CONFLICTING VISIONS OF CODE-WORK IN RECENT SOCIAL SCIENCE FICTION

Abstract

Two recent works, Michel Houellebecq's The Possibility of an Island (2005) and Michael Crichton's Next (2006), examine the different potentialities of current genetics and offer two visions of the future dominated either by cloning technology which is a synonym for replication or by genetic modification signifying variation and diversification. Both are reflections on code-work that not only draw out the logics of current technologies but also envisage possible futures consequent on how new information is manipulated and controlled. These novels not only illustrate and exploit contemporary dystopian fears but are in themselves sophisticated thought experiments and theoretical provocations.

Keywords:

• code-work
• post-human
• Crichton
• Houellebecq
• Ishiguro

Notes

In line with earlier films like The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971) and Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979) which deal with especially created organ donors.

Steve Fuller's recent book The New Sociological Imagination (2006a) and his other recent writing, takes up the defence of humanity against the trend of the new genetics. He appeared in an American court as an expert witness in defence of Intelligent Design and has written recently that ‘I may be the first person to declare under oath that knowledge of the history, philosophy and sociology of science provides a better basis for evaluating the scientific standing of a field of inquiry than someone formally trained in science’. (Fuller 2006c, p. 827) Fuller has drawn up a picture of an underlying conflict between on the one hand the dangerous philosophy of ‘karma’ based on a commutative ethic in which all species are considered equal (Fuller includes here Bentham, Spencer, Foucault and Singer) and on the other hand which he calls ‘anthropic’, the focus recognizes the privileged position of ‘humanity’ (he includes J. S. Mill, T. H. Huxley, J. Rawls and F. Fukuyama).

At one point Crichton refers to the mythic chimeras, the Sphinx, but only to illustrate the possibility of humans with two sets of DNA (Crichton 2008 p. 83) and the problems this raises in paternity law suits.

Films such as Twins (1988) (directed by Ivan Reitman), Judge Dredd (1995) (starring Sylvester Stallone), The Cloning of Joanna May (1991) and The Sixth Day (2000) (directed by Roger Spottiswoode). The first portrays the outcome of a secret government genetic experiment on two brothers Julius and Vincent, from six fathers: separated at birth Julius is ‘perfect’ speaks twelve languages but completely naive, Vincent more human, is a racketeer. The second is a story of a Judge who finds he has a cloned twin and therefore identical DNA, who has committed murder, called Rico. The third is a story of an industrialist who gets to make three clones of his ex-wife expecting to be able to select one as a new partner in the future – but his ex-wife comes back into the frame and leads a clone revolt. The fourth is a story of Adam Gibson who returns home only to find a clone Adam Gibson has taken his place. There is also the revolt of clones (all save one genetically modified docility) in Star Wars Episode II: The Clone Wars (2002). Godsend (2003, directed by Nick Hamm) tells the story of a family (illegally) offered cloning of their son who dies aged eight – they find out that genetic manipulation as has also taken place for ulterior motives when the clone reaches the age of eight.

Music presents a number of instances instructive for code-work analysis. One of these is the development of the ‘Sibelius’ programmes that write out sheet music directly from performance on the keyboard. What happens is that the music thus written is exact, exposing the fact that music is interpreted by anything but exact performance codes – even the rehearsal practices of a conductor can vary from practices at performance. At least one composer has had to rewrite his composition from ‘Sibelius’ to conventional notation in order that the orchestra be able to perform it as music. The point here being not that such an art could not be reduced to information, but that any notation of such information would be extremely complex and cumbersome.

Or in Baudrillard's famous phrase ‘the ecstasy of communication’ (Baudrillard 1988). The case of Daniel masturbating over the webcam is noted for its emotional significance in Houellebecq. Marie22 communicates with Daniel24 as she is about to die:

• Beneath the sun of the dead bird,

  Spreads infinitely on the plain;

  There is no death more serene:

  Show me some of your body.

  (Houellebecq 2005, p. 98)

She speaks to Daniel24 in a voice that was ‘almost entirely synthetic, some neohuman intonations, especially in the vowels, some strange slips towards softness’ and she said, ‘Show me your sex, please’. This is evidently regressive, a demand to watch via a webcam a male masturbating as she reaches the end of her life. In Next Brad Gordon is set up by a Philippine girl (who has appeared masturbating on a webcam) who tricks him into a situation where he can falsely be accused of rape. He has been tracked and set up via GPS information of his movements on his mobile phone records. Indeed one of the many complex dimensions of Next is its portrayal of data security and its strategic importance both in power struggles and of course in litigation (pp. 144–146).

Houellebecq's vision suggests that control over genetic technology can produce a stable neohuman order; Crichton admits that ‘While I agree that one ought not to assume that technology is uncontrollable, in this case I doubt control is possible’ (Next, p. 427).