Episode 79: Science Fiction and the Other: What's Up With That?
“The Other” Digital Art By Barbara Fisher 2022
““The spear in the Other’s heart is the spear in your own. There is no other wisdom and no other hope for us but that we grow wise.”
Folks liked the book nerdery episode last week, we decided to do one focusing on science fiction books and television shows and the Other this week.
The Other, as we talk about it in the Paranormal world is something that represents a consciousness outside of human consciousness. In science fiction that niche is often filled by aliens, of various sorts, that may or may not be what we would consider “supernatural” in some way—telepathic, non-corporeal, able to manipulate matter at will, psychokinetic, corporeal, yet able to phase through matter (walk through walls)—you know, stuff like our typical non-human specters and spooks can do.
But, in some science fiction, the Other is represented by other human beings who are different in one way or another.
This is a discussion on the theme of what is The Other, and about Othering ourselves and each other—and the idea that maybe—maybe we should understand that there is truly no such thing as The Other—there is only us.
The concept of monism is introduced and discussed as a philosophical concept and how that is articulated in science fiction and how it may relate to what the Other is in our understanding in the paranormal world.
Books and Television Shows Featured in This Episode:
Star Trek the Original Series, Next Generation, Enterprise, (Gene Roddenberry) The JJ Abrams film and Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek Novels:
The IDIC Epidemic by Jean Lorrah
The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah
My Enemy My Ally by Diane Duane
Spock’s World by Diane Duane
The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane
Babylon 5 by J. Michael Straczyinski
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
(These are all the books in my preferred reading order which is mostly chronological.)
Shards of Honor
Barrayar (Those two are available together as one volume titled Cordelia’s Honor.)
The Warrior’s Apprentice
The Vor Game
Cetaganda
Brothers in Arms
Borders of Infinity
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Falling Free
Ethan of Athos
Winterfair Gifts
Diplomatic Immunity
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance
The Flowers of Vashnoi
Cryoburn
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen
