Within science fiction literature, a largely debated subject is the modification of humans and the consequences attached to this practice. Questions such as the extent to which it would still be...Show moreWithin science fiction literature, a largely debated subject is the modification of humans and the consequences attached to this practice. Questions such as the extent to which it would still be possible to call these people ‘human’ or the role they might play in bringing the human civilization to an end are largely examined within science fiction. This thesis addresses the issue of modified humanoids within Japanese works of science fiction, with special attention to the reaction of society to these modified humanoids. Specifically, the focus of this research is the mangas Elfen Lied and Deadman Wonderland, as they frame the modification of the human in such ways that shows completely different reactions by society, ranging from marginalization to attraction or a need for controlling them, rooted in different emotional responses to the threat to their human identity. The framework of soft science fiction offers the base of this analysis as it deals with aspects of social and political response to technical developments. This comparison between these different reactions by society offers new insights on how modified humanoids are seen by society in Japanese literature. In conclusion, this thesis sheds a new light on the rarely researched issue of how society in science fiction has varying responses to the modified humanoids and take action on these responses in support of their own ideas surrounding what the human identity entails.Show less
This thesis discusses Virginia Woolf's feminist thought and Joanna Russ's feminist thought and argues the influence Woolf has had on Russ's feminist science fiction writing.
Escapism has often been touted as a core function of films. Yet despite, or perhaps because of this, escapism in film hasn't been analyzed as a theme often. This thesis explores six films with...Show moreEscapism has often been touted as a core function of films. Yet despite, or perhaps because of this, escapism in film hasn't been analyzed as a theme often. This thesis explores six films with different stances on escapism, to research what different effects and values these films have on escapism, in order to better grasp this fundamental process of film.Show less
The focus in Afrofuturist scholarship has always been on the ways in which the black experience, particularly the forcible dislocation of the Middle Passage, has been akin to sensations of...Show moreThe focus in Afrofuturist scholarship has always been on the ways in which the black experience, particularly the forcible dislocation of the Middle Passage, has been akin to sensations of alienation and “Othering” explored in science fiction and speculative fiction. While a range of technologies have been analyzed in the context of Afrofuturism, from sonic, to digital, to even aerospace technologies, I argue in this thesis that there is a gap in scholarship on the medical technologies that undergird the alienation experienced by African Americans. To fill this gap, my research focuses on two works of fiction, Ralph Ellison’s classic novel Invisible Man (1952) and Jordan Peele’s recent movie Get Out (2017), that deal with the oppressive power of medicine. I argue that in both narratives medical experiments are used to take control over black bodies and minds, and I position this political violence into a history of medical experimentation and abuse on African Americans as well as Afrofuturism. As much as the medical mistreatment that the protagonists in these texts suffer seems exclusive to the world of science fiction, it has been, and might continue to be, part of the real experience of black Americans.Show less
Literary analysis of Liu Cixin's Remembrance of the Earth's Past series. The thesis comprises summaries of all three books in the series, and a literary analysis of what the author believes to be...Show moreLiterary analysis of Liu Cixin's Remembrance of the Earth's Past series. The thesis comprises summaries of all three books in the series, and a literary analysis of what the author believes to be the political message in those books. This is further supported by a literature review on the field of science fiction studies and textual proof of said claims.Show less
Becoming posthuman does not mean letting go of all human ethics. Rather, the posthuman turn is about a pluralisation of perspectives, which does not mean a negation of the human perspective. The...Show moreBecoming posthuman does not mean letting go of all human ethics. Rather, the posthuman turn is about a pluralisation of perspectives, which does not mean a negation of the human perspective. The cases of late Soviet science fiction (Solaris, Roadside picnic, Solyaris, and Stalker) contain elements of the posthuman turn. Although their makers were informed by different worldviews, in all four cases the concept of the human and human mastery are challenged by the unsolved and unsolvable mystery of non-human agency.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Nederlandse taal en cultuur (BA)
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In het onderzoeksproject Literature, Media and Technology in the Netherlands (1830-2010) beschouwen Yra van Dijk en Yasco Horsman literatuur als 'de culturele verbeelding van technologische...Show moreIn het onderzoeksproject Literature, Media and Technology in the Netherlands (1830-2010) beschouwen Yra van Dijk en Yasco Horsman literatuur als 'de culturele verbeelding van technologische veranderingen'. In deze scriptie toets ik deze hypothese aan een casus uit 1870: de science fictionroman Anno 2070. Vanuit een cultuurhistorische benadering heb ik de representaties van verschillende technologieën gekoppeld aan de cultuurhistorische context in de negentiende eeuw. Uit deze analyse volgen conclusies over hoe technologie er in 1870 voorstond, hoe men hierop reflecteerde, en wat de verwachtingen waren voor de toekomst.Show less
This thesis discusses the way in which we construct the identity of artificial intelligence through science fiction film. It examines how sympathetic treatment of artificial intelligence in this...Show moreThis thesis discusses the way in which we construct the identity of artificial intelligence through science fiction film. It examines how sympathetic treatment of artificial intelligence in this genre may induce empathy in its audience, and how could this sway the artificial intelligence debate when it enters the political sphere. The paper first provides discussions of the artificial intelligence debate, the effect on viewer emotion films can have, and the extent to which humans can empathize with artificial intelligence. The paper then uses three science fiction films – Interstellar (2014), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Her (2013) – to demonstrate the effects such films can have on viewer emotion and discuss the possible repercussions sympathetic treatment of AI could have on the human race. The essay warns against this attitude due to the significant dangers the unchecked development of AI could pose to the human race, and suggests precautionary steps to be taken in the field of education.Show less
This thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as...Show moreThis thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as philosophical ideas concerning human ethics that were developed within Romantic and later science fiction literature, initially in response to Kantian ethics. These specific themes and ideas will serve as the framework of reference for this research, to be introduced and placed in context in the following subsections.Show less
