Malavika Ramnath: "Dear Chuck Wendig: Speculative Fiction as Social Commentary"

Dear Chuck Wendig: Speculative Fiction as Social Commentary

By Malavika Ramnath

When I decided to sign up for Speculative Fiction, I had a fairly limited perspective on the genre, and I completely underestimated the social implications it carried, in both our time and the past. I’ve learned that the world of fiction can touch on hard-hitting subjects like race relations, otherness, and gender inequality. It’s hard to face the truth of these topics head-on, so it helps if it’s brought up in the context of fiction. The 2015 Hugo Awards incident reinforced the feeling that I didn’t belong in the fandoms of speculative fiction. For me, the Rabid Puppies and Sad Puppies served as further proof that women of color were unwelcome in throngs of avid science fiction fans. But, while groups like the Rabid Puppies attempt to silence the voices of minority groups in sf, there are social commentaries made in novels and other forms of media that dispel the major misconceptions about women and people of color. As an aspiring social activist, I like to read narratives that challenge my perspective on important issues. I’m interested in the social commentaries that fiction writers can make with their work. However, in the sf world, there are people that set the movement to increase diversity back.

The Rabid Puppies and Sad Puppies were disappointed in the Hugo Awards results; too many women and people of color were nominated. Unfortunately, the idea of a “fake geek girl” is pervasive in some circles, an idea that I never understood since one of the most iconic novels in science fiction, arguably the first work of science fiction, Frankenstein, was written by Mary Shelley. Science fiction is stereotypically very accessible to the male population, and less so to females. A similar principle seemed to apply to races; white characters were seen much more on screen and white authors were published and gained readership. I love reading sf stories, but sometimes, the protagonist seems to be created for a specific population-white, nerdy male.  I want to hear narratives that reflect the lives of people like me, too.

So, what interests me and what troubles me falls along the same line. There are moments of incredible insight that I have seen in texts that I’ve read this semester. The short story, “Passengers”, explored issues like violation and rape using aliens. One of my biggest fears, one that most of humanity probably shares, is losing my autonomy. Passengers are aliens that can take over a human body for however long they choose to stay. When a man stays 3 days with a stranger as a passenger rides his body, he thinks it’s alright to simply start the physical relationship back up again. This brings up an important point about consent-the women didn’t choose to have sex with this man-the Passenger did. The man thinks that remembering small details of her body will convince her of their physical relationship. Her loss of control in the situation and her fear of a repeat offense make her hesitant to enter a relationship with a man in this unconventional manner. Date rape sexual assault survivors and really, anyone who has felt such a loss of control can relate to the feeling.

The Martian Chronicles explored sensitive issues of race in a time period filled with racial tensions. Ray Bradbury expected that, by 2005, “more and more states passin’ anti-lynching bills and all kinds of equal rights” would be the most equality that society could accomplish in 50 years. At a time when #BlackLivesMatter has become a social movement, it’s refreshing to find a forward-thinking author writing in such a racially tumultuous time period. In the 1950’s, there would definitely be those who would sympathize with a white man being cruel to a black man. However, Ray Bradbury paints the racist white man as the antagonist in the chapter. Around the 1960’s, Star Trek was coming about. The original cast of Star Trek was comprised of quite a diverse cast. George Takei and Nichelle Nichols were unconventional actors to be on TV. At a time when multi-dimensional roles for these minority groups were few, they showed women of color in leadership positions and showed the entertainment industry that Asian-Americans are indeed capable of acting on-screen.

It’s difficult to have an open conversation about subjects that can make us all uncomfortable.  But, speculative fiction has been inciting conversations using different forms of media for a long time to help us confront these topics, giving us newfound insight into a diverse collection of perspectives.