whether from the Ancient Egyptians or from urban legends. The oldest form of story telling is by passing word of mouth throughout generations. This was done long before the written word came about, and the origin of language itself is often studied and debated about. To study the origins of mythology is to study the origins of language, for example, in the 1994 film Stargate[1], Dr Jackson is recruited to help translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs found on the Stargate. The origin of the symbols, as it turns out, is extra-terrestrial. This idea was also looked at in Kevin J Anderson’s X-files based novel Ruins[2], where it was found that a Mayan Temple contained an extra-terrestrial being had been trapped in suspended animation for thousands of years inside a space craft buried deep inside the temple. The discovery of the origins of language, are philosophically linked to the debate about the origin of man: This is where Science fiction comes in. Stargate and The X-files: Ruins both hint at the idea that our origins began on other planets. Douglas Adams’s Hitchhikers book series also offers this solution as a light hearted suggestion, as do many other texts. David Gibbons’ Atlantis[3] however suggests that the superior human knowledge came from a superior human race which was flooded out, and split into different cultures, such as Greek, European, Egyptian and African. Another area of mythology which is explored indirectly by science fiction is religion. The Fifth Element [4] is influenced by the Egyptians and the Bible. It explores the idea of the second coming, and the idea of a perfect being created by God to become mankind’s last saviour.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey also explores the question of human existence, and the search for both human origin and extraterrestrial life. The monoliths which speed up evolution somehow, symbolise the mystery and the unknown, within the universe. This mirrors the biblical story for original sin: Adam and Eve bite the apple from the tree of knowledge; just as primitive man takes knowledge from the monolith, and is able to evolve into man. Also, this is similar to the story of Prometheus who stole fire from the Ancient Greek Gods, to give to man in order for man to survive and evolve technologically. Gibbon’s Atlantis explains human knowledge as being passed down from one generation to the next, in the form of religion: only the high priests had access to it, and when the information was needed for survival purposes it was shared. Human origin is commonly linked, to extraterrestrial existence, because not only does it make good science fiction, but also, there is very little interest in the theory that life actually did start on earth. Planet of the Apes [5](any version) is one of the very few SF adaptations where life actually did begin on earth all along. Planet of the apes explores the theory of evolution, which makes it unique from other SF explanations. Mankind’s search for knowledge is the reason behind technological and scientific advances, and it is this quest for knowledge which has fuelled the imagination of SF writers. Science fiction is able to explore the limits of technology, which cannot yet be developed due to the laws of physics, yet because the imagination is unlimited, in fiction anything is possible. There are however, debates about whether the mythology, which inspires science fiction, is true or not, which is why they are labelled as mythological stories.
Mythology is defined by Alexei and Corey Panshin, in their essay ‘[SF] and the dimension of Myth’ as being ‘the presentation in story and song, ceremony and drama, of accounts of the origin and destiny of things, cast in terms of encounters with transcendence in another world not our own.’[6] Their definition for mythology is also fitting for certain areas of science fiction. They also point out Joseph Campbell’s underlying structure for all myths: ‘separation- initiation – return’. (The hero is separated from their own people, or from society, initiated into their first rescue mission, and then they return to save the day, again and again). This structure is applied to many superhero stories such as Superman, Spiderman and even the Star wars franchise. Mythology and tales from the past are inspiring as points of origin for science fiction however, not all Science Fiction is inspired by tales from the past. But it is obvious that there are certain areas of Science fiction, which do take from the stories about the ancient Greek Gods, Christianity, the ancient Egyptians and even the Aztecs. The most obvious areas of science fiction, for which this is true, would be Comic book heroes such as Superman, or Alien explorations such as the film and television series ‘Stargate.’ Inspiration has to come from somewhere so the most obvious place to look is in stories from the past, such as tales from our childhood, or common legends from mythology that everyone knows.
The first superhero in mythological history, is often credited as being Prometheus, one of the ancient Greek Gods, who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man, only to be punished by Zeus (the ruler of the Gods) and to be chained to a rock for eternity, and have his liver pecked out everyday by an eagle, only for it to grow back again at night. This has similarities with superheroes often in comic books, who are often punished for helping man, Such as Superman who is weakened by Kryptonite, when others punish him for helping mankind, (In the films, and Television series at least). Mythology is an interesting area to look at because it is fascinating, how across every single culture miles apart from each other the stories contain all the same outlines. The lone hero is on a journey of self discovery, is unsure about his identity, then seduced either by the temptation of women, or the temptation of evil, but resists the temptation, carries on his journey and completes his mission, with a final showdown at the end with the villain. This outline, could be applied to the labours of Hercules in ancientGreece, Homer’s Odyssey, Jesus in the Christian Bible, and is even seen in the likes of Star Wars and Spiderman. One of the best stories from the Bible is that of Moses who freed the slaves from ancientEgypt, with seven plagues. It was said that God created the plagues, but in modern day, he could just as easily be seen as having super powers, possibly being the one of the first superheroes in the Bible. The Bible is actually full of possible superhero references if you look closely enough. Noah having a premonition of floods, Jesus turning water into wine, and walking on water, Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams and predict the future, and even as mentioned before, Moses and the seven plagues. These powers are explained as being miracles of God, just as the superheroes from Ancient Greece and Egypt et al, are described as divine intervention (for example Hercules’s strength was credited to him being a demi-God).
Stargate (1994) is full of subtle and not so subtle links to mythology. It has the obvious links to Egyptian stories or Ra the Sun God, but also has moments which mirror other stories, such as Moses, Adam and Eve, and the resurrection. The plot of the movie is that Ra was of a dying alien race, who in his quest for eternal life, found a way to sustain his life force by inhabiting a human body which acted as a host (Similarly to Invasion of the body snatchers). Ra then brought all the humans to earth, and ruled over them in disguise as a God: As soon as the humans learned to read and write, they discovered that Ra was not a God at all, and rebelled against him, forcing him to leave. He then took his slaves to another planet, and raised a new race. This time, he banned them from reading and writing. As soon as the Stargate team arrive on the new planet, Dr Jackson teaches them how to read and write, and they learn the truth about their God, and they rebel again, and destroy him. In the myth of original sin, Eve betrays God, and tempts Adam into losing his innocence. This is clearly repeated, when Daniel Jackson teaches Sha’uri how to read and write, because it is only then, that the slaves learn the truth and rebel against Ra. This is clearly a parallel to the story of Adam and Eve, because as soon as they bite from the tree of knowledge, they learn the truth about God, and their innocence and faith becomes changed. Although the role of Adam and Eve is reversed, Sha’uri later shares this information to her brother Skaara, who then spreads the message. The scene towards the end of the film, where they try to invade the pyramid in order to reach the Stargate, is not unlike the story of Moses, who freed the slaves in Ancient Egypt. The old and wise leader raises his arms, to reveal hundreds and thousands of rebels rising above the dunes, following his command, like the imagery given of Moses parting the seas and leading the slaves. There are also echoes of the resurrection, when Daniel and Sha’uri are killed and then healed in the sarcophagus.
The Star wars films are very similar to Stargate. Return of the Jedi, resurrects Han Solo who then saves them all from the Storm Troopers, although it is Luke who finally stops Darth Vader. Again, like the story of Moses, and even Hercules in Ancient Greek mythology, Luke is an orphan who was sent to be raised in a safer place, only to later return and discover his identity. This is also echoed in Superman, where Clark/ Kal-el is sent to earth from the endangered planet Krypton. Star wars is a very interesting film in terms of mythology because it not only uses a lot of references to heroes and legends, but because it also creates its own mythology. It is set “long, long ago” and is therefore a myth of some far-off fictional culture in a fictional galaxy. Both Yoda and Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi act as the high priests, or the mentor roles, to the young Luke: Leia and Han are the lovers who fight to be with each other and then Later (or earlier if you want Chronological order) Anakin and Amidala fight for each other, As Obi wan tries and fails to advise and train Anakin, who is then tempted towards evil, before Later (in Return of the Jedi) regretting his mistake and becoming good again just before he dies. The formula for mythology is always epic, and involves a hero embarking on a long journey before experiencing tragedy and then being mentored and trained for a great battle, falling in love, fighting for love, the hero then becomes side tracked and/ or falls into temptation and has a downfall, before finally overcoming the obstacles, saving the day and getting the girl. It is not an exact formula, but it is the main outline for most epic/ mythological adventures. Star wars shares the different parts to the story, out among the characters, but nevertheless, all the elements are there, which makes it a great legendary double trilogy. Star wars does not really question existence, and seeing as it is not set on earth it does not question human origin. However, there are obvious echoes to human mythology, and elements of mythology which are explored in the films. Star Wars creates its own legends and mythology for its fans to follow: Many of its fans have tried to create the Jedi as a religion, which the government is refusing to recognise, proving that many believe in the power of the force. [7]
Unlike Star wars, Star trek does question existence: In both Voyager and The Next Generation, Q appears to both Picard and Janeway, quite randomly.[8] He is able to manipulate space and time, to tamper with human affairs, and he is omnipotent. The members of the Q continuum live on a different plane to humans, and therefore time is different for them. There have been debates about whether they are linked to humans, because of certain things that Q had said to Picard, Which would suggest that they originated from the same race[9]. Some have suggested that the members of the Q continuum spread out among the universe to scatter various mortals on random planets, and that these evolved into many different races, which would account for the differences and similarities between, for example, Humans and Vulcans.
Star Trek as a franchise, explores the mythology and origin of the universe itself. The writers had to create so many different races, and planets, that they also had to create a mythology for them. This is also true for any space travelling SF franchise such as Stargate or Star Wars. Josh Whedon’s Serenity (2005) (based on the series Firefly) looks at a race of humans who moved from Earth and onto another planet. The human race has been divided into two separate races, though an accident with a supposedly advanced technological improvement: These races are the humans, and the Reavers. The Reavers were created by the humans by the government who then tried to cover it up. Although not exactly exploring human origin, Serenity does explore the themes of creation and mythology. Serenity is very similar to both Star Wars and Star Trek: They all contain humans who have achieved Interstellar Spaceship travel, are on a mission to save their planet or to help others, and are accustomed to other alien races. Although Luke Skywalker and Co. are not earthlings, they are still humanoids. Like Star Wars and Star Trek, Serenity focuses upon the crew of one spaceship in particular: The Serenity. The crew are on a mission to save River (the doctor’s sister) from a bounty hunter, who is after her because she escaped from the government laboratory where she was being experimented on. The experiments gave her telepathic powers and physical strength and agility, much like a superhero, or the Gods from ancient mythologies, only they were given to her by humans. Whedon’s Serenity is very similar to H.G. Well’s Novel The Time Machine, in which humans evolve into two races: the Eloi and the Morlocks. The two directions in human evolution could just as easily be true today, for ape and man (even though it is proven otherwise), as it could be in fiction for the Eloi and the Morlocks, or the humans and the Reavers.
Charles De Paolo, in his book ‘Human Prehistory in fiction’, discusses the theory of evolution in relation to Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes. He uses the work of Eric Delson and Ian Tattersall to focus upon, and he goes into detail about the evolution of ape into man, and discusses the various stages. He discusses whether or not Planet of the Apes could be plausible in reality, and Whether or not it should be classed as SF or Fantasy. The main point of his discussion is: ‘The difference between credible or inventive fiction, on the one hand, and fantasy on the other, lies in the accurate use of up-to-date scientific information as the background of the story.’ He then goes on to say that ‘The farther fiction moves away from authentic or normal sources, the closer it gets to absurdity.’ He argues that Boulle’s novel ignores the fact hat humans and apes are separate races, and the novel is purely fictional, as it neglects too many scientific findings. Planet of the Apes, along with Kurbrick’s 2001: A space Odyssey, both explore the theory of evolution idea, in relation to Space travel. Man can only go forwards, by going back and discovering who he once was.
The idea that man could play God, is one that SF writers toy with in a lot of the novels/ films. The TV series Mutant X, toyed with the idea that man could create a race of mutants, simply by playing with human DNA, similarly to the modern Spiderman films starring Toby Maguire, in which Spiderman was created by having his DNA mixed with that of a genetically enhanced spider. Whereas SF writers try to explain their plots naturally, and logically, mythology and fantasy writers, do not need to explain how things happen: for example, in SF, Spiderman has to be bitten by a genetically enhanced spider in order to become Spiderman, whereas in Greek mythology, Arachne was simply turned into a spider by Aphrodite, as punishment for being vain. Explanations for why these kinds of scenarios happen, is the main purpose for SF. SF is all about the art of explaining the uncanny, or seemingly impossible things such as miracles in a theoretical and scientific way. It is not the storylines which make a text or film SF, it is the scientific explanations given as to why and how the events are possible. SF takes the scientifically impossible, and makes it possible using scientific theory. Another way, in which SF works, is to speculate upon the outcomes of the most inhumane experiments, which could not take place in reality because of the moral issues surrounding them. DNA experiments have largely influenced science fiction writers, because there are so many questions about the human body and its capabilities. Rare genetic disorders and selected breeding give many ideas and possibilities about the various nightmares and omens which could arise from it. Genetic mutations are the most feared side effect of DNA experiments, because people fear disfiguration and see it as being monstrous. The idea of being mutated to the point of being unrecognised as a human, is most peoples worst nightmares when it comes to DNA experiments, for example Bruce Banna in The Hulk and Ben Grimm in Fantastic four both become genetically mutated, and are seen by society as being hideous monsters. They only want to be human, and want to be seen as human, but because they have been so transformed, and unrecognised, that they become miserable and want to find a way to turn back. This issue has been more explored in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, in which a man becomes turned into an insect, and his family fail to recognise him any longer, and he becomes depressed.[10]
One of the first novels detailing human experiments, the creation of life and the idea of playing God, Was Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Dr Frankenstein creates a monster, made entirely from human body parts. A Lightening storm then gives life to his creation, which has enormous strength, much like the incredible hulk. Shelley’s novel brings into debate, the issue about human creation, and the ongoing argument between religion and science. There have been many film versions and interpretations of Frankenstein, ranging from the most recent Van Helsing (2004) to the original Frankenstein (1910) movie. It may sound like an extreme case, but it would not at all be surprising, if one day, it were possible to create a real Frankenstein type creation complied from various parts of other humans. Technological advances have meant it is possible for organ replacement surgery, and even the first face transplant has now taken place. Cloning experiments also contribute to debates about playing God, one of the best examples of this, is seen in the 2006 film The Prestige. Another good example of this is The Island (2005), in which clones are created and ‘born’ in order for their organs to be harvested. This backfires once the clones realise who they really are, and escape. Cloning and re-creating life without reproducing are just two of the main types of human experimenting going on today.
By trying to artificially re-create life, scientists are trying to prove that man’s existence and the world was created in this way. The creation of the world is explained in science by ‘The Big Bang’, whereas in mythology it is argued that the world was created by a God, or by a race of Gods. By trying to disprove religion, science is playing against the laws of nature which, as science fiction often warns us, can have disastrous effects. In SF, there are very few instances where the experiments actually result in benefiting mankind. More often than not, man creates his own demise or destruction by trying to better technology, to ‘enable’ human survival or to enhance the human race. Scientific accidents or side effects from certain experiments, lead to dangerous outcomes, which are seen by religious believers to be a warning against interfering with God. In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus is punished for going against Zeus’s wishes and for interfering with man, Icarus was punished for trying to fly (he flew too close to the sun, and the wax holding his wings together melted, and he drowned in the sea), and Orpheus was punished for trying to bring his dead wife back from the underworld. Religion and science are delicately intertwined: they oppose each other, yet they inspire each other to progress. Science tries to disprove religion, and religion maintains that we should not interfere with God’s plan.
Farah Mendlesohn, states that ‘Religion is repeatedly depicted as dangerous, diverting humans (and aliens) from the path of reason and true enlightenment.’ [11] and in her chapter ‘Religion and Science Fiction’ She argues that Religion is misleading, and is only seen in SF texts, as being a human weakness: she also points out, that in most texts, there is only ever one single religion. She gives the example of Star Trek, in which it has ‘one faith per planet.’ This is an interesting point, because if there were hundreds of other planets in the universe, there could be hundreds more religions and creation myths about the universe. The film Contact (1997) explores the idea of life on other planets, and religion. Arroway (Played by Jodie Foster), discovers hidden satellite data which provides a plan to build a machine which can transport one person into deep space. There is a debate about who should be sent, and what questions to ask the beings on the other side of the universe. Arroway is an atheist, which creates a huge controversy when it is agreed she should be sent. The argument is that over 95% of the Earth’s population follow a religion, so she should ask questions about God, yet she refuses. When she does get there, she is confronted by beings who take on the form of her late father. When she arrives back on earth, the time which has passed is less than a split second, so no-one really believes she went anywhere. They conclude the whole event was a hoax created by a dying man. Contact questions the idea of faith, and links it to science. While exploring philosophical questions, it also explores the physics of space and time travel: thus successfully linking science and religion. The science is very accurate, according to John Scalzi who says ‘the apparent attention to scientific detail is not a coincidence; the film is the adaptation of a novel by famed astronomer Carl Sagan, who […] was passionate about explaining real-world science to a wider audience.’[12] The notion of linking astronomy to religion is by no means a new concept. Even in ancient mythology, civilisations have always worshipped the sun, such as the druids, who builtStonehenge as a temple to worship the sun, or the Egyptians who believed Ra was the Sun-God.
It is the constellations which have inspired most SF writes and possibly even archaeologists, to believe that ancient civilisations came from the skies. The most famous example of this is seen today in Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, it was believed that Orion was Osiris’ spiritual form in the sky. They believed that when he died, his soul turned into the stars which form the constellation of Orion.[13] It is no co-incidence that the Ancient pyramids were built in more than an accurate alignment to the stars which form the constellation of Orion, in accurate ratio to the position of the Milky Way. Astrologists and archaeologists have mapped out the earths positions in relation to the constellations, and been able to figure out, that at the time when the ancient pyramids were built, the constellation for Orion would have been exactly above the same positions of the pyramids. They have also argued that the only way for them to build such an accurate map of the sky, would have been by looking down on it from above. And since this was impossible for the ancient civilisations, it has been suggested that someone came down from the skies. Another hint towards the worship of the stars was the fact that the pyramids contained small ventilation shafts which went from the tombs, to the roof of the pyramids, and were directed towards the stars, so that the spirits of the deceased royalty could go straight to the stars. SF writers, have gone slightly further on this idea, and suggested in their novels, that these shafts were a form of transportation, which beamed people (or beings) to another planet which was directly aimed at. They also use the theories that Alien life came to our planet, and then left the same way, never returning, which lead to the theory that the ancient Gods were actually alien beings.[14]
Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey looks at this theory in a different way. There is no mention to ancient mythology, but the film does consider that there may have been an outside influence on the way in which mankind evolved. The monoliths as mentioned before are the source of man’s knowledge. The Ape-man is only able to make the transformation of ape into man, after touching the black stone. He then becomes more aggressive, and becomes a dangerous predator. The theory of evolution, and the idea that only the fittest survive (survival of the fittest), has been explored in many ways throughout films and texts. Obvious ones, which have been previously mentioned, include Planet of the Apes and The Time Machine. Not so obvious titles would include The War of the Worlds, Cube and Independence Day.[15] While these films may not be directly involved in the theory ofevolution, they do depict the idea about ‘survival of the fittest’ and produce an entertaining medium about mankind’s fight for survival against alien invasions, and against each other. H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds also raises questions about human faith. The Parson in the churchyard suffers a lapse in faith, accusing the Martians of being ‘devils’ believing that mankind was being punished. Spielberg’s film interpretation also questions mankind’s faith in each other. When trapped in the basement of a house, Cruise’s character is forced to kill the artilleryman in order to hide in silence from the Martians and to keep his daughter safe. This brings into the discussion, the issue of morality. There are so many films where humans have killed alien invaders in order for survival, even though religion teaches us that killing is immoral.
Morality and ethics seem to apply very little in alien invasion texts. Philosophical arguments, would turn to utilitarianism, arguing that killing threats to humanity, would greater benefit mankind, ensuring the maximum number of happiness from the least amount of harm to others. The Star Trek series’ and the Stargate series both look at the issue of morality when debating over whether to help certain alien cultures they encounter. Captain Janeway (Star Trek Voyager series) constantly considers the ethics of her decisions, often asking advice from the first officer Chakotay and from Tuvok the Vulcan. In the film X-men 3: the last stand, Jean Grey turns into Phoenix, who shows what happens when a person is consumed by power, and loses the ability to think logically and ethically. She kills hundreds of people, wreaking havoc upon the humans, under the influence of Magneto. The only way she can be stopped is by death. Wolverine refuses to admit this, believing she can be tamed, but deep down he realises that even Professor X could not control her so she must be killed. His battle with his conscience over what he wanted, and what he had a responsibility to do, become clear later in the film, and he later makes the morally right decision to stop her. Religious and moral influences are often reflected within SF because as new and intelligent species are discovered, our laws and ways of life are enforced upon them.
It would appear that space travel, and alien races are the main source of debates about morality in science fiction. The future of both SF and mankind, it would seem, can only become more complex in issues and debates surrounding ethics and morality. The main type of SF text set in the future of mankind, is dystopian fiction: dystopian fiction is the sub-genre, which focuses upon human morality the most. If a society is dystopian, then it implies that there are ethical issues surrounding the way in which the people are treated. If science fiction is anything to go by, the future of mankind is set to be extremely grim. A few of the grimmest dystopian fictions include: Brazil, A Clockwork Orange, Children of Men, Equilibrium, Gattaca and Blade Runner. All dystopian fiction, focuses upon the idea of society becoming either fascist, totalitarian, or the idea that the government will always be watching people and monitoring everything they do through voyeuristic technology (for example in George Orwell’s 1984). Technology now is becoming so advanced, that it is not very hard to believe that one day one of these writers will be right about their vision of the future. Orwell’s 1984, is possibly the most accurate so far, with government surveillance and with over four million closed circuit television cameras in Britain, not to mention the reality TV experiment taken from Orwell’s book (Big Brother).[16] Enemy of the State (1998) although not technically a dystopian fiction, shows what can happen if the government has too much power over technology. Very much like Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, in which there is a chase scene, and the cameras and a mechanical hound, track down and kill an innocent scapegoat.
While some may argue that SF is fiction for a reason, it is obvious that there are some bases for reality, contained within it. In the past, mythology and the bible are said to be full of references to extraterrestrial life, even in more recent myths such as the legends of King Arthur there have been suggestions of Merlin the wizard being from outer space, or the Lady of the lake. Shelley’s Frankenstein has also now become more and more of a reality with body-part transplants as well as organs. It will not be long until the first Frankenstein type creature is created. Fictions about cloning people will also soon be a possible reality now that animals and embryos have been cloned. Space travel is expanding, and one day mankind will land on Mars. It is not logically impossible for there to be life on other planets, because there are so many stars in the sky, and unknown planets in existence, that logically, Earth can not be the only planet with life forms surviving on it; we just can not explore them all, or reach them in order for us to explore them. The future may be a big place, and while some argue that we may not have a future due to global warming, nothing is ever certain. There has always been a fear of nuclear holocaust, global warming, and pandemic diseases: the truth is that while mankind rules the Earth, there will always be a fear of “the end of the world.” Yes it is true that one day, the sun will grow into a red dwarf and consume the solar system with it, but unless a nuclear warhead is sent into the centre of the sun, this will not happen for millions and millions of years. Mankind will have a future, and no-one knows what it will hold. SF writers may one day be proven right.
No one knows how far technology will advance in the future, and no-one knows how mankind originated. There is no way of proving mankind originated on Earth, and there is no way to prove that it did not. While there is evidence to support the theory of evolution, there is still a vital missing link between ape and man. This missing link is missing for a reason. While scientists have tried looking for it everywhere and made new discoveries which are similar to the missing link, the missing link can not be found if it does not exist. Time travel is impossible as a result of the laws of physics, so we will never know how or even if man did evolve from apes. Unless in the future of course, someone is able to find a way to bend the laws of physics. It is just as likely that mankind came from an alien race, who settled on our planet among the apes, as it is that God created mankind. The theory of evolution is the most logical of the three explanations, but this does not mean that it is true, just because it is logical. Myths and religious stories are tales made and passed down from generations to explain why the world is the way it is. But all stories must have a basis in fact otherwise they would not be believable. SF is entertaining because it speculates on these stories and shows what could happen if they were true. The possibilities are endless. From comics such as Superman, to films such as Star Wars: Just because it is fictional does not mean to say it is unrealistic. Anything is possible, especially when we have explored no further than our own solar system.
Word Count (not including bibliography etc.): 5,930
Websites:
http:/ www.pantheon.org/
http://ephemeris.com/history/egypt.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~pleiadesx/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2757067.stm/
http://www.imdb.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum_%28Star_Trek%29
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70700.html
http://www.seered.co.uk/cctv.htm
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~Johnstoi/stories/kafka-E.htm
Bibliography:
Kevin J Anderson The X Files: Ruins (Voyager, 1996)
Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 (Britain, Voyager, 2004)
Charles De Paolo Human Prehistory in Fiction (USA, McFarland 2003)
David Gibbons, Atlantis (Headline Publishing Group:2005)
James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria, Speculations on Speculations, (USA, scarecrow press Inc, 2005.)
Edward James and Farah Mendelsohn ,The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003)
John Scalzi , The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi movies, (penguin, London 2005)
Paul Simpson, Helen Rodiss and Michaela Bushell, The Rough Guide to Superheroes, (London, Rough guides, 2004)
Jutta Weldes, To Seek Out New Worlds, (New York, Palgrave MacMillan, 2003)
Filmography:
Blade Runner (1982) Dir. Ridley Scott
Brazil (1984) Dir. Terry Gilliam
A Clockwork Orange(1971) Dir. Stanley Kubrick
Children of Men (2006)Dir. Alfonso Cuarón
Contact (1997) Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Cube (1997) Dir. Vincenzo Natali
Enemy of the State (1998) Dir. Tony Scott
Equilibrium (2002) Dir. Kurt Wimmer
Fantastic Four (2005) Dir. Tim Story
The Fifth Element (1997) dir. Luc Besson
Frankenstein (1910) Dir. J. Searle Dawley
Gattaca (1997) Dir. Andrew Niccol
The Hulk (2003) Dir. Ang Lee
Independence Day (1996) Dir. Roland Emmerich
The Island (2005) Dir.MichaelBay
Planet of the Apes (2001) Dir. TimBurton
The Prestige (2006) Dir. Christopher Nolan
Stargate (1994) Dir. Roland Emmerich
Star Wars Episode IV: a new hope (1977) dir. George Lucas
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire strikes back (1980) dir. Irvin Kershner
Star Wars Episode VI: return of the Jedi (1983)dir. Richard Marquand
Van Helsing (2004)dir. Stephen Somm
[1] Stargate (1994) Dir. Roland Emmerich
[2] The X Files: Ruins , Kevin J Anderson , Voyager, 1996
[3] Atlantis: David Gibbons, Headline Publishing Group:2005
[4] The Fifth Element (1997) dir. Luc Besson
[5] Any version will do, but for arguments sake I’m going with the Tim Burton 2001 film because I haven’t seen the original.
[6] ‘Science fiction and dimension of myth’: Chapter 4 of Speculations on Speculations, ed. James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria, scarecrow press Inc,USA, 2005.
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2757067.stm/
[8] http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70700.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum_%28Star_Trek%29
[10] http://www.mala.bc.ca/~Johnstoi/stories/kafka-E.htm
[11] Farah Mendlesohn, ‘Religion and science fiction’, The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction ed. Edward James and Farah Mendelsohn (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003)
[12] John Scalzi , The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi movies, (penguin, London 2005)
[13] http://ephemeris.com/history/egypt.html
[14] For example, this influence can be seen in the film Stargate and David Gibbon’s Ruins.
[15] H.G well’s Novel The War of the Worlds, Cube (1997) Dir. Vincenzo Natali, Independence Day (1996) Dir. Roland Emmerich
[16] http://www.seered.co.uk/cctv.htm
Human prehistory, and the origin of man, is a very much debated subject, as the only way to prove anything, would be to build a time travelling machine and go and visit prehistoric man, or even the dinosaurs. The main two arguments are: Darwinism and the theory of evolution, and, religious beliefs that God created man from nothing. Most people find Darwinism the most logical explanation because of biological and scientific evidence which it would seem supports this. Science fiction, allows writers and readers to use their imaginations and to speculate upon other theories, such as extra-terrestrial origin. Many fictional explanations for human origin stem from religious ideas, or at least from the myths belonging to ancient religious cults and civilisations: for example from the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians to aboriginal and druid mythology. The most well known mythology tales are those from either the ancient Greeks, or from the Romans. Most legends follow the same outlines: a set of old Gods replaced by the newer Gods (Greek, Egyptian, Roman), and one of the newer Gods declares himself to be leader, designating all the other Gods, areas to maintain, like a hierarchy. The Gods then being bored create humans, and watch over them as well as interfere with them; sometimes even producing offspring and families with them.
All forms of Science fiction at some point incorporate elements inspired from local and ancient mythology and folk tales, whether from the Ancient Egyptians or from urban legends. The oldest form of story telling is by passing word of mouth throughout generations. This was done long before the written word came about, and the origin of language itself is often studied and debated about. To study the origins of mythology is to study the origins of language, for example, in the 1994 film Stargate[1], Dr Jackson is recruited to help translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs found on the Stargate. The origin of the symbols, as it turns out, is extra-terrestrial. This idea was also looked at in Kevin J Anderson’s X-files based novel Ruins[2], where it was found that a Mayan Temple contained an extra-terrestrial being had been trapped in suspended animation for thousands of years inside a space craft buried deep inside the temple. The discovery of the origins of language, are philosophically linked to the debate about the origin of man: This is where Science fiction comes in. Stargate and The X-files: Ruins both hint at the idea that our origins began on other planets. Douglas Adams’s Hitchhikers book series also offers this solution as a light hearted suggestion, as do many other texts. David Gibbons’ Atlantis[3] however suggests that the superior human knowledge came from a superior human race which was flooded out, and split into different cultures, such as Greek, European, Egyptian and African. Another area of mythology which is explored indirectly by science fiction is religion. The Fifth Element [4] is influenced by the Egyptians and the Bible. It explores the idea of the second coming, and the idea of a perfect being created by God to become mankind’s last saviour.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey also explores the question of human existence, and the search for both human origin and extraterrestrial life. The monoliths which speed up evolution somehow, symbolise the mystery and the unknown, within the universe. This mirrors the biblical story for original sin: Adam and Eve bite the apple from the tree of knowledge; just as primitive man takes knowledge from the monolith, and is able to evolve into man. Also, this is similar to the story of Prometheus who stole fire from the Ancient Greek Gods, to give to man in order for man to survive and evolve technologically. Gibbon’s Atlantis explains human knowledge as being passed down from one generation to the next, in the form of religion: only the high priests had access to it, and when the information was needed for survival purposes it was shared. Human origin is commonly linked, to extraterrestrial existence, because not only does it make good science fiction, but also, there is very little interest in the theory that life actually did start on earth. Planet of the Apes [5](any version) is one of the very few SF adaptations where life actually did begin on earth all along. Planet of the apes explores the theory of evolution, which makes it unique from other SF explanations. Mankind’s search for knowledge is the reason behind technological and scientific advances, and it is this quest for knowledge which has fuelled the imagination of SF writers. Science fiction is able to explore the limits of technology, which cannot yet be developed due to the laws of physics, yet because the imagination is unlimited, in fiction anything is possible. There are however, debates about whether the mythology, which inspires science fiction, is true or not, which is why they are labelled as mythological stories.
Mythology is defined by Alexei and Corey Panshin, in their essay ‘[SF] and the dimension of Myth’ as being ‘the presentation in story and song, ceremony and drama, of accounts of the origin and destiny of things, cast in terms of encounters with transcendence in another world not our own.’[6] Their definition for mythology is also fitting for certain areas of science fiction. They also point out Joseph Campbell’s underlying structure for all myths: ‘separation- initiation – return’. (The hero is separated from their own people, or from society, initiated into their first rescue mission, and then they return to save the day, again and again). This structure is applied to many superhero stories such as Superman, Spiderman and even the Star wars franchise. Mythology and tales from the past are inspiring as points of origin for science fiction however, not all Science Fiction is inspired by tales from the past. But it is obvious that there are certain areas of Science fiction, which do take from the stories about the ancient Greek Gods, Christianity, the ancient Egyptians and even the Aztecs. The most obvious areas of science fiction, for which this is true, would be Comic book heroes such as Superman, or Alien explorations such as the film and television series ‘Stargate.’ Inspiration has to come from somewhere so the most obvious place to look is in stories from the past, such as tales from our childhood, or common legends from mythology that everyone knows.
The first superhero in mythological history, is often credited as being Prometheus, one of the ancient Greek Gods, who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man, only to be punished by Zeus (the ruler of the Gods) and to be chained to a rock for eternity, and have his liver pecked out everyday by an eagle, only for it to grow back again at night. This has similarities with superheroes often in comic books, who are often punished for helping man, Such as Superman who is weakened by Kryptonite, when others punish him for helping mankind, (In the films, and Television series at least). Mythology is an interesting area to look at because it is fascinating, how across every single culture miles apart from each other the stories contain all the same outlines. The lone hero is on a journey of self discovery, is unsure about his identity, then seduced either by the temptation of women, or the temptation of evil, but resists the temptation, carries on his journey and completes his mission, with a final showdown at the end with the villain. This outline, could be applied to the labours of Hercules in ancientGreece, Homer’s Odyssey, Jesus in the Christian Bible, and is even seen in the likes of Star Wars and Spiderman. One of the best stories from the Bible is that of Moses who freed the slaves from ancientEgypt, with seven plagues. It was said that God created the plagues, but in modern day, he could just as easily be seen as having super powers, possibly being the one of the first superheroes in the Bible. The Bible is actually full of possible superhero references if you look closely enough. Noah having a premonition of floods, Jesus turning water into wine, and walking on water, Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams and predict the future, and even as mentioned before, Moses and the seven plagues. These powers are explained as being miracles of God, just as the superheroes from Ancient Greece and Egypt et al, are described as divine intervention (for example Hercules’s strength was credited to him being a demi-God).
Stargate (1994) is full of subtle and not so subtle links to mythology. It has the obvious links to Egyptian stories or Ra the Sun God, but also has moments which mirror other stories, such as Moses, Adam and Eve, and the resurrection. The plot of the movie is that Ra was of a dying alien race, who in his quest for eternal life, found a way to sustain his life force by inhabiting a human body which acted as a host (Similarly to Invasion of the body snatchers). Ra then brought all the humans to earth, and ruled over them in disguise as a God: As soon as the humans learned to read and write, they discovered that Ra was not a God at all, and rebelled against him, forcing him to leave. He then took his slaves to another planet, and raised a new race. This time, he banned them from reading and writing. As soon as the Stargate team arrive on the new planet, Dr Jackson teaches them how to read and write, and they learn the truth about their God, and they rebel again, and destroy him. In the myth of original sin, Eve betrays God, and tempts Adam into losing his innocence. This is clearly repeated, when Daniel Jackson teaches Sha’uri how to read and write, because it is only then, that the slaves learn the truth and rebel against Ra. This is clearly a parallel to the story of Adam and Eve, because as soon as they bite from the tree of knowledge, they learn the truth about God, and their innocence and faith becomes changed. Although the role of Adam and Eve is reversed, Sha’uri later shares this information to her brother Skaara, who then spreads the message. The scene towards the end of the film, where they try to invade the pyramid in order to reach the Stargate, is not unlike the story of Moses, who freed the slaves in Ancient Egypt. The old and wise leader raises his arms, to reveal hundreds and thousands of rebels rising above the dunes, following his command, like the imagery given of Moses parting the seas and leading the slaves. There are also echoes of the resurrection, when Daniel and Sha’uri are killed and then healed in the sarcophagus.
The Star wars films are very similar to Stargate. Return of the Jedi, resurrects Han Solo who then saves them all from the Storm Troopers, although it is Luke who finally stops Darth Vader. Again, like the story of Moses, and even Hercules in Ancient Greek mythology, Luke is an orphan who was sent to be raised in a safer place, only to later return and discover his identity. This is also echoed in Superman, where Clark/ Kal-el is sent to earth from the endangered planet Krypton. Star wars is a very interesting film in terms of mythology because it not only uses a lot of references to heroes and legends, but because it also creates its own mythology. It is set “long, long ago” and is therefore a myth of some far-off fictional culture in a fictional galaxy. Both Yoda and Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi act as the high priests, or the mentor roles, to the young Luke: Leia and Han are the lovers who fight to be with each other and then Later (or earlier if you want Chronological order) Anakin and Amidala fight for each other, As Obi wan tries and fails to advise and train Anakin, who is then tempted towards evil, before Later (in Return of the Jedi) regretting his mistake and becoming good again just before he dies. The formula for mythology is always epic, and involves a hero embarking on a long journey before experiencing tragedy and then being mentored and trained for a great battle, falling in love, fighting for love, the hero then becomes side tracked and/ or falls into temptation and has a downfall, before finally overcoming the obstacles, saving the day and getting the girl. It is not an exact formula, but it is the main outline for most epic/ mythological adventures. Star wars shares the different parts to the story, out among the characters, but nevertheless, all the elements are there, which makes it a great legendary double trilogy. Star wars does not really question existence, and seeing as it is not set on earth it does not question human origin. However, there are obvious echoes to human mythology, and elements of mythology which are explored in the films. Star Wars creates its own legends and mythology for its fans to follow: Many of its fans have tried to create the Jedi as a religion, which the government is refusing to recognise, proving that many believe in the power of the force. [7]
Unlike Star wars, Star trek does question existence: In both Voyager and The Next Generation, Q appears to both Picard and Janeway, quite randomly.[8] He is able to manipulate space and time, to tamper with human affairs, and he is omnipotent. The members of the Q continuum live on a different plane to humans, and therefore time is different for them. There have been debates about whether they are linked to humans, because of certain things that Q had said to Picard, Which would suggest that they originated from the same race[9]. Some have suggested that the members of the Q continuum spread out among the universe to scatter various mortals on random planets, and that these evolved into many different races, which would account for the differences and similarities between, for example, Humans and Vulcans.
Star Trek as a franchise, explores the mythology and origin of the universe itself. The writers had to create so many different races, and planets, that they also had to create a mythology for them. This is also true for any space travelling SF franchise such as Stargate or Star Wars. Josh Whedon’s Serenity (2005) (based on the series Firefly) looks at a race of humans who moved from Earth and onto another planet. The human race has been divided into two separate races, though an accident with a supposedly advanced technological improvement: These races are the humans, and the Reavers. The Reavers were created by the humans by the government who then tried to cover it up. Although not exactly exploring human origin, Serenity does explore the themes of creation and mythology. Serenity is very similar to both Star Wars and Star Trek: They all contain humans who have achieved Interstellar Spaceship travel, are on a mission to save their planet or to help others, and are accustomed to other alien races. Although Luke Skywalker and Co. are not earthlings, they are still humanoids. Like Star Wars and Star Trek, Serenity focuses upon the crew of one spaceship in particular: The Serenity. The crew are on a mission to save River (the doctor’s sister) from a bounty hunter, who is after her because she escaped from the government laboratory where she was being experimented on. The experiments gave her telepathic powers and physical strength and agility, much like a superhero, or the Gods from ancient mythologies, only they were given to her by humans. Whedon’s Serenity is very similar to H.G. Well’s Novel The Time Machine, in which humans evolve into two races: the Eloi and the Morlocks. The two directions in human evolution could just as easily be true today, for ape and man (even though it is proven otherwise), as it could be in fiction for the Eloi and the Morlocks, or the humans and the Reavers.
Charles De Paolo, in his book ‘Human Prehistory in fiction’, discusses the theory of evolution in relation to Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes. He uses the work of Eric Delson and Ian Tattersall to focus upon, and he goes into detail about the evolution of ape into man, and discusses the various stages. He discusses whether or not Planet of the Apes could be plausible in reality, and Whether or not it should be classed as SF or Fantasy. The main point of his discussion is: ‘The difference between credible or inventive fiction, on the one hand, and fantasy on the other, lies in the accurate use of up-to-date scientific information as the background of the story.’ He then goes on to say that ‘The farther fiction moves away from authentic or normal sources, the closer it gets to absurdity.’ He argues that Boulle’s novel ignores the fact hat humans and apes are separate races, and the novel is purely fictional, as it neglects too many scientific findings. Planet of the Apes, along with Kurbrick’s 2001: A space Odyssey, both explore the theory of evolution idea, in relation to Space travel. Man can only go forwards, by going back and discovering who he once was.
The idea that man could play God, is one that SF writers toy with in a lot of the novels/ films. The TV series Mutant X, toyed with the idea that man could create a race of mutants, simply by playing with human DNA, similarly to the modern Spiderman films starring Toby Maguire, in which Spiderman was created by having his DNA mixed with that of a genetically enhanced spider. Whereas SF writers try to explain their plots naturally, and logically, mythology and fantasy writers, do not need to explain how things happen: for example, in SF, Spiderman has to be bitten by a genetically enhanced spider in order to become Spiderman, whereas in Greek mythology, Arachne was simply turned into a spider by Aphrodite, as punishment for being vain. Explanations for why these kinds of scenarios happen, is the main purpose for SF. SF is all about the art of explaining the uncanny, or seemingly impossible things such as miracles in a theoretical and scientific way. It is not the storylines which make a text or film SF, it is the scientific explanations given as to why and how the events are possible. SF takes the scientifically impossible, and makes it possible using scientific theory. Another way, in which SF works, is to speculate upon the outcomes of the most inhumane experiments, which could not take place in reality because of the moral issues surrounding them. DNA experiments have largely influenced science fiction writers, because there are so many questions about the human body and its capabilities. Rare genetic disorders and selected breeding give many ideas and possibilities about the various nightmares and omens which could arise from it. Genetic mutations are the most feared side effect of DNA experiments, because people fear disfiguration and see it as being monstrous. The idea of being mutated to the point of being unrecognised as a human, is most peoples worst nightmares when it comes to DNA experiments, for example Bruce Banna in The Hulk and Ben Grimm in Fantastic four both become genetically mutated, and are seen by society as being hideous monsters. They only want to be human, and want to be seen as human, but because they have been so transformed, and unrecognised, that they become miserable and want to find a way to turn back. This issue has been more explored in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, in which a man becomes turned into an insect, and his family fail to recognise him any longer, and he becomes depressed.[10]
One of the first novels detailing human experiments, the creation of life and the idea of playing God, Was Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Dr Frankenstein creates a monster, made entirely from human body parts. A Lightening storm then gives life to his creation, which has enormous strength, much like the incredible hulk. Shelley’s novel brings into debate, the issue about human creation, and the ongoing argument between religion and science. There have been many film versions and interpretations of Frankenstein, ranging from the most recent Van Helsing (2004) to the original Frankenstein (1910) movie. It may sound like an extreme case, but it would not at all be surprising, if one day, it were possible to create a real Frankenstein type creation complied from various parts of other humans. Technological advances have meant it is possible for organ replacement surgery, and even the first face transplant has now taken place. Cloning experiments also contribute to debates about playing God, one of the best examples of this, is seen in the 2006 film The Prestige. Another good example of this is The Island (2005), in which clones are created and ‘born’ in order for their organs to be harvested. This backfires once the clones realise who they really are, and escape. Cloning and re-creating life without reproducing are just two of the main types of human experimenting going on today.
By trying to artificially re-create life, scientists are trying to prove that man’s existence and the world was created in this way. The creation of the world is explained in science by ‘The Big Bang’, whereas in mythology it is argued that the world was created by a God, or by a race of Gods. By trying to disprove religion, science is playing against the laws of nature which, as science fiction often warns us, can have disastrous effects. In SF, there are very few instances where the experiments actually result in benefiting mankind. More often than not, man creates his own demise or destruction by trying to better technology, to ‘enable’ human survival or to enhance the human race. Scientific accidents or side effects from certain experiments, lead to dangerous outcomes, which are seen by religious believers to be a warning against interfering with God. In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus is punished for going against Zeus’s wishes and for interfering with man, Icarus was punished for trying to fly (he flew too close to the sun, and the wax holding his wings together melted, and he drowned in the sea), and Orpheus was punished for trying to bring his dead wife back from the underworld. Religion and science are delicately intertwined: they oppose each other, yet they inspire each other to progress. Science tries to disprove religion, and religion maintains that we should not interfere with God’s plan.
Farah Mendlesohn, states that ‘Religion is repeatedly depicted as dangerous, diverting humans (and aliens) from the path of reason and true enlightenment.’ [11] and in her chapter ‘Religion and Science Fiction’ She argues that Religion is misleading, and is only seen in SF texts, as being a human weakness: she also points out, that in most texts, there is only ever one single religion. She gives the example of Star Trek, in which it has ‘one faith per planet.’ This is an interesting point, because if there were hundreds of other planets in the universe, there could be hundreds more religions and creation myths about the universe. The film Contact (1997) explores the idea of life on other planets, and religion. Arroway (Played by Jodie Foster), discovers hidden satellite data which provides a plan to build a machine which can transport one person into deep space. There is a debate about who should be sent, and what questions to ask the beings on the other side of the universe. Arroway is an atheist, which creates a huge controversy when it is agreed she should be sent. The argument is that over 95% of the Earth’s population follow a religion, so she should ask questions about God, yet she refuses. When she does get there, she is confronted by beings who take on the form of her late father. When she arrives back on earth, the time which has passed is less than a split second, so no-one really believes she went anywhere. They conclude the whole event was a hoax created by a dying man. Contact questions the idea of faith, and links it to science. While exploring philosophical questions, it also explores the physics of space and time travel: thus successfully linking science and religion. The science is very accurate, according to John Scalzi who says ‘the apparent attention to scientific detail is not a coincidence; the film is the adaptation of a novel by famed astronomer Carl Sagan, who […] was passionate about explaining real-world science to a wider audience.’[12] The notion of linking astronomy to religion is by no means a new concept. Even in ancient mythology, civilisations have always worshipped the sun, such as the druids, who builtStonehenge as a temple to worship the sun, or the Egyptians who believed Ra was the Sun-God.
It is the constellations which have inspired most SF writes and possibly even archaeologists, to believe that ancient civilisations came from the skies. The most famous example of this is seen today in Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, it was believed that Orion was Osiris’ spiritual form in the sky. They believed that when he died, his soul turned into the stars which form the constellation of Orion.[13] It is no co-incidence that the Ancient pyramids were built in more than an accurate alignment to the stars which form the constellation of Orion, in accurate ratio to the position of the Milky Way. Astrologists and archaeologists have mapped out the earths positions in relation to the constellations, and been able to figure out, that at the time when the ancient pyramids were built, the constellation for Orion would have been exactly above the same positions of the pyramids. They have also argued that the only way for them to build such an accurate map of the sky, would have been by looking down on it from above. And since this was impossible for the ancient civilisations, it has been suggested that someone came down from the skies. Another hint towards the worship of the stars was the fact that the pyramids contained small ventilation shafts which went from the tombs, to the roof of the pyramids, and were directed towards the stars, so that the spirits of the deceased royalty could go straight to the stars. SF writers, have gone slightly further on this idea, and suggested in their novels, that these shafts were a form of transportation, which beamed people (or beings) to another planet which was directly aimed at. They also use the theories that Alien life came to our planet, and then left the same way, never returning, which lead to the theory that the ancient Gods were actually alien beings.[14]
Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey looks at this theory in a different way. There is no mention to ancient mythology, but the film does consider that there may have been an outside influence on the way in which mankind evolved. The monoliths as mentioned before are the source of man’s knowledge. The Ape-man is only able to make the transformation of ape into man, after touching the black stone. He then becomes more aggressive, and becomes a dangerous predator. The theory of evolution, and the idea that only the fittest survive (survival of the fittest), has been explored in many ways throughout films and texts. Obvious ones, which have been previously mentioned, include Planet of the Apes and The Time Machine. Not so obvious titles would include The War of the Worlds, Cube and Independence Day.[15] While these films may not be directly involved in the theory ofevolution, they do depict the idea about ‘survival of the fittest’ and produce an entertaining medium about mankind’s fight for survival against alien invasions, and against each other. H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds also raises questions about human faith. The Parson in the churchyard suffers a lapse in faith, accusing the Martians of being ‘devils’ believing that mankind was being punished. Spielberg’s film interpretation also questions mankind’s faith in each other. When trapped in the basement of a house, Cruise’s character is forced to kill the artilleryman in order to hide in silence from the Martians and to keep his daughter safe. This brings into the discussion, the issue of morality. There are so many films where humans have killed alien invaders in order for survival, even though religion teaches us that killing is immoral.
Morality and ethics seem to apply very little in alien invasion texts. Philosophical arguments, would turn to utilitarianism, arguing that killing threats to humanity, would greater benefit mankind, ensuring the maximum number of happiness from the least amount of harm to others. The Star Trek series’ and the Stargate series both look at the issue of morality when debating over whether to help certain alien cultures they encounter. Captain Janeway (Star Trek Voyager series) constantly considers the ethics of her decisions, often asking advice from the first officer Chakotay and from Tuvok the Vulcan. In the film X-men 3: the last stand, Jean Grey turns into Phoenix, who shows what happens when a person is consumed by power, and loses the ability to think logically and ethically. She kills hundreds of people, wreaking havoc upon the humans, under the influence of Magneto. The only way she can be stopped is by death. Wolverine refuses to admit this, believing she can be tamed, but deep down he realises that even Professor X could not control her so she must be killed. His battle with his conscience over what he wanted, and what he had a responsibility to do, become clear later in the film, and he later makes the morally right decision to stop her. Religious and moral influences are often reflected within SF because as new and intelligent species are discovered, our laws and ways of life are enforced upon them.
It would appear that space travel, and alien races are the main source of debates about morality in science fiction. The future of both SF and mankind, it would seem, can only become more complex in issues and debates surrounding ethics and morality. The main type of SF text set in the future of mankind, is dystopian fiction: dystopian fiction is the sub-genre, which focuses upon human morality the most. If a society is dystopian, then it implies that there are ethical issues surrounding the way in which the people are treated. If science fiction is anything to go by, the future of mankind is set to be extremely grim. A few of the grimmest dystopian fictions include: Brazil, A Clockwork Orange, Children of Men, Equilibrium, Gattaca and Blade Runner. All dystopian fiction, focuses upon the idea of society becoming either fascist, totalitarian, or the idea that the government will always be watching people and monitoring everything they do through voyeuristic technology (for example in George Orwell’s 1984). Technology now is becoming so advanced, that it is not very hard to believe that one day one of these writers will be right about their vision of the future. Orwell’s 1984, is possibly the most accurate so far, with government surveillance and with over four million closed circuit television cameras in Britain, not to mention the reality TV experiment taken from Orwell’s book (Big Brother).[16] Enemy of the State (1998) although not technically a dystopian fiction, shows what can happen if the government has too much power over technology. Very much like Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, in which there is a chase scene, and the cameras and a mechanical hound, track down and kill an innocent scapegoat.
While some may argue that SF is fiction for a reason, it is obvious that there are some bases for reality, contained within it. In the past, mythology and the bible are said to be full of references to extraterrestrial life, even in more recent myths such as the legends of King Arthur there have been suggestions of Merlin the wizard being from outer space, or the Lady of the lake. Shelley’s Frankenstein has also now become more and more of a reality with body-part transplants as well as organs. It will not be long until the first Frankenstein type creature is created. Fictions about cloning people will also soon be a possible reality now that animals and embryos have been cloned. Space travel is expanding, and one day mankind will land on Mars. It is not logically impossible for there to be life on other planets, because there are so many stars in the sky, and unknown planets in existence, that logically, Earth can not be the only planet with life forms surviving on it; we just can not explore them all, or reach them in order for us to explore them. The future may be a big place, and while some argue that we may not have a future due to global warming, nothing is ever certain. There has always been a fear of nuclear holocaust, global warming, and pandemic diseases: the truth is that while mankind rules the Earth, there will always be a fear of “the end of the world.” Yes it is true that one day, the sun will grow into a red dwarf and consume the solar system with it, but unless a nuclear warhead is sent into the centre of the sun, this will not happen for millions and millions of years. Mankind will have a future, and no-one knows what it will hold. SF writers may one day be proven right.
No one knows how far technology will advance in the future, and no-one knows how mankind originated. There is no way of proving mankind originated on Earth, and there is no way to prove that it did not. While there is evidence to support the theory of evolution, there is still a vital missing link between ape and man. This missing link is missing for a reason. While scientists have tried looking for it everywhere and made new discoveries which are similar to the missing link, the missing link can not be found if it does not exist. Time travel is impossible as a result of the laws of physics, so we will never know how or even if man did evolve from apes. Unless in the future of course, someone is able to find a way to bend the laws of physics. It is just as likely that mankind came from an alien race, who settled on our planet among the apes, as it is that God created mankind. The theory of evolution is the most logical of the three explanations, but this does not mean that it is true, just because it is logical. Myths and religious stories are tales made and passed down from generations to explain why the world is the way it is. But all stories must have a basis in fact otherwise they would not be believable. SF is entertaining because it speculates on these stories and shows what could happen if they were true. The possibilities are endless. From comics such as Superman, to films such as Star Wars: Just because it is fictional does not mean to say it is unrealistic. Anything is possible, especially when we have explored no further than our own solar system.
Word Count (not including bibliography etc.): 5,930
Websites:
http:/ www.pantheon.org/
http://ephemeris.com/history/egypt.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~pleiadesx/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2757067.stm/
http://www.imdb.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum_%28Star_Trek%29
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70700.html
http://www.seered.co.uk/cctv.htm
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~Johnstoi/stories/kafka-E.htm
Bibliography:
Kevin J Anderson The X Files: Ruins (Voyager, 1996)
Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 (Britain, Voyager, 2004)
Charles De Paolo Human Prehistory in Fiction (USA, McFarland 2003)
David Gibbons, Atlantis (Headline Publishing Group:2005)
James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria, Speculations on Speculations, (USA, scarecrow press Inc, 2005.)
Edward James and Farah Mendelsohn ,The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003)
John Scalzi , The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi movies, (penguin, London 2005)
Paul Simpson, Helen Rodiss and Michaela Bushell, The Rough Guide to Superheroes, (London, Rough guides, 2004)
Jutta Weldes, To Seek Out New Worlds, (New York, Palgrave MacMillan, 2003)
Filmography:
Blade Runner (1982) Dir. Ridley Scott
Brazil (1984) Dir. Terry Gilliam
A Clockwork Orange(1971) Dir. Stanley Kubrick
Children of Men (2006)Dir. Alfonso Cuarón
Contact (1997) Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Cube (1997) Dir. Vincenzo Natali
Enemy of the State (1998) Dir. Tony Scott
Equilibrium (2002) Dir. Kurt Wimmer
Fantastic Four (2005) Dir. Tim Story
The Fifth Element (1997) dir. Luc Besson
Frankenstein (1910) Dir. J. Searle Dawley
Gattaca (1997) Dir. Andrew Niccol
The Hulk (2003) Dir. Ang Lee
Independence Day (1996) Dir. Roland Emmerich
The Island (2005) Dir.MichaelBay
Planet of the Apes (2001) Dir. TimBurton
The Prestige (2006) Dir. Christopher Nolan
Stargate (1994) Dir. Roland Emmerich
Star Wars Episode IV: a new hope (1977) dir. George Lucas
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire strikes back (1980) dir. Irvin Kershner
Star Wars Episode VI: return of the Jedi (1983)dir. Richard Marquand
Van Helsing (2004)dir. Stephen Somm
[1] Stargate (1994) Dir. Roland Emmerich
[2] The X Files: Ruins , Kevin J Anderson , Voyager, 1996
[3] Atlantis: David Gibbons, Headline Publishing Group:2005
[4] The Fifth Element (1997) dir. Luc Besson
[5] Any version will do, but for arguments sake I’m going with the Tim Burton 2001 film because I haven’t seen the original.
[6] ‘Science fiction and dimension of myth’: Chapter 4 of Speculations on Speculations, ed. James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria, scarecrow press Inc,USA, 2005.
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2757067.stm/
[8] http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/aliens/article/70700.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum_%28Star_Trek%29
[10] http://www.mala.bc.ca/~Johnstoi/stories/kafka-E.htm
[11] Farah Mendlesohn, ‘Religion and science fiction’, The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction ed. Edward James and Farah Mendelsohn (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003)
[12] John Scalzi , The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi movies, (penguin, London 2005)
[13] http://ephemeris.com/history/egypt.html
[14] For example, this influence can be seen in the film Stargate and David Gibbon’s Ruins.
[15] H.G well’s Novel The War of the Worlds, Cube (1997) Dir. Vincenzo Natali, Independence Day (1996) Dir. Roland Emmerich
[16] http://www.seered.co.uk/cctv.htm