Category Archives: Space Exploration

Dolphin Sex: Book Review of Startide Rising

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When book hunting at Green Hand, I wanted to find a book that was good in the sense that it had been awarded something or came highly recommended. After some digging, I came across US author David Brin’s Startide Rising which won the Hugo and Nebula Awards (according to its cover). It is a sci-fi epic about a human expedition, led by dolphins that have been uplifted to human intelligence (there is also an uplifted chimpanzee scientist), that has uncovered secrets to the origins of life in the universe, a secret many alien empires are persuing and are fighting over in the space above the downed ship. On a water planet (conveniently for a crew of dolphins), the humans and company must survive and escape to Earth without getting captured with plenty of politics and competing philosophies at play. It is the typical “trapped with time running out” story that includes clear-cut heroes loved by all trying to do the best in the world they can. There are also comments on the process of uplifting and echoes of the consequences of playing God with nature that veer quite close to social commentary. That is what makes the book great with enough backstory to make Tolkien jealous and personal politics and strategizing to give Game of Thrones a run for its money with an interesting story. The downside, as the title suggests, is the weird moments of over-sexualization. I could’ve enjoyed the book just as much without the dolphin-human romance and the perspective of horny dolphin thoughts.

Overall, I’d recommend the book if you’re willing to take it with a grain of salt; it can be cringe-inducing at moments, but it does do a good job of making an entertaining sci-fi epic with some deeper thought if you want to go that far.

Citation: Brin, David. Startide Rising. New York: Bantam Books Inc., 1983.

Cover:

Startide Rising (The Uplift Saga, Book 2) | Science Book a Day

 

Star Trek and non-biological beings and souls oh my!

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Hi guys, resident Trekkie here! I kept thinking about Star Trek in class yesterday (like I usually do) because the intersection of robots/androids/non-biological beings, religion and who has a soul is often explored so I thought I’d share some examples I thought of!

In TOS episode “The Ultimate Computer” the M5 super computer believes in God and ultimately cuts its own power after determining for itself it has committed grave sins and does not deserve to live.

Throughout TNG series they repeatedly explore and question the nature of the android Data’s existence. The episode “The Measure of a Man” is focused on whether or not Data is a sentient being, does he have autonomy with rights and does he have a soul? The crew of the enterprise and the audience would definitely say yes due to our emotional connection to him.

In Voyager, the ship doctor is a hologram and as the series progresses he seems to become a sentient being. Similar with Data in TNG, the nature of The Doctor’s sentience is continually called into question and explored. Is he owned by Starfleet or is he an autonomous lifeform? By the end of the series it appears very clear, at least to the crew of Voyager (and me), that The Doctor is a sentient being. The series eventually creates the category of “photonic lifeforms” which includes sentient holograms such as The Doctor. The distinction between sentient holograms and non-sentient holograms is also explored. In connection with today’s class, the relationship between religion and holograms is specifically explored in the episode “Flesh and Blood” where other sentient holograms are religious radicals in a way and rise up against their biological creators. Their leader considers himself a prophet and even creates a new religion for his fellow “Children of Light”. Their religious zealousness and crusade for freedom is so human that it serves to reinforce the sentience of these photonic lifeforms.

The question of what is a soul and who has one is often explored in Science Fiction. These explorations of the nature of sentient existence shake us out of binary thinking and leave us to ponder what other forms life can take on. Who are we to dictate who has a soul?

Star Trek characters The Doctor (blue: a sentient hologram) and Data (yellow: a sentient android).

Star Trek

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Photoshopped/ digital art of different Star Trek characters.

Created using Photoshop and Procreate. Original character images found on getty images.

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!”

After about the fifth time my parents laughed at a reference in a movie and brushed it off as “oh it’s a reference to Star Trek,” I demanded they introduce me to the iconic show. My mom picked out her favorite episode in the Original Series, “The Trouble with Tribbles” and I was hooked. Nine years later and I’m taking a Science Fiction class as a senior in college all because of those pesky tribbles. I may not know how to speak Klingon or have a cosplay costume ready to go in my closet, but I have come to the conclusion, alongside many others, that Star Trek is the greatest science fiction franchise of all time. It continues to stand the test of time with the current Star Trek canon including eleven TV series (with more on the way) and thirteen feature films. But why is it so great?

Star Trek, to its core, embodies hope. It’s had a purposeful mission from the beginning, not only to boldly go where no one has gone before, but to show viewers that the future can be good. It portrays an optimistic vision of humanities future where the defining characteristic of humans are our curiosity. In this vision, humans are dedicated to science and exploration, of both space and themselves. Star Trek imagines an Earth without war, poverty, or pollution where technology works FOR us rather than against us. The current geopolitical tensions that rule our world’s governments are described as petty squabbles that have been solved and left behind in humanities’ dark past. Star Trek shows how peace and discussion are far more interesting than war and violence. Differences are respected and actively depicted as good. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek was invested in showing how humanities strength lies in our differences.

Star Trek has embraced diversity from the beginning, not only in the stories but in casting. In the Original Series, Nichelle Nichol’s Uhura and George Takei’s Sulu were main officers on the bridge. As the first black woman in a position of respect and power on an American television series, Uhura was unprecedented in 1966. Famous endorsements of Uhura came from Martin Luther King Jr. encouraging Nichols to continue playing the role after the first season and Whoopi Goldberg who was inspired as a nine-year-old watching the show for the first time. Ahead of its time, the 1968 kiss between the Uhura and Kirk is, among much debate, often cited as the first interracial kiss on television. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine put a black man in charge through Avery Brooke’s Sisko and the next series Star Trek: Voyager has Kate Mulgrew’s Janeway as a female captain of the crew.

The franchise came into itself on television in a time where special effects were limited and so although most of Star Trek is in space, it devotes itself to talk over action. While the more recent series and films can take advantage of incredible special effects to give viewers the space battles and martial arts scenes we want, at its core the focus is still on asking big questions. Each episode and movie explore different philosophical issues. What does it mean to be human, Klingon, Vulcan, non-corporeal, immortal or an android? With many hours to explore ideas and questions, Star Trek tackles a wide variety of themes and tells many different types of stories such as mysteries, romances, horror stories, spy stories, workplace drama, family stories, and so many more. Many episodes explore emotions. What are they, when or how do we give into them, repress them, or make use of them? Vulcans repress them through their pursuit of pure logical thinking, while Data, a perfectly logical android seeks to be more human and emotional like his friends. Star Trek: The Next Generation has two regular characters who function as therapists for the crew, Deanna Troi as ship counselor and Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan as the wise and ageless bartender.

Something that always stood out to me was how the characters of the show are “cool” because they are intelligent and good at what they do, not because of wealth or looks. They are curious and ask questions, determined and passionate about what they do. In their pursuit of interplanetary goodwill and space exploration, they unapologetically ask “why?” and “what if?” As the resident Trekkie of the class, I wanted to share why I love it and continue to go back to it. Star Trek embraces the awe and wonder of the universe that is at the core of what science fiction means to me.

** If you want to get into the franchise but don’t want to watch eleven series and thirteen films, I recommend watching the recent trilogy that features a younger version of the original crew in a different timeline! The cinematography, special effects and music is stunning! (Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Star Trek: Beyond)

Sources/ inspiration for this post:

Roddenberry, Gene. Star Trek. 1966-present.

Lloyd, Robert. “’Star Trek’ Is the Greatest Sci-Fi Franchise of All. Why It’s Stood the Test of Time.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2021.

Oneohtrix Point Never – Rifts

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0. Who is Daniel Lopatin? The composer of the soundtrack of what became everyone’s favorite Adam Sandler movie: Uncut Gems; a born-and-raised Masshole, like me(!); the director of The Weeknd’s 2021 Super Bowl halftime show; a wizard with a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer; an all-around great guy. 

1. Betrayed In The Octagon. Rifts evokes a narrative more than it could ever hope to present one. This is characteristic of any piece of music that’s almost entirely wordless. Musically speaking, however, it’s clearly indebted to the ambiance of soundtracks to SF films like Bladerunner, the synth work of new-age music of the 60s and 70s, and the experimental noise scene of New York City. That these influences range from music that was almost purely commercial to sounds that most people (myself included) have a hard time calling “music” is characteristic of the project as a whole, regardless of whether the influences in question are musical or literary.

2. Zones Without People. The titles of the songs on Rifts are full of references to technology (“Laser to Laser,” “Disconnecting Entirely,” “Computer Vision,”), the uncertain nature of time (“Months,” “Time Decanted,” “ Immanence”), and bastardized locations (“Terminator Lake,” “Behind The Bank,” “Melancholy Descriptions Of Simple 3D Environments”). Electronic music is already associated with notions of the future, technology, and the unreal. Add the fact that the album is already influenced by works of past science fiction, and there you have it: my yet-unshared theory that this album is about a(n) astronaut(s) traveling through/lost in space/time is clearly a great one. I win.

3. Russian Mind. I would also argue that this album is influenced by works of new wave SF and hard SF in the same way it’s influenced by new-age and noise. Starting with the former, we can see that Lopatin is interested in the mind and the surreal. Songs like “Grief and Repetition” and “Blue Drive” are as wandering and hypnotic as their titles suggest. It might not come as a surprise, then, that the only two countries referenced on the tracklist are the United States (“When I Get Back From New York”) and Russia (“KGB Nights”). Lopatin is the child of Russian-Jewish immigrants, and this is music inspired by the sounds and mindset of the 80s: it is, at times, very anxious and very lonely. 

4. Drawn And Quartered. Elements of hard sf are present as well. A title like “Lovergirls Precinct” feels like it could be ripped out of a pulp magazine, while one takes it a step further and references a real person: philosopher Emil Ciroan. Then there are songs like “Transmat Memories, “ “Sand Partina,” and “Hyperdawn,” which feel concerned with exploring the very specific discoveries of unnamed scientists and the brand new experiences of long-lost astronauts.

5. The Fall Into Time. Are our characters alone? “Learning to Control Myself” implies yes, while “A Pact Between Strangers” suggests otherwise. Are they lost in a Zone Without People or have they been Betrayed In The Octagon? My favorite song on this album answers none of these questions and poses at least three of its own: “I Know It’s Taking Pictures From Another Plane (Inside Your Sun).” If you’re not into electronic music, give this a shot. When I listen to it, I imagine the universe’s loneliest man sitting alone with his guitar at an abandoned bar on the moon of some unexplored planet. The contrast between the horror of the Lovecraftian title and the humanity of Lopatin’s voice is both grounding and disorienting, but altogether beautiful in its own way.

00. What is Rifts? One of the only albums I can comfortably call musical science fiction, and one of my favorite electronic albums of all time; the soundtrack to the greatest space epic never made; best heard when you’re on the edge of sleep in a dark room. Preferably alone.

 

Quakers in space

As someone who went to a Quaker high school, I am delighted to see a novel about Quakers in space!

“Leaving a dilapidated Earth behind, Quakers across the globe pool funds and resources as they select colonists to send to a newly discovered planet to start life anew in this “miraculous fusion of…science fiction with unsparing realism and keen psychology” (Ursula K. Le Guin).”

Analysis | Jeff Bezos’s new plans for space have stirred up old fights in science fiction

Analysis | Jeff Bezos’s new plans for space have stirred up old fights in science fiction Is planet Earth all that we have, or do we need to go to the stars? https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/10/jeff-bezoss-new-plans-space-have-stirred-up-old-fights-science-fiction/?utm_term=%5B%27.12ea6974b4b3%27%5D