Computer Error: Voices and Translations in Edwin Morgan’s Science Fiction Poetry

Abstract

My favourite scene in the movie Independence Day (1996) is when Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) knocks out an alien with a single clout, whips out a smart “welcome to Earth”-esque punch line and then lights up a cigar. Sheer. Smith. Action. But what if aliens aren’t all doomsayers, what if all they want is a nice chat? This article will examine the variety of voices in Edwin Morgan’s Science Fiction Poetry (hereby referred to as SFP) and consider their continuities and differences with Morgan’s non-SFP. It will discuss the importance of Morgan as a translator and experimenter of language, highlighting the freedom which SFP allows Morgan as a poet.