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Apocalypse
Now?
Correlations Between Reality
and Fiction in the Wraeththu
Series
by
Bridgette M. Parker
 The comparison is inevitable. In fact, just about every futuristic
science fiction creation with any kind of a following inspires
fans and critics alike to draw out parallels between the fantasy
and probable reality.
The futuristic world that Storm Constantine crafted in her Wraeththu
series contains a plentiful supply of elements for such speculation.
Being set in a distant future an indeterminate number of years
away, the series paints vivid descriptions of social and political
atmospheres, physical environments, and biological evolution.
When the series opens, human society has decayed greatly and
anarchy would seem to be commonplace. The shambled state of the
world seems to be the result of wars. Reference is made to nuclear
war having contaminated some areas. The threat of nuclear war
or widespread conflict had seemed to diminish in the post-Cold
War age, but recent terrorist activities and wars in the Middle
East have made such a future plausible. This is especially true
as more nations seek to develop such weapons, or are perceived
by other nations to possess them.
Certainly,
the world powers that dominate life today are nowhere in evidence
by the time of the Wraeththu. This, too, is to be expected.
Around the time the original series was published, the
Soviet Union declined. Some might argue that the United States
has passed its prime as well. History shows without a doubt that
most powerful civilizations diminish in a matter of centuries.
The future in Wraeththu seems distant enough to have supported
a couple such cycles in such a gap of time. This would perhaps
explain why North America became Megalithica.
One
societal element that at first seemed to miss its mark was
the utter disdain shown to the new hermaphroditic species based
on a prior widespread contempt for homosexuality and non-traditional
gender roles. In reality such prejudices seemed to be easing
in Western societies. But, recently such progress seems to have
unleashed a backlash, which if unchecked, could very well develop
into the sort of widespread contempt described in the novels.
Some analysts are pointing to such a backlash in voting results
in the United States. After what seemed to be a great deal of
progress in gay rights, many areas experienced a surge in same-sex
marriages as a form of joyful civil disobedience. But, instead
of ushering in a new level of civil rights, many Americans bristled
against the attempted progress. "Exit polling showed 'moral
values' were at the top of voters' concerns, especially
in the 11 states where voters banned same-sex marriage — ballot
amendments inspired by the parade of weddings." (Associated
Press, MSNBC,
2:36 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2004)
In
addition to the social and political climate described in Wraeththu,
vague hints are given regarding changes in the physical environment.
The most vivid example is the cable crop that the Cevarro family
helps to farm in The Enchantments of
Flesh and Spirit.
The
farm grew cable crop, which was a hardy, stringy, tasteless
vegetable that Sefton Richards had brought down from one
of his rare visits north, some years before. It did not
grow high and its gnarled pitted fruits burst with a sound
like gunfire to release pale seeds in yellow jelly that
filled the air with the odour of decay. Despite its uninviting
appearance, the cable could be used for everything, from
bulk food for livestock to bed springs. It had been created
somewhere — soullessly
and with these practical utilities in mind... (Storm
Constantine, The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit 2003 Edition,
p 18)
Clearly, the crop described is the product of genetic engineering
or advanced hybridization. The field of genetics has experienced
fantastic achievements in cloning since the original Wraeththu
trilogy was first published. Subtle manipulation of plants and
livestock for the good of humanity has been occurring for ages.
However, with scientific advancements in the tinkering with genetics,
such dramatic creations as "cable" become quite plausible
in a distant future. This would be especially true in a future
shaped by changing climates and harsh conditions.
And
such changes would be inevitable given the vast stretch of
time supposed to have passed in the Wraeththu timeline. A recent
MSNBC article regarding Arctic warming in a report by the Arctic
Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), which was commissioned by
the Arctic Council and funded by eight nations, illustrates
this. "The report projects that temperatures in the Arctic
will rise by 8 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years.
If temperatures then stayed stable, the Greenland icecap would
melt altogether in 1,000 years and raise global sea levels by
about 23 feet." (Staff reports, MSNBC,
2:56 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2004)
Any environment set in a distant future would surely reflect
the predicted changes and such changes would certainly seem apocalyptic
to modern readers, even if they occurred very gradually over
hundreds of years.
Other major changes in the Wraeththu world did not take place
through years of experimentation or gradual evolution. Like the
Wraeththu themselves, one amazing magical species seemed to have
appeared in this world practically overnight. These are the sedim,
horses in appearance but actually otherworldly sentient creatures
who travel space and time, utilizing psychic links with their
Wraeththu riders. Based on modern reality, such creatures will
remain in the realm of fantasy, although mankind is discovering
more advanced levels of intelligence in animals all the time,
be it primates taught sign language, crows using tools, dolphins
trained by the military.
Even more dramatic than the sedim is the change wrought in
humanity in the Wraeththu world. Not only amazing genesis of
the Wraeththu and Kamagrian, but the terrifying decline of mankind,
as well. This will be the focus of Part II of "Apocalypse
Now?" in the next issue of Inception.
About
the Author:
Bridgette
Parker is co-author of the Wraeththu Mythos novel Breeding
Discontent, as well as several other pieces of Wraeththtu
fan fiction. can be reached at bridgetteparker@hotmail.com. |
