Reproduction and pregnancy in speculative fiction
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Speculative Speculative may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Speculative art (disambiguation) *Speculative fiction, which includes elements created out of human imagination, such as the science fiction and fantasy genres **Speculative Fiction Group, a Per ...
and
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
writers have often addressed the social, political, technological, and biological consequences of pregnancy and reproduction through the exploration of possible futures or alternative realities.


Themes

As real-world reproductive technology has advanced, SF works have become increasingly interested in representing alternative modes of reproduction. Among the uses of pregnancy and reproduction themes regularly encountered in science fiction are: * other modes of sexual reproduction; * parthenogenetic reproduction; * inter-species reproduction; * the use of technology in reproduction; * gender issues and political concerns around reproduction; * large-scale infertility; * horror themes relating to parasitism and
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. * gender politics. The phenomenon of pregnancy itself has been the subject of numerous works, both directly and metaphorically. These works may relate pregnancy to parasitism or
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, or simply use pregnancy as a strong contrast with horror. For example, in the film, '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968) (based on the 1967 novel by
Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), '' The Stepford Wives'' (1972), ''This Perfe ...
) a woman is tricked into a satanic pregnancy by her husband.


Alien–human hybrids

Inter-species reproduction and alien-human hybrids frequently occur in science fiction, and women being impregnated by aliens is a common theme in SF horror films, including ''
I Married a Monster from Outer Space ''I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' is a 1958 American horror science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced and directed by Gene Fowler Jr., that stars Tom Tryon and Gloria Talbott. Paramount released the film as a double feature ...
'', '' Village of the Damned'', ''
Xtro ''Xtro'' is a 1983 British science fiction horror film directed by Harry Bromley Davenport. Starring Bernice Stegers, Philip Sayer, and Simon Nash, the film focuses on a father who was abducted by aliens and returns to his family three years ...
'', and ''
Inseminoid ''Inseminoid'' (titled ''Horror Planet'' in the United States) is a 1981 British science fiction horror film directed by Norman J. Warren. It stars Judy Geeson, Robin Clarke and Stephanie Beacham, along with Victoria Tennant in one of her earl ...
''. The theme has even been parodied, such as in the soft porn ''Wham Bang! Thanks You Mister Spaceman''. They are sometimes used as metaphors for social anxieties about
miscegenation Miscegenation ( ) is the interbreeding of people who are considered to be members of different races. The word, now usually considered pejorative, is derived from a combination of the Latin terms ''miscere'' ("to mix") and ''genus'' ("race") ...
or hybridization, and other times used to explore the boundaries of humanity. In the film ''
Alien Resurrection ''Alien Resurrection'' is a 1997 American science fiction horror film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Joss Whedon, and starring Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder. It is the fourth installment of the ''Alien'' franchise, and wa ...
'' (1997),
Ellen Ripley Ellen Louise Ripley, often referred to simply as Ripley, is a fictional character and protagonist of the ''Alien'' film series, played by American actress Sigourney Weaver. The character earned Weaver worldwide recognition, and the role remain ...
has been cloned to facilitate study of the alien queen embryo with which she was implanted In
Octavia E. Butler Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowshi ...
's ''
Lilith's Brood ''Lilith's Brood'' is a collection of three works by Octavia E. Butler. The three volumes of this science fiction series (''Dawn'', ''Adulthood Rites'', and ''Imago'') were previously collected in the now out-of-print volume ''Xenogenesis''. T ...
'' trilogy (1987, 1988, 1989) alien and human females impregnated with the DNA of males by alien intermediary-sex individuals, in "fivesomes".


Reproduction and technology

Speculative fiction in technology of reproduction may involve
cloning Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical or virtually identical DNA, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction. In the field of biotechnology, c ...
and ectogenesis, i.e., artificial reproduction). The latter part of the 2000s decade has also seen an upswing of films and other fiction depicting emotional struggles of assisted reproductive technology in contemporary reality rather than being speculation.


Large-scale infertility or population growth

Fertility and reproduction have been frequent sites for examination of concerns about the impact of the environment and reproduction on the future of humanity or civilization. For example, '' The Children of Men'' by P.D. James is just one of many works which have considered the implications of global infertility; ''
Make Room! Make Room! ''Make Room! Make Room!'' is a 1966 science fiction novel written by Harry Harrison exploring the consequences of both unchecked population growth on society and the hoarding of resources by a wealthy minority. It was originally serialized in ' ...
'' by Harry Harrison is one of many works which have examined the converse, the implications of massive human population surges. Numerous other works, such as '' Implosion'', '' The First Century after Beatrice'', '' Venus Plus X'' and ''
More Than Human ''More Than Human'' is a 1953 science fiction novel by American writer Theodore Sturgeon. It is a revision and expansion of his previously published novella ''Baby is Three'', which is bracketed by two additional parts written for the novel (" ...
'' by
Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 sh ...
examine the future of humanity as it evolves, or particular breeding programs.


Politics and gender politics

Pregnancy and control of human reproduction have often been used as proxies for treating gender issues or broader themes of social control; works dealing with pregnancy and human reproduction have also been used to closely explore gender politics. For instance, "
male pregnancy Male pregnancy is the incubation of one or more embryos or fetuses by organisms of the male sex in some species. Most species that reproduce by sexual reproduction are heterogamous—females producing larger gametes (ova) and males producing sma ...
" has been used to comedic effect in mainstream literature and films such as ''
Junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...
'' (1994 film, dir. Ivan Reitman), and has developed a following in fan fiction—the "m-preg" genre. The genre of
feminist science fiction Feminist science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction (abbreviated "SF") focused on theories that include feminist themes including but not limited to gender inequality, sexuality, race, economics, reproduction, and environment. Feminist SF ...
has explored single-sex reproduction in depth, particularly
parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...
, as well as gendered control over the ability and right to reproduce. See also numerous dystopian stories about state-controlled reproduction, abortion, and birth control, such as Atwood's ''
The Handmaid's Tale ''The Handmaid's Tale'' is a futuristic dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England in a patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state known as the Republic of Gilead, which ...
'', or her short story, " Freeforall". These works have often been analyzed as explorations of contemporary political debates about reproduction and pregnancy.


See also

* Cyborg feminism * Gender in speculative fiction *
Homosexuality in speculative fiction Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
* Interspecies reproduction * Parthenogenic reproduction * Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * *
Google preview.
Including discussion of
male pregnancy Male pregnancy is the incubation of one or more embryos or fetuses by organisms of the male sex in some species. Most species that reproduce by sexual reproduction are heterogamous—females producing larger gametes (ova) and males producing sma ...
, sexual politics, and
parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...
. * * {{Science fiction Science fiction themes Sexuality in speculative fiction