What SF does for us SF functions both as a distortion of the present and as a teacher that can evoke social change by critiquing human(oid) behaviors and their institutions. Samuel Delany and Joanna Russ must be thanked equally for their contribution to the function of SF as Delany’s argument that SF is a significant distortion of the present cannot be brought to justice unless it is combined with Russ’s argument that SF serves a didactic function. Without understanding that SF is a distortion of the present, the teachings of the work may be lost and without understanding that SF serves to teach us the distortion of the present may become seemingly meaningless. Jeanette Winterson’s The Stone Gods is able to precisely represent this idea as
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Critiquing human behavior is essential to the teachings of The Stone Gods, which works to educate us about the need to become more ecofriendly. The critique of human impact on the Earth is seen throughout the novel as humans are described as wasteful, pests who only care about their lives and not the lives of others. “There are many kinds of lives’ said Spike mildly. ‘Humans just assumed that theirs was the only kind that mattered. That’s how you destroyed your planet” (65-66). Because humans put their lives above others they abuse natural resources, overkill animals, and pollute causing the destruction of the planet. By understanding that this is a distortion of our reality the critiquing of the human tendency to put their lives above others can teach us that we must start protecting the Earth and all of the species living on it and develop a mutualistic relationship, not a parasitic one. By recognizing that all life is valuable and must be protected we can bring about social change to continue the survival of our …show more content…
Because SF is a distortion of the present it is able to teach us more clearly and more precisely about the error of our ways as opposed to mundane fiction. The Stone Gods is able to demonstrate this idea by critiquing the human tendency to not only destroy but also, create institutions that stifle projects to help. Reading Winterson’s novel evokes our greatest fear of Earth’s end but it also gives us hope that by heeding to the words of her teachings and avoiding the behaviors and institutions that she critiques we can save the planet. Winterson demonstrates what every SF author should look up: using the function of SF to its advantage to evoke social
Critiquing human behavior is essential to the teachings of The Stone Gods, which works to educate us about the need to become more ecofriendly. The critique of human impact on the Earth is seen throughout the novel as humans are described as wasteful, pests who only care about their lives and not the lives of others. “There are many kinds of lives’ said Spike mildly. ‘Humans just assumed that theirs was the only kind that mattered. That’s how you destroyed your planet” (65-66). Because humans put their lives above others they abuse natural resources, overkill animals, and pollute causing the destruction of the planet. By understanding that this is a distortion of our reality the critiquing of the human tendency to put their lives above others can teach us that we must start protecting the Earth and all of the species living on it and develop a mutualistic relationship, not a parasitic one. By recognizing that all life is valuable and must be protected we can bring about social change to continue the survival of our …show more content…
Because SF is a distortion of the present it is able to teach us more clearly and more precisely about the error of our ways as opposed to mundane fiction. The Stone Gods is able to demonstrate this idea by critiquing the human tendency to not only destroy but also, create institutions that stifle projects to help. Reading Winterson’s novel evokes our greatest fear of Earth’s end but it also gives us hope that by heeding to the words of her teachings and avoiding the behaviors and institutions that she critiques we can save the planet. Winterson demonstrates what every SF author should look up: using the function of SF to its advantage to evoke social