The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch is a complex novel that investigates topics like time travel and the end of the world. The novel follows Shannon Moss, an agent working for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, who travels to possible versions of the future to solve crimes. Moss gets wrapped up in an effort to prevent the Terminus, or the end of humanity, which has been brought on by time travel and keeps advancing closer to the present. The Terminus is presented as an inevitable event, one that stems largely from the Naval Space Command (NSC) and the government’s desire to find the planet Esperance, where they think they will discover the secret to immortality through experimentation with quantum-tunneling nanoparticles (QTNs). Ultimately, Moss enters a time knot in which the crew of the Libra, who originally discovered Esperance and brought the Terminus with them, continually experience a mutiny among their members. In order to avoid the Terminus that has arrived in her present, Moss works to create a black hole that will reset terra firma.
Although time travel is not a reality in the real world, the themes that Sweterlitsch addresses, like the end of the world, are more applicable that one might think. In recent years, issues like the climate crisis have brought worries about the end of humanity to the forefront of people’s minds. Science Focus states that the end of humanity is inevitable. It is not a matter of “if” human extinction will occur, but rather “when,” thanks to issues like overpopulation, environmental destruction, and climate change. However, rather than a cataclysmic end to all life on Earth and the world going up in flames, the article suggests that nonhuman life will persist, and the Earth will survive and thrive without humans. An article by The New Yorker outlines the thoughts of Toby Ord, a philosopher at Oxford University. Ord discusses the existential threats to humanity that exist and what could happen if they are not addressed. He states that humanity is currently on the precipice of extinction and has only two options – to either partake in a shared global effort to ensure humanity’s continued survival or to become extinct. Rather than natural risks like asteroids or super-volcanic eruptions, Ord believes that the most serious threats to human life are man-made, such as nuclear war, climate change, and pandemics. For the most part, he and other philosophers agree that it is the actions of human beings and our unsustainable ways of life that will lead to our destruction. Most recently, the coronavirus pandemic is an example of a large-scale threat that the actions of human beings have perpetuated. Forbes states that, while the COVID-19 pandemic is not the end of humanity, it has brought humanity to its knees. The article describes how the pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. A majority of people have worked to protect those around them, and yet the coronavirus has spread like wildfire throughout the U.S. because of individuals who see themselves as being at little risk of illness and refuse to acknowledge that their actions – like not wearing a mask or not physically distancing themselves from other people – have consequences on the health of others. Surprisingly enough, fact and fiction appear to work in dialogue with each other in commenting on the real-life possibility of the end of humanity. In Sweterlitsch’s novel, it is the actions of human beings and their self-serving interests that bring the Terminus to the present. The greed of the NSC and the government in seeking out Esperance and chasing after immortality at the expense of the end of humanity is reminiscent of the lack of concern that real-life governments show by taking little action to slow down or reverse the climate crisis and ensure a sustainable future for the generations to come. In the novel, Sweterlitsch does not propose a definitive solution to real-world problems, but the underlying message of the novel suggests that the actions that humans take can make a difference. Just as our actions can bring about the end of humanity, they also have the opportunity to postpone the crisis. Ultimately, one of the questions that the novel leaves me with is, how do we realistically postpone the end of humanity at this point? Is it too late to make a difference and divert the course of events? And lastly, would the Earth actually be better off without humanity's interference?
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Although Zone One by Colson Whitehead can be classified as a zombie novel, it is about so much more than just zombies. Whitehead uses the setting of a zombie apocalyptic to explore and expose topics like racism, capitalism, and government exploitation of citizens. While themes of racism are more subtle at first, the anti-capitalism commentary that Whitehead gives is clear from the first few pages of the novel. This commentary on capitalism is also intertwined with a commentary on the government, and how it exploits its citizens. The novel follows the story of Mark Spitz, one of the volunteer civilian sweepers assigned to exterminating the remaining zombies in lower Manhattan so it can be reinhabited. The events in the novel seemingly take place months after the initial outbreak of a virus that turns people into zombies. In this new world, essentially everyone who survives is said to suffer from Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder (PASD). In order to put a positive spin on the narrative and rebrand survival, the government promotes the idea of the “American Phoenix.” This rebranding comes with its own logo, of course, and as a part of the movement, the camps of survivors are renamed things like “Bubbling Brooks” or “Happy Acres.” Merchandise, such as hoodies and sun visors, are handed out. The so-called “pheenies” of this new America even have their own anthem, “Stop! Can You Hear the Eagle Roar? (Theme from Reconstruction). However, Whitehead implies that this movement is less about genuinely helping the survivors deal with the aftermath of the initial outbreak and emotionally process their trauma, and more about stirring the masses and encouraging them to risk their lives for the reconstruction effort.
Although set in a world where supernatural flesh-eating zombies exist, the topics that Whitehead addresses in the novel, like PASD and what is essentially propaganda for the reconstruction effort, mirror conditions and events in the real world. For instance, PASD is reminiscent of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition often afflicting soldiers due to the horrors they witness during war. The propaganda described is also reminiscent of the propaganda distributed in America during World War II. The National World War II Museum describes how the U.S. government created the Office of War Information (OWI) specifically to oversee the propaganda initiative. As part of this initiative, artists, filmmakers, and intellectuals were recruited to design posters, pamphlets, newsreels, radio shows, and movies that would persuade the American public to support the war effort. Posters were one of the most important products of the initiative, and they were mass produced and distributed around the country. National Archives showcases some of the more famous posters, such as those depicting Rosie the Riveter (“We Can Do It!”) and Uncle Sam (“I Want You for U.S. Army”). The article describes how these types of posters were created to encourage men and women to join the war effort, either by enlisting in the armed forces or working on the home front. The previous article by the National World War II Museum describes how propaganda works by using psychological tactics, guilt, and emotions. The posters were not just meant to encourage and inspire Americans, but also to warn, scold, and scare. Ultimately though, the goal was to convince the public to support the war effort by appealing to their patriotism and loyalty. Psychology Today states that, even though propaganda can be used to achieve “good” ends, like the end of a war or a successful reconstruction effort, it is still problematic because facts are often distorted or ignored in the effort to sell the product. This becomes clear in Whitehead’s novel when the reality of the situation is revealed – that camps are being overrun with zombies at an alarming rate and everything is far from normal, despite what the government wants its citizens to believe. It turns out that the government’s relationship with Fort Wonton and the work on Zone One is simply PR, as it will be years before the island can realistically be resettled. Thus, the government in Buffalo is exploiting the citizens at Fort Wonton and presumably will not send aid even though the living dead are besieging them. Taking all of the events from the novel into consideration, it is clear that Whitehead is against the institution of capitalism and the corrupt ways that governments promote their causes and exploit their citizens. The government in the novel promotes the idea of the “American Phoenix” in order to advance the reconstruction effort and use civilians as free labor. Ultimately, the government goes as far as to betray their own people by not revealing their true intent with the Manhattan project and presumably not sending aid when Fort Wonton is overrun with zombies. That being so, Whitehead’s novel makes me wonder, how is the U.S. government exploiting its citizens today? Is the government’s promotion of capitalism harming U.S. citizens more than it is helping? What type of propaganda is being promoted today? |
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AuthorHi, I'm Rhi! In these blog posts, I will be exploring and reflecting on common themes found in post-apocalyptic literature. Archives
April 2021
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