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Transrealism – a modern literary trend?

Conference Paper  in  ZBORNIK RADOVA UNIVERZITETA SINERGIJA · November 2018

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Transrealism – a modern literary trend?

Apstrakt— Književnost modernog doba svedoči o brojnim with heart, portraying against its fantastic and disruptive
eksperimentalnim poduhvatima koji nastaju ukrštanjem žanrova invented settings naturalistic characters (some of them robots
u fikciji, poput spajanja istorijske fikcije i naučne fantastike, or aliens) with complex inner lives and personal histories
visoke tehnologije i lošeg kvaliteta života kojim se ukrštaju somewhat resembling the density of recognizable or real
elementi detektivskih romana i distopijskih vizija, ili
eksperimentalna dela u kojima se naučna fantastika spaja sa
people” (Broderick 2000, 12). Broderick’s expanded
elementima strave i užasa. Cilj ovog rada je da istraži pojam definition serves as a fertile ground for examining certain
transrealizma kao novog književnog pokreta 21. veka, koji spaja fictional works of contemporary writers through the lenses of
realizam kao tradicionalnu podlogu na kojoj počiva fikcija i ‘transrealist discourse’, whereas the meaning of the term in
pripovednu nit koja teži ka naučnoj fantastici, fantaziji ili this paper is limited to an interplay between fantasy and
predstavljanju strave i užasa, kao i da ispita koji su to osnovni reality.
elementi transrealizma kao pojma na primeru romana
savremene kanadske književnice Margaret Etvud Antilopa i Transrealism as “a blend of speculative fantasy and bitter
kosac (Oryx and Crake, 2003). psychological truth-telling” (Broderick 2000, 37, Holloway
Ključne reči – Transrealizam; Književni pokret; Realizam;
2004, Borchardt 2007, Aspley 2010, Chettle 2013) is widely
Fantazija; Antilopa i kosac explored in the works of innovative writers such as Philip K.
Dick, J. G. Ballard, Joanna Russ, Thomas Pynchon, John
Abstract – The literature of modern era has witnessed Barth, Martin Amis and Margaret Atwood. According to
numerous cross-genre fiction experiments including the blending Broderick, the works of these contemporary authors are
of elements of historical and science fiction, the blending of high marked by “the grittiness, the circumstantial density and
tech and low life that crosses the elements of detective fiction and chaotic unpredictability of lived reality”, the things that are, on
dystopian visions, or the experiments in which science fiction has the other hand, absent from speculative fiction, science fiction,
been crossed with the elements of horror. The aim of this paper is
magical fantasy and even some magic realism (Broderick
to explore Transrealism as a new literary movement of the 21st
century that crosses realism, a traditional territory of literary 2000, 38). The works of these authors deal with twists
fiction, with a narrative thread that heads toward science fiction, between fantasy and realism in many ways. Transrealist
fantasy, or horror, and trace the principle elements of what is discourse in these works interrogates complexities of
termed Transrealism in Oryx and Crake (2003), the novel written transforming identity in a wider context of social exclusion.
by a contemporary Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. The intersections of fantasy and realism in transrealist
discourse align what Broderick terms ‘disruptive invented
Keywords – Transrealism; Literary movement; Realism; settings’ with dissonant emotions including fragmentation,
Fantasy; Oryx and Crake isolation, fear, and despair. Similar themes are explored in
Christine E. Chettle's doctoral dissertation that deals with the
texts written by the 19th century authors analysed through the
I. INTRODUCTION lenses of transrealist discourse (Chettle 2013). 2
The term transrealism was coined by a writer and
mathematician Rudy Rucker in 1983 in his essay “A Transrealism is another literary endeavour of facing
Transrealist Manifesto” published in the Bulletin of the perceptions, another form of literature that sets its face against
Science Fiction Writers of America 1 (Rucker 1991). It is used “consensus reality” (Rucker 1991, Sterling 2011, Steble
to describe a writing practice of blending science fiction tropes 2015). Although the characters of a transrealist novel may
with realism. Rucker defines it as “writ[ing] about immediate resemble fictional in appearance, they are based on actual
perception in a fantastic way”, using “the tools of fantasy and people: they are out of control, their actions are unpredictable
SF […] to thicken and intensify realistic fiction” (Rucker and they are rooted in reality. The author usually appears as an
1991, 435). According to Rucker, “transrealism tries to treat actual character or his/her personality is divided among
not only immediate reality, but also the higher reality in which several characters. He/she narrates the world as he/she faces it
life is embedded” (Rucker 1991, 435). In 2000, Broderick with the help of science fiction tools such as time travel,
extended this concept arguing that transrealism “denotes sf
2
For more detailed analysis see Chettle, Christine Elisabeth, (2013):
1
It was reprinted in Rucker’s anthologies Transreal! (WCS Books, 1991) and Transrealism as a discourse of social change in Victorian literature,
Seek! (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1999). unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Leeds: England.

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antigravity, high technology, alternate worlds, telepathy, etc. As the first novel of a trilogy (the other two being The
In his essay “Transrealist Manifesto” Rucker explains the Year of the Flood /2009/ and MaddAddam /2013/), Oryx and
meaning of the term transrealism: the “trans” aspect involves Crake was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in
time travel as a symbol of memory, escapism as a symbol of 2003, and for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2004.
enlightenment, alternate worlds as symbols of numerous Like the post-nuclear totalitarian vision of The
world-views and telepathy as the ability to communicate fully, Handmaid’s Tale (Nikolić 2014, 2015), the story of Oryx and
while the “realism” aspect refers to the world the way it Crake is set in a society that is “only a few steps ahead of our
actually is (Rucker 1991). A transrealist novel is also own” since “the bioengineered apocalypse [the author]
characterized by numeorus unexpected happenings hooked imagines is impeccably researched and sickeningly possible”
into a coherent narrative. (Brown 2003). The novel gives us genetic modification,
pigoons, wolvogs, rakunks and Crakers and a mad scientist in
One has to transgress the conventions of the a modern version of Dr Frankenstein due to his ethical
mainstream/realist fiction in order to transcend it. The transgression. The story is told from the perspective of the
precursor of this trend is a postmodern writer Philip K. Dick main protagonist Snowman, whose original name is Jimmy,
and his novel Valis published in 1978 (Rucker 1991, and who also assumes the animal code name “Thickney” for
Broderick 2000, Steble 2015). Division between subjective the purpose of playing the online-game Extinctathon. Jimmy’s
and objective world of the novel’s main character is childhood friend is Glenn, whose player-name in the game is
successfully presented in science fiction, while his split from “the Red-necked Crake” (Atwood 2003, 81) and whose
personality (Dick/Horselover Fat) and his sly metaphysical main goal as being a brilliant geneticist is to replace homo
sapiens, destructive species, with their more peaceful and
remarks that permeate the plot are the typical elements of
environmentally friendly version, but eventually turns into a
transrealist fiction. mad scientist whose invention of a wonder drug BlyssPluss
causes mass chaos and initiates the process of wiping out the
One of the questions that have been raised in this paper is human race. Oryx, whose name originates from an African
whether transrealism as a blend of components which are both antelope, is a mysterious girl whom Jimmy and Crake
a part of SF and naturalistic reality, can really call for social recognize from a child pornography site. Crake hires her for
change and act as a remedy for collective justice in modern sexual services and as a teacher to the superhuman Crakers.
world. Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake, for instance,
particularly highlights the emotive aspect of transrealism Through depicting the world inhabited with bioengineered
which Broderick summarizes as ‘sf with heart’: by creatures endowed with human DNA that start to outnumber
human beings, Atwood questions and blurs the fine line
emphasizing the sentimental in her blend of fantasy and
between humanity and monstrosity. Namely, since the Crakers
realism, Atwood provides potential for reflection on the social
as bioengineered creatures prove to be more adaptive to the
reform and emotional perception. Atwood's novel will be post-apocalyptic Wasteland, they eventually turn Snowman
examined through the lenses of transrealist elements detected into an outcast resembling the Frankenstein’s monster.
in ultramodern age of enlightenment where people are slaves Snowman survives the calamity, but he is constantly
of technology and those of ethical transgressions in the age of threatened by viruses and the transgenic beings (pigoons with
transgenics. “human neocortex tissue growing in their crafty, wicked
heads” (Atwood 2003, 235) and perfectly formed Crakers
from whose brain all human negative impulses are erased) that
II. ORYX AND CRAKE AS A TRANSREALIST reproduce themselves and run wild. As he believes he is the
DISCOURSE only survivor for the most of the novel, Snowman cannot help
but wonder what it means to be human in the age of
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale transgenics. 3 Although in the end of the novel he hears human
originally published in 1985 is considered as her first literary voices on the radio and even witnesses three other survivors,
take on what is assumed to be a new literary trend of the 21st he expresses both fear and hope for human company. The split
century. Be that as it may, this novel definitely heralded and between “numbers people” (Crakers) and “word people”
foreshadowed her later preoccupations in writing that have (Snowman) before the plague turns out to be the split between
been characterized as a perfect blend of fantastic and real. the bioengineered and non-bioengineered beings afterwards.
Oryx and Crake, the novel that appeared almost two decades Namely, the superhuman Crakers eventually take the priority
after The Handmaid’s Tale, is regarded by the author herself as the favoured human subjects, while Snowman, though more
as a work of speculative fiction rather than science fiction “human” in a traditional (organic) sense, now becomes the
because it does not deal with things that cannot happen or, as “other” and thus disempowered and somewhat dehumanized
it is the case with The Handmaid’s Tale - the things that (Ku 2006, 111-112). Their partial resemblance to human
human beings had not already done in some other place or beings challenges the human form. Since they combine the
time, or for which the technology did not exist. Namely, best genes of all earthlings, they are “hypothetical
Atwood has often claimed to write speculative fiction rather wonderkid[s]” (Atwood 2003, 250) whose reproduction
than sci-fi (Atwood 2004, 516, Maed 2017, 40-41, Brooks
Bouson 2010, 142), since real sci-fi must include Martians and 3
Coral Ann Howells also explores the ethical dimension of the novel by
space invasions (Atwood 2011, 6). arguing against the opposition between science and art, animal and human
(Howells 2004, 93).

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process is far more radical procedure than cloning. Moreover, seems to put the blame on the application of transgenics: “It’s
Crake designed them as being immune to racism, hierarchy, not a question of our inventions [...] but of what might be done
territoriality, the torment of sexuality, and “any harmful with them; for no matter how high the tech, homo sapiens
symbolisms, such as kingdoms, icons, gods, or money” sapiens [“very wise man“] remains at heart what he’s been for
(Atwood 2003, 305). Snowman likens himself to an outcast, tens of thousands of years – the same emotions, the same
an intruder, an animal, and even a monster in contrast to the preoccupations” (Atwood 2003, 383).
Crakers and he eventually starts whistling “like a leper’s bell”
to notify Crakers of his arrival (Atwood 2003, 152). At one Oryx and Crake also warns against the death of the
point he admits that even pigoons as being fast evolving language since it “had lost its solidity; it had become thin,
hybrids of pig and human, would have ruled the world if contingent, slippery, a viscid film on which [Snowman] was
they’d had fingers (Atwood 2003, 267). Whereas those sliding around like an eyeball on a plate” (Atwood 2003, 260).
transgenic beings are incessantly evolving or are already Snowman’s attempt to keep a journal fails since there are no
perfect, Snowman is fading, aging, and eventually turning into future readers [Crakers cannot read], that is, “any reader he
an animal or even a monster. Moreover, he does not acquire can possibly imagine is in the past” (Atwood 2003, 41).
the animal’s strength or any other advantage (e.g. bird’s Although he at first ponders the fact that he can still retell his
wings) but shares with animals the inferior status formerly misfortunes to the three survivors he sees at the end of the
imposed on them by human beings (Ku 2006, 118). novel, he soon gives up fearing that they might harm him:
“There are three of them and only one of him. They’d do what
Through the example of Crake the mad scientist we will he’d do in their place: they’d go away, but they’d lurk, they’d
explore another transrealist element in Atwood’s novel. spy. They’d sneak up on him in the dark, conk him on the
Namely, set in an ultramodern age of enlightenment, Oryx and head with a rock. He’d never know when they might come”
Crake faithfully depicts people as slaves of technology in a (Atwood 2003, 374). His wish to be a storyteller and leave his
technocratic age. Since technocracy goes hand in hand with trace of existence in the newly established world order is
capitalism, a brilliant scientist Crake is also a product of a undermined by his desire for dominance and control, his belief
capitalist machinery. Namely, the technocratic system in hierarchy and his distrust of strangers. Eventually, he ends
privileges “numbers people“, thus allowing Crake to abuse up leaving only the footprints in the snow. Namely, in the age
his power that will ultimately lead to demise of the human marked by complicity of biotechnology and capitalism, people
race. His scientific idealism, obsessional interests and the like Snowman become demonized and their monstrosity
Whizz Kid aspects of his genius are, however, perverted by reflects the price humans must pay for their anthropocentrism.
the forces of capitalism present in every core of modern
technocratic-scientific system. As a transgenic scientist, Crake
belongs to the new generation of butchers operating on III. TOWARDS THE CONCLUSION
humans and animals, playing with lives and sacrificing any
life for scientific breakthroughs. During the experimental
stage of Crake’s sexual tonic BlyssPluss, “a couple of the test Unlike the escapist fantasies that take the readers further
subjects had literally fucked themselves to death, several had from reality or sci-fi stories that reassure us that the reality we
assaulted old ladies and household pets, and there had been a rely upon is fixed, transrealism is meant to be
few unfortunate cases of priapism and split dicks“ (Atwood “uncomfortable” since it tells us that “our reality is at best
2003, 295). Crake does not show any emotional engagement constructed, at worst non-existent” and gives us “no escape
when faced with such casualties but concludes that his from that realisation” (Walter 2014). Atwood’s novel uses
medicine “still need[s] some tweaking“ (Atwood 2003, 295). transrealist techniques to challenge the “consensus reality”,
the term Rucker employs when discussing transrealism.
Experiments on species and scientific endeavours are Namely, it is the “consensus reality” that defines who is
financed by such corporations as OrganInc Farms, normal and who is not from various perspectives and tackles
HelthWyzer and RejoovenEsense. The newly coined words the issues of anthropocentrism, man’s desire for dominance
related to science and technology in this novel resemble the and control, sexuality, racism, capitalism, modern
use of specific religious-related rethoric in The Handmaid’s consumerism, man’s absence of empathy upon facing the
Tale (Nikolić 2015), thus underlying the interplay of science, scenes of mass destruction (i.e. Snowman’s surprising
religion and technology and their tremenduous influence on acknowledgement of lacking empathy when he witnesses the
futuristic society. Crake reveals to Jimmy the secret of the scenes of demise of the human race), political oppression, etc.
vitamin pills of the pharmaceutical company HelthWyzer
(hostile bioforms are put in their drugs) and exposes the The theme of genetic engineering, human and animal
company’s main goal – that is, making more profit by asking cloning, and gene manipulation in the time when Aldous
scientists to create diseases and increase people’s chances for Huxley wrote his novel Brave New World (1932) has
infection (Atwood 2003, 211). The creation of the BlyssPluss definitely positioned dystopian novel in the genre of science
Pills, the bioengineered species and the plague JUVE denote fiction. Today, however, when biotechnology is so much
the fallibility of scientific inventions. When ingenuous Crake present as to produce dystopian scenarios in reality, this theme
starts producing JUVE, partly because of his egotism and has left the sci-fi genre and entered the field of post humanist
partly because of his constant clash with capitalism, he realism and transrealism. Atwood’s novel offers a model of a
becomes contaminated by greed and animosity and his dehumanized future that is, nevertheless, more based on the
brilliance has begun to take up a monstruous form. Atwood actual reality of post industrialist consumer society than
futuristic vision. It is a novel deeply rooted in problematic

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modernity that does not belong to the genre of sci-fi but a [3] C. E. Chettle, Transrealism as a discourse of social change in Victorian
specific stylistic area of transrealism. Instead of constructing literature, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Leeds: University of Leeds,
2013.
the escapist world, Atwood provides her readers with the
[4] C. Ku, “Of Monster and Man: Transgenics and Transgression in
signals that point to the terms of “here and now”. Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake”, Concentric: Literary and Cultural
Finally, one of the most important issues when addressing Studies 32.1, January 2006, pp. 107-133.
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Science, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.
questions related to what is real and unreal, that is, the
[6] D. Walter, “Transrealism: the first major literary movement of the 21st
presence or the absence of fantastic elements in this novel. century?”, The Guardian (24 October 2014). Retrieved 10 October
Namely, speculative fiction, to use Atwood’s classification of 2018.
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hypothetical versions of the future it offers or the events that Eugenides’s Middlesex, Morris: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
are not or cannot be confirmed in the reality. However, [8] H. Brown, “Does it hurt if I do this?” (11 May 2003), London:
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set in the future do not comply with the conventions of Novels, Statesboro: Georgia, 2004.
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literature”, AN, vol. 48, no. 1-2, pp. 67-86, Dec. 2015.
structures. Moreover, dystopian novels do not fit into a basic
convention of the fantastic narratives – the reader and [12] K. Aspley, Historical Dictionary of Surrealism, Lanham: Scarecrow
Press, 2010.
characters that express disbelief and mistrust in terms of the
[13] M. Atwood, “The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake in Context”, in
events narrated. Dystopian novels may fall under the umbrella PMLA 119.3, May 2004, pp. 513-517.
of transrealist discourse since they are read with the [14] M. Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart
acceptance of the world depicted as a sort of hyperbolised Ltd., 2002.
reality that holds strong relations with the actual world. [15] M. Atwood, Oryx and Crake, New York: Nan A. Talese, 2003.
Transrealism, if regarded as a new literary trend, seems to [16] M. Atwood, In Other Worlds: Science Fiction and the Human
bridge the gap between fantasy and reality in the most subtle Imagination, Great Britain: Virago Press, 2011.
and imaginative way. [17] M. Nikolić, “Spaces of Freedom in Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel
The Handmaid’s Tale”, in Book of Proceedings of the International
Scientific Symposium at University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of
Philosophy, Pale, Science and Freedom, Pale, 2015, pp. 939−951.
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