Speculative Fiction

The term science fiction brings about some strange images. Let's face it, we all see spaceships and robots and moon colonies when we hear that word. One assumes that sci fi will be based around technology and "the future." Often, sci fi does fit into this stereotype. The most popular examples certainly do: Star Wars, Star Trek, I Robot, etc. However, there's another term often used for this genre. Speculative Fiction. For many science fiction books, I feel that this term feels more appropriate. It's not much of a distinction (like the whole comic vs. graphic novel thing), but it doesn't make me feel like I need a background in electrical engineering to really appreciate it. Speculative fiction says, "What if ..." The Road, for instance, falls under this umbrella. It's not really about science, but it does speculate what could happen in a very possible future of destruction.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is another prime example of speculative fiction. If you've never read the book and don't want it spoiled, STOP READING HERE. If you have read it or don't mind a few hints at what happens, read at will.

Never Let Me Go is a touching and tragic novel about a girl named Kath and her relationship with Ruth and Tommy. They all met at an English country boarding school named Hailsham and have to deal with hormones and life after leaving the school. Pretty standard dramatic literature fare. Oh, and did I mention all of the students at Hailsham are clones that have been created so that their vital organs can be harvested for donations? This is what's so fascinating about the book. It's not for almost 100 pages that Ishiguro actually spells out the purpose of Hailsham. This not only gives the book a sense of mystery. It also shifts the focus from that sci fi plotline to the characters and their very messy, but realistic, emotions and relationships. It's also a book about memories, as the bulk of the narration is taken up with Kath's reminisces of life when she was in Hailsham. Like anyone who takes trips down memory lane, it's not a straight road. Memories flow one into another, and not necessarily in chronological order. This made the whole thing feel like a bit of a puzzle (most good books are), and also very authentic. The book can certainly be appreciated on this level, as a tragic human drama. This, I suppose, is why the book is categorized as "literature" and winds up getting nominated for the Booker Prize.

However, the speculative fiction side here is fascinating. When read from this angle, Hailsham is as intricately created as Hogwarts, though certainly a great deal less whimsical. The school's strange customs and enigmatic atmosphere are not fully explained until the final pages. That whole cloning thing is not explained scientifically; we get no explanation about how this breakthrough was achieved, only that it happened. What Ishiguro focuses on instead is what life is like for a clone who knows that they will never see forty because their vital organs are going to be extracted. What's life like for someone whose death is scheduled? While my heart went out to these characters, I had to remind myself that this organ donation is the only reason these people even exist, and that their death is saving someone's life.

Many science fiction books tackle a contemporary social issue. Never Let Me Go is about the ethical implications of cloning and stem cell research. It asks the question: if we ever clone a human being, will it have a soul? Ishiguro obviously believes that clones would have souls, as his characters feel heartbreak, longing, and fear just like the rest of us. The much larger question: if we ever see a world with human cloning being used for medical purposes (this is not that far fetched at all), will there be a place in the world for clones? Never Let Me Go asks huge questions with a deceptively simple narrative. It took me two days to read, but I'll be turning it over in my head long after. Highly recommended.

Heading out tomorrow morning to Milwaukee. I'm hugely excited about this; it's one of my favorite cities. It'll undoubtedly include multiple Kopp's Frozen Custard indulgences and a trip to my favorite coffee shop ever, Al Terra. Also excited to return to the beautiful and delicious New Glarus Brewery and to travel up north to Eau Claire, which will be farthest north I've ever been. Most excitingly of all, Mary bought me tickets to see a stage adaptation of Neverwhere, a classic Neil Gaiman novel. The play is in Chicago, and we'll be spending a day in the city. It's going to be a very exciting summer trip. I'm packing along Boneshaker since fun steampunk action is more appropriate than deep ethics-of-cloning dilemmas for vacationing.