Science Fiction, Alien Encounters, and the Ethics of Posthumanism : Beyond the Golden Rule

Science Fiction, Alien Encounters, and the Ethics of Posthumanism offers a typology of alien encounters and addresses a range of texts including classic novels of alien encounter by H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein; recent blockbusters by Greg Bear, Octavia Butler and Sheri Tepper; and experimental science fiction by Peter Watts and Housuke Nojiri. "This book brings together two important cultural trends: alien encounters and posthumanism. By considering scenarios of encounters with intelligent aliens in literary science fiction, Science Fiction, Alien Encounters, and the Ethics of Posthumanism argues that the ethics of empathy and politics of human rights are insufficient to meet the challenges of our posthuman age. Rather, posthumanism requires an ethics of transformation, in which the encounter with the Other remakes the human subject. The book offers a typology of alien encounters and addresses a wide range of texts. Its scope includes, but is not limited to, classic novels of alien encounter by H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein; recent blockbusters by Greg Bear, Octavia Butler and Sheri Tepper; and experimental science fiction by Peter Watts and Housuke Nojiri. It also contains an extensive discussion of Soviet science fiction and of the novels of Stanislaw Lem, bringing important aspects of global posthumanist culture to the attention of the Anglo-American reader."--Publisher's description "This book brings together two important cultural trends: alien encounters and posthumanism. By considering scenarios of encounters with intelligent aliens in literary science fiction, "Science Fiction, Alien Encounters, and the Ethics of Posthumanism" argues that the ethics of empathy and politics of human rights are insufficient to meet the challenges of our posthuman age. Rather, posthumanism requires an ethics of transformation, in which the encounter with the Other remakes the human subject. The book offers a typology of alien encounters and addresses a wide range of texts. Its scope includes, but is not limited to, classic novels of alien encounter by H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein; recent blockbusters by Greg Bear, Octavia Butler and Sheri Tepper; and experimental science fiction by Peter Watts and Housuke Nojiri. It also contains an extensive discussion of Soviet science fiction and of the novels of Stanislaw Lem, bringing important aspects of global posthumanist culture to the attention of the Anglo-American reader"--Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction: Why Do We Need Aliens?....Pages 1-34 Front Matter....Pages 35-35 “The Force that Gives us Meaning”: Alien Invasion and Search for Redemption....Pages 37-68 Idylls of the Same: Soviet SF, Cosmic Humanism, and Escape from History....Pages 69-92 Front Matter....Pages 93-93 The Contagion of Posthumanity: Alien Infestation and the Paradox of Subjectivity....Pages 95-116 Human Skins, Alien Masks: Allegories of Postcolonial Guilt....Pages 117-146 Front Matter....Pages 147-147 The Human Trinity: What Makes Us Other?....Pages 149-186 Stanislaw Lem and the Holocaust of Humanism....Pages 187-210 Postscript....Pages 211-213 Back Matter....Pages 214-232 Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Preface 9 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction: Why Do We Need Aliens? 13 Part I: Confrontation 47 1 "The Force that Gives us Meaning": Alien Invasion and Search for Redemption 48 2 Idylls of the Same: Soviet SF, Cosmic Humanism, and Escape from History 80 Part II: Assimilation 104 3 The Contagion of Posthumanity: Alien Infestation and the Paradox of Subjectivity 105 4 Human Skins, Alien Masks: Allegories of Postcolonial Guilt 127 Part III: Transformation 157 5 The Human Trinity: What Makes Us Other? 158 6 Stanislaw Lem and the Holocaust of Humanism 196 Postscript 220 Notes 223 Works Cited 228 Index 239 Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.