This week, I read the short story "I Live with You" and in class, "Bloodchild". Both were slightly disturbing in subject matter, and gave me a little creeping feeling on my skin as I read through. However, fueled by either morbid curiosity or an obligation to read a story for the week, I continued. They were both very enjoyable, and I can appreciate the science fiction aspect of the two stories. Bloodchild depicted a society with a very clear cut social hierarchy, with an entire species essentially ruling over another. It reflected a culture where the subjugated species- the Terrans- lived on reserved spaces for them by the Tlic. They are also bred, in a way, to satisfy the demands of the Tlic. Not only does this tell the story of an entire race of people being used for the needs of a majority, it allows us to reflect on our own culture. Sure, things may not be as literal as, say, aliens exploiting humans to use as grub-incubating sacks of flesh, but the exploitation of a certain group of people in order to maintain the quality of life for another, more affluent, class of people hits pretty close to home. Behind these bizarre science fiction stories, we can extract social commentary and relate them to modern issues that still plague us today.
The in-class movie for this week, Attack the Block, also focused on a marginalized group, but this time, they were fighting back against the aliens that are invading. After only seeing forty minutes of it in class, I knew I had to finish it later in the day, and I definitely do not regret it. Aliens work surprisingly well as metaphors, and the science fiction aspect of the film only draws in more interest.
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