« Zoocène » technologique dans la science-fiction

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyse the part played by anthropomorphic figures through the spectrum of two chosen science-fiction narratives. Depiction of a technological “zoocene”, these narratives are nothing but a reflection of a decaying humanity’s contemporary concerns, clearly struggling when faced with the prospect of its own (r)evolution. While anthropomorphism remains a human projection towards some form of alterity (animal, vegetal, mechanical), it seems to particularly grow in complexity within a case of ongoing human race identity distortion. Challenging anthropomorphic paradigms, these two studied novels navigate hybrid beings and “tech-animals” populated liminal worlds, shifting the cards humanity has been dealt to play with in. By displaying alternate realities, where animals find themselves the prime instigators of speech, culture and technology, Simak and Dath don’t only showcase diminished human envelopes stripped down to their bare animality at the mercy of anthropomorphic animal figures. This is actually quite the opposite, animal technological hybridization forces us to look down at Anthropocene as an artifact of the past, leaving us to reflect on the necessity of constant evolution. Whereas mankind’s decline is sealed by its evolution inability, the animal figures evolve endlessly; up to the point of utter alienation. To this extent, it is a matter of focusing on the constructive dialogue between the animal and human within these narratives; the underlying hybridization would entail in sight of a shifting humanity.

Keywords

• science-fiction
• Simak
• Dath
• anthropomorphism
• anthropocene
• technology