Multiverse and Language-Babel 17

There are two things about this genre and the novel this week, 'Babel 17', I would like to discuss. First is the main theme in this novel, language, and the second is the genetic manipulation and the characters in the novel.

On the first, not only is language everything this book is about, but this seems to be a common theme in cyber-tek stories as well, such as the following week's novel, 'Snow Crash'. Language and as we find in the book, body language as well, is very powerful, more then people would initially believe. The main character, Rydra, appears to be telepathic, but in truth she is just incredibly fast and accurate at reading people's body language. This was very fascinating to me, because my mom, who studied psychology, has taught me about reading body language and interrupting and analyzing my interactions with others and other people in general. In the beginning of the novel, Rydra explains to her psychologist every little movement and exactly what it meant, down to amazingly subtle things, that all turned out to be accurate. Spoken language is also important, in the novel this new language can even betray your previous beliefs. This I believe is true now more then ever in today's society. I'm taking an Environmental Ethics class and the main thing we've been learning is that we more then often unknowingly do things against our beliefs everyday. We buy and use products from companies who practice things against our beliefs, we ignorantly support them. Language, used ignorantly and blindly, will turn against us, we will betray our own beliefs if we use it without knowing it's true meaning. This I believe is the lesson and concept that Babel 17 teaches. 'Snow Crash' uses similar techniques, even though it is cyberpunk, language plays a key role in power control, which some take advantage of. In both novels the hero must learn to control this language and stop it's spreading corruption before it completely controls them.

The second part to Babel 17, is the genetic manipulation, which is growing even in today's society. I found it very interesting when the novel described each character, no one seemed boring. I believe that's what really driving people in today's world to want to be more then what they are now. They want to be interesting, perfect even, or imperfect to stand out. We start with different colored hair, piercings, tattoos, and then escalate to bionic parts like organs or limbs, then we'll get to bionic organs like eye enhancements, mechanical parts that interact with other machines (like computer chips that open doors for us when we walk near them), and so on. The genetic manipulation doesn't have to be negative, in the book it was so cool to imagine the different characters and their fantastic enhancements. It all depends on the direction society heads with the manipulation, hopefully we won't ever get to a point where we are pretty much ordering children from a catalog where we can mix and match desired traits.

Space Opera

At the time I saw 'Star Trek' I wouldn't have called it space opera, but now that I know the criteria, it fits it perfectly. Overdramatic, light-speed space travel; large, universal empires and multiple races or aliens and foreign planets and galaxies. All the drama of space opera can be paralleled by common stories or situations we face everyday, only in a fantasy setting. For example the movie we watched in class, 'Forbidden Planet', a story where your own mind can be your undoing, is just a personification of reality, where we are our own undoing most of the time. The space-opera movie 'Serenity' stars a group of rowdy outlaws each with their own speciality, who try and uncover a government cover-up, a classic story that could be told during any time period, western, crime noir 30's, modern, or futuristic. The novel this week, 'The Stars My Destination' is space retelling of 'The Count of Monty Cristo' all about the simple yet complex human need for revenge and justice. Even though it may seem to others your actions are insane, evil and cruel, you alone know the 'truth' of your suffering and demand that an equal amount of suffering be returned.

Anit-heroes are interesting in that way, and make them appealing and popular. They do what we more then often only dream and fantasize about: revenge! One of my favorite tragic characters is Eric, from 'Phantom of the Opera'- an anti-hero who just wants his loved returned that he's given to the girl her entire life. Human desire for 'fairness' leads us in many directions, and in 'The Stars My Destination' it drives him toward revenge, but this leads to good things for the main character, Foyle. Before he was just 'existing' , now because of his desire for revenge, he forces himself to become more then just that. Again, something we only ever hope for, but never implement in reality. In that way Folye is likable, at least for me, because he is relatable. He was a complete failure before, no education, no skills; now he pushes himself harder then ever! He found his purpose, it may or may not be for the right intentions, but at least he's moving forward now. Which is more then most people in today's society can say.

Cyberpunk

One of my all time favorite genres, because, similar to fantasy, it literally takes you into a different world. My first experience was probably similar to everyone else's: Tron. I've only ever seen the original and I loved it, a guy warped into a whole new world, where his frown-upon skills in reality are key in this new universe. This I found is the basic plot of all the cyberpunk I've read. Hackers are the gods, the control and sneak around the rules of 'cyberspace'. Knowing I was interested in the genre, when an opportunity came up in my writing class last year to read 'Neuromancer' I jumped at the chance. I'll just admit, my first reaction was surprise at the seemingly random sex scene... never expected that! But the cyber punk heroine was awesome, so it was okay. She, or 'Molly the razor-girll', exemplifies her role completely as we discussed in class: she's badass, cybernetic enhancements- fingernails extended like claws and technologically enhanced sight, and she's hired by the mysterious but helpful 'Armitage'. It was an interesting book, I wrote my paper on it by focusing on all the drug referencing it contained. The main character, Case, not only had a drug addiction, but cyberspace itself was described like an acid trip. He was addicted to cyberspace, and he was losing his mind not being able to connect with it.

However, reading 'Snow Crash' was actually a bit more entertaining! Might have been because it was more modern, the whole 'mafia samurai pizza delivery boy' drew me right in and Hiro's personality and the continually building series of events kept me in! Not so much drug imagery as in 'Neuromancer', it honestly sounded more like 'Sims' or something, with the avatars that could be generic or store bought and cheap, that sounded very realistic. Even the fact that Hiro and half the world lived in storage units seemed very realistic and was a nice detail to keep the reader. Why not spend all your time in a universe where you are rich, skilled and can bend rules of the world sometimes, especially when you literally live in a box. These are the appealing and engaging elements of cyberpunk, where you can have an epic adventure with love, danger and action without even leaving your room. Modern computer games have hooked onto this and as a whole, society is addicted to it.