Abstract
Engineering science fiction,as a significant subgenre of science fiction,is distinguished by its strong endorsement of scientific technology,its vivid depictions of grand engineering projects,its heroic portrayal of technical professionals,and its rigorous elaboration of technological details.However,while celebrating engineering prowess and technical rationality,the underlying ideological assumptions embedded within this genre—particularly regarding gender roles and ecological ethics—have long remained on the margins of academic inquiry.In response to this gap,this paper employs ecofeminism,a contemporary critical and constructive theoretical framework,to conduct a systematic textual deconstruction and conceptual analysis of The Creator of Stars,a representative hard science fiction work by Japanese author Kōshū Tani.The study aims to uncover the pervasive patriarchal logic—centered on conquest,control,and exploitation—that underpins engineering science fiction narratives,and to critically reflect on their structural deficiencies in ecological sensibility and gender awareness.
The research begins by tracing the historical entanglement between science fiction and feminist thought,from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to the canonical works of female authors like Ursula K.Le Guin,thereby illustrating how gender perspectives have profoundly intervened in and reshaped the imaginative boundaries of science fiction.Building upon this foundation,the paper elaborates on the core tenets of ecofeminism:it posits that the oppression of women and the domination of nature are co-constituted social and cultural phenomena;it critiques the Western tradition of instrumental rationality that sustains such dualistic oppositions(e.g.,male/female,reason/emotion,human/nature);and it advocates for a new ethical paradigm grounded in care,reciprocity,and relational thinking.This theoretical lens provides a sharp analytical tool for examining The Creator of Stars.
Through close reading of the novel,this study arrives at three interrelated core findings.First,at the level of technological conception,the narrative exhibits a profound tendency toward instrumental rationality.The male engineer characters consistently regard robots and other automated technologies merely as"vehicles"for enhancing efficiency,with their value defined exclusively by functionality and controllability.This one-dimensional view of technology overlooks its social embeddedness and ethical implications,and in the narrative,it continually reinforces a"masculinized"engineering culture associated with coolness,logic,and dominance,thereby consolidating an exclusionary knowledge-power structure.Second,concerning the human relationship with nature/the cosmos,the work constructs a thoroughly anthropocentric vision.From lunar tunnels to Mercury mining colonies,celestial bodies across the solar system are objectified as"resource reservoirs"awaiting human exploration,extraction,and transformation.Although natural forces repeatedly"strike back"against human engineering through disasters,the engineers'responses invariably rely on deploying even more powerful technological means of suppression,rather than embracing an ecological ethic that respects nature's intrinsic value and seeks harmonious coexistence.This clearly reveals the work's fundamental blind spot in ecological thinking.Third,in terms of gender representation,the novel displays severe structural imbalance.Among the ten core technical personnel featured in the story,the sole female character,Saori Kajiyama,appears only as a peripheral figure,her professional identity obscured by her gender label;her words and actions are evaluated within the stereotypical binary framework of either"feminine delicacy"or"deliberate coarseness".This systemic absence and marginalization of women not only mirrors real-world gender inequalities in engineering fields but also constitutes a deprivation of female subjectivity in future technological imaginaries.
In conclusion,the ecological insensitivity and gender blindness evident in The Creator of Stars are neither isolated nor accidental;they are inevitable manifestations of the same patriarchal logic operating across different dimensions.This dual marginalization—simultaneously negating the affective and intrinsic worth of nature and erasing the voices and contributions of women—collectively constructs a highly androcentric vision of the future.The significance of this study lies not only in offering a novel and potent analytical perspective for engineering science fiction and science fiction criticism more broadly,but more importantly,in issuing a profound warning to creators and readers alike:While engineering science fiction inspires public enthusiasm for technological innovation,it risks reproducing exploitative views of nature and reinforcing entrenched gender stereotypes if it lacks conscious reflection on its implicit ideologies.Therefore,future science fiction writing must move beyond the singular mode of technological eulogy and consciously integrate the care ethics and gender equality principles advocated by ecofeminism,so as to envision a future that is both intellectually impressive in its engineering ingenuity and ethically responsible in its respect for the plurality of life.Only then can science fiction truly fulfill its social and cultural mission as a"thought experiment laboratory".关键词
工程科幻/生态女性主义/《星之创造者》/工具理性/父权制/性别表征Key words
engineering science fiction/ecological feminism/The Creator of Stars/instrumental rationality/patriarchy/gender representation分类
社会科学
