At any rate, I recently began the first book of my choosing, The Clone Codes by Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick L. McKissack, and John McKissack. The story, which is clearly science fiction, is set in the year 2170. I believe I found myself drawn to this book based on my recent fondness for sci fi, which is partially fueled by my own writing of a science fiction story, but we'll get to that later. At any rate, the basic premise is that the world has sort of reverted to the old ways before the Civil War, treating clones and cyborgs the same way they treated slaves. There's also an abolitionist group that's active during the story known as the Liberty Bell Movement. In fact, one of my favorite things about this story is its subtle adages to the Civil War and slavery, my very favorite history topic. So what about this book makes it a good science fiction story?
Good question!
Ms. Bal will be proud to know that I have kept my Language Arts binder handy throughout this assignment and have compiled, based on extensive criteria, a set of reasons why The Clone Codes is an exceptional example of the science fiction genre.
1) The story typically relates to some social issue in today's society: in the story, the subject of whether clones and cyborgs are human or not is the main conflict. This is, in many ways, applicable to today's issues of the ethicality of human cloning, stem cell research, and issues such as abortion. Where the common consensus has become, in the story's society, that clones are non-human (and cyborgs are 3/5 human, much in the same way slaves were considered 3/5 of a person according to the Three-Fifths Compromise) the debate over these issues is raging still in current society.
2) Often times, the author writes about the direction in which he or she sees the world going: the world of bioengineering has just recently opened up to us as a whole, and currently remains one of the most controversial fields of science. Animals have been cloned (the first being a sheep named Dolly) but not in a widespread manner. Replacement organs and joints, however, are very common in countries like the US, such as hip, knee, and heart replacements, which is the bare essence of a cyborg (inorganic enhancements to a human body.) By taking these current ideas and expanding upon them progressively, the authors create situations that are both relatable and imaginative
3)Setting is IMPORTANT
to the story and very believable. This means the story takes place on Earth or
somewhere scientists think may possibly exist: The Clone Codes is set in
futuristic Earth, specifically the United States, which provides both the
historical background to the story and the basis for the conflict. Several
figures from American history, such as Ben Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, are
featured in the story, which would not have made sense had it been set in
someplace like England or France. This is a very basic example, but it is one
of the most clear and easily explained.
Okay, so I may not have been totally
honest about this book. In some places, it blurs the lines between science
fiction and fantasy (as many tend to do) by dealing in- you guessed it- aliens.
Ahh, the little green men, so often seen in the great works of
science fiction. From War of the Worlds to E.T.: The
Extra-Terrestrial, we have become fascinated with the idea of intelligent
life existing outside our world. However, one thing is not clear: are they
science fiction or fantasy?
This is one of the great literary
debates. Where we cannot yet prove the existence of such creatures, we cannot
fully disprove it either. There have been planets discovered revolving around
distant stars at just the right place, much like Earth, that life is considered
possible. There could be intelligent life out there. We just haven't been able
to make contact.
Then again, we have pictures of
Bigfoot and most people agree it's not real.
But I do digress. The point, my
little Eggheads, is that some stories do not strictly conform to a specific genre.
Many go hand-in-hand, like sci fi/fantasy, rom/com, historical fiction/mystery.
Just as the piano is both percussion and string, so does The Clone Codes transcend
the bounds of science fiction to dabble in fantasy.
I end this post, quite simply, with
my preachy message of the month. The main theme of this book is equality and
respect for human life. Can not we too learn from this message? It doesn't
matter if you're old as the hills or a tiny embryo, black or white; it doesn't
matter where you were born, where and if you go to church, or where you plan to
go in life. We are all human, all alive, and all created equally.
"I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well."
-Psalm 139:14
