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Apocalypse
Now?
Correlations Between Reality
and Fiction in the Wraeththu
Series, Pt. 2
by
Bridgette M. Parker
 For as long as writers have been crafting science fiction, mankind's future
has been depicted in varying degrees of utopia and apocalypse, and readers have
compared these fictional visions with the present and the realistically predicted
future.
In the last issue of Inception, part
one of this article presented of the
parallels between the apocalyptic decline of mankind in the Storm Constantine’s
Wraeththu series and current events. The focus was on the global environment,
sociopolitical attitudes, and scientific advances such as genetic engineering.
Genetics is an integral factor in the Wraeththu series, accounting for the
genesis of the new species of Wraeththu and Kamagrian and probably playing
a role in the decline of mankind as well.
So far in the series, the genesis of Wraeththu and Kamagrian remains shrouded
in mystery. The first Wraeththu, Thiede, is described as the product of a mutation.
However, in The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure a new theory was put forth by
Tel-an-Kaa:
"…We have no proof, and neither do Wraeththu, but the most
enlightened among us all believe that humans created both Wraeththu and Kamagrian.
They were genetic experiments…"
- Storm Constantine, p.338)
Genetic
experimentation on humans is currently taboo and illegal in many countries.
Furthermore, successfully engineering alterations as extreme as those described
in the Wraeththu series still seems fantastical. However, the foundation for
such scientific fields is already established. If humanity were facing extinction
due to disease, warfare, and decreased fertility, the taboos and legal restrictions
on such experimentation would likely be dismissed or simply defied. And, in
such an environment, the experimentations might be grandiose indeed. Wraeththu
traits such as increased life span, resistance to disease and toxins, and apparent
cessation of aging beyond the prime of life would all be goals of genetic engineers.
The more unconventional trait of hermaphroditism could have been an unintentional
result of tampering with fertility. Or, the hermaphroditic nature may have
been the genetic building blocks of the experimentation. Intersexed individuals
have always been a part of humanity and the causes of these variations from
the norm are diverse. According to the Intersex
Society of North America,
these can be simple genital ambiguity, Turner’s Syndrome, Androgen Sensitivity
Syndrome, Klinefelter Syndrome and many others. Because these are all genetic
anomalies, a hypothetical scientist wishing to experiment in genetic modification
of sexual organs (i.e. reproductive viability) might chose individuals like
this with which to work. Therefore, traits such as hermaphroditism could be
incorporated, intentionally or unintentionally, into genetically altered human
beings.
Another possibility is a spontaneous genetic mutation. Virtually all genetic
abnormalities can be passed on at birth or can develop spontaneously in a mutation.
"Most
genes have a very low rate of mutation. The majority of individuals who
inherit a disease have at least one parent who is a carrier
of that disease since new mutations are rare."
"How
is Fragile X Syndrome Inherited" Dale
Fast, PhD,
Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois.
Such mutations generally
develop slowly over many generations; however, scientists have only recently
discovered examples of diseases such as Fragile X Syndrome where an unstable
(premutation) gene has a high probability of fully mutating to a full-blown
syndrome from just one generation to the next. (Ibid.)
Such rapid mutations could account for both the rapid genesis of the first
Wraeththu/Kamagrian and could account for the rapid decline of humanity and
humanity’s loss of fertility. Even now scientists are studying the links
between environmental pollutants and a wide variety of diseases, including
those that result in human infertility. A prime example is endometriosis, a
disease not known to exist prior to the Industrial Age.
Emerging evidence suggests a potential role for ubiquitous environmental
contaminants in the physiopathology of endometriosis. Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate
(DEHP), the most commonly used plasticizer in flexible polyvinylchloride
(PVC) formulations, is a widespread environmental contaminant with potentially
adverse effects on fertility in animal models.
"High plasma concentrations of
di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate
in women with endometriosis"
Cobellis L, Latini G, Felice CD, Razzi
S,
Paris I, Ruggieri F, Mazzeo P, Petraglia F.
Endometriosis
is a common cause of infertility. Links between environmental
pollution (such as might occur in the radiation aftermath of a nuclear war
or from industrial accidents set in motion by human error or natural disaster)
and diseases and anomalies have long been established in both animals and humans.
Likewise once an anomaly is introduced, it can sometimes affect changes on
a genetic level, which are passed on in subsequent generations. For example,
endometriosis is believed to have genetic ties as well as an initial environmental
cause. (See "Endometriosis: Overview" Editorial Staff of
the National Women's Health Resource
Center.)
Clearly, genetics and the environment is a factor that can and will affect
the evolution, lifestyle, and very existence of mankind in the future as distant
as that portrayed in Storm Constantine’s Wraeththu series. Chances are
that the changes will not be the same as those described in this groundbreaking
series of fiction. But when analyzed in conjunction with current events and
scientific knowledge, a future world similar to that described in the books
is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.
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. |
