Sovereign Bodies, Bio Ethics and Sci-Fi
The body has been a battleground and a test ground in sci-fi, often reflecting reality and grappling gritting examples of bio-ethics. If you've read the classic Handmaid's Tale and are looking for something just as thought-provoking but set on another planet, DO get a copy of Lilith's Brood. Written by the kick-butt author Octavia E. Butler, she's won'the Hugo and Nebula awards and the prestigous MacArthur Fellowship.
If you happen to want a graphic novel with human-animal hybrids and page-gripping scenes, check out Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth series. It scared the boogers out of me and I read the first book all in one subway ride. When I surfaced, my mind was still blurred from the book and reality didn't seem so real. - A common condition known as book hangover.
If you've read Handmaid's Tale or other books that have human-alien, human- 
animal, human-robot reproduction or other augmented reproduction -what did you think? Did any of the books examples strike you as totally possible? Have any of them come true?
After I finished Oryx and Crake, I eerily came across the article of synthesized 'meat' proteins, much like the Chkn products in the book. While it sounds creepy, it could have positive implications for animal welfare. What are your thoughts? Do you think synesized meat could successfullly mimic the 'real' thing? What ethical implications are possible – for humans and for animals? Especially with growing food demands on an ever-more populated planet, could this be a more sustainable solution?
Seeking magical realism with animals and dystopia?
Check out Arthur C. Clarke award winner Zoo City. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa this book stands out. Abandoning the usual tropes, this book is out of the mainstream and delves into a world where magical animals are the familiars of criminals, murderers, and the kick-butt protagonist Zinzi. She has a talent for finding lost things and solving the complexities around her brother's murder.
Want gut-wrenching parasites in fiction? 
Check out the bio-pharm-thriller Parasite! The protagonist's life is under the control of a mega pharmaceutical corporation, they saved her with an experimental genetically modified tapeworm, but can she ever regain her autonomy and person-hood?
2 thoughts on “Sovereign Bodies, Bio Ethics and Sci-Fi”
In the alien title Scan, the alien invaders have been living on earth and breeding with humans for some time, and slowly taking over the population with a hybrid known as H2s, most of whom don’t even know they’re not human. In the book, some humans have found a piece of alien technology that is able to scan and detect humans or aliens, and they have to both keep it out of alien hands and try to figure out what they planned to use it for… The ending is a cliffhanger, so now I can’t wait for the followup!
I think that there are many pros and cons to the idea of synthesized meat, for both humans and animals alike. The idea is good because it would help with animal welfare, therefore helping to boost animal populations. The con would be that we wouldn’t know the side effects of eating synthesized meat until it is possibly too late. The products and chemicals used to produe this ‘meat’ could also harm us and once again harm the environment as the demand increases which would be affecting animals as well.