During the infancy of western science fiction from 1800s to 1900s, the underlying theme were perils of discovering the unknown / horrific.
This could be seen in works like Shelley’s magnum opus, Frankenstein or Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. As scientist Carl Sagan explains this phase, many years later in 1978: “Many scientists deeply involved in the exploration of the solar system (myself among them) were first turned in that direction by science fiction. And the fact that some of that science fiction was not of the highest quality is irrelevant. Ten-year-olds do not read the scientific literature.”
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Cut to the latter half of 1940s, it was science fiction which warned us against the creeping perils of authoritarianism. It also discussed what would happen if we suppress ideas. With novels like Orwell’s 1984 and Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, science fiction established itself at the forefront of socio-political prophecy. With successive novels from the likes of Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke, it further galvanised its stronghold in such literary forecasting.
In India, science-fiction had a different trajectory to follow. The category was mostly restricted to certain pockets viz West Bengal, Tamil Nadu etc. It did make its presence feel in other parts too, albeit sporadically. The choices of Indian readership vary largely. As readers, we normally do not prefer genres which are low on relatable content. This can be judged by the fact that non-fiction is generally sold a lot more than fiction. The genres which do tend to make a mark amongst fiction are the ones which people can relate to. Mythology, romance or even a fictional story of a random person who escaped poverty. People wouldn’t relate to light-year-supersonic technobabble!
Finding a science-fiction author in India, is much like finding a needle in the haystack.
“It’s a challenge I have considered to undertake. So far, the ship sails smooth,“ says ShreyanLaha, one of the emerging authors in this genre, as he adds some of his thoughts, “while the sci-fi category does have its due standing for accurate forecasts such as submarines, authoritarian dictators and so on, it gets a bit too optimistic when it comes down to exo-biology. Besides, we live in a day and age where it’s not difficult to see aforementioned morality being preached by the most immoral. I believe science fiction authors, have taken note and hence, we get to the myriad ways in which sci-fi novels are globally envisaged.”
It is interesting to note that in the age of social media, science-fiction books related to social media are few in number. In his latest book Virtually Lost, Laha addresses one of the most well-known question surrounding us: What would unrestrained social media, coupled with surveillance techniques lead us to?
As we go on in our day to day lives, various applications gather more and more of our data – from our cursory behaviour to password and bank accounts. They do this, in order to provide you the best experience and in some cases, sell you the product or post that you may need. Normally, it is intended for certain positive outcomes: such as home delivery of goods, easy navigation, suggesting the user similar podcasts or shows etc. On the other hand, the cons cannot be avoided. Our privacy is lost. Sometimes, it so happens that the social media is able to think exactly what we are thinking and suggest that on our screen. We may be surprised. However, this is only because the algorithms know what do we wish for at what exact time of a week, thanks to what we choose to see or indulge in!
Virtually Lost is one such book which envisages the extrapolated effects of social media. It talks about the problems of Manisha, a professor in psychology, in the hill-station of Pathabhrashta. She realizes that Pathabhrashta is not a usual city. It is a place which is governed by social media rules. The citizens are nothing but 3D, real-life profiles and everyone in the city is under constant surveillance by the local body, which acts as an admin.
The first chapter of the book is titled Malice in Wonderland, since it sets a precedent for what is yet to happen. Manisha is provided with every opportunity: to explore the amusement-park like city, and a too-good-to-believe salary by just doing wall graffiti paints. Not only that, her salary credited every time she interacted with people and to top it all, hard drugs and rave partying were legal in this city!
The only problem? She wanted to go back. The government admins wouldn’t let her. In fact, the government sent people to her residence as she thought something contrary to the rules of the city. In another instance, Anwell (a character) takes Manisha to a market and behaves in a sudden, rude manner so that his “savagery” could earn him some money! This is meant to signify how people are incentivised to behave rudely.
Virtually Lost also shows how theories of real world fail in social media and vice versa. “Ceteris paribus, or the assumption of ‘other things remaining constant’ doesn’t work with people who tend to be forcibly creative and obsessively contrarian and that’s the case with social media,” says Laha.
The place of religion in today’s society is largely contested on social media; several degrees beyond which it exists in the real world. To comment on such an issue is like walking on eggshells and Laha has dealt with this topic in a unique manner, through the cult of Jupiterists. Through Virtually Lost, Laha doesn’t just provide a story of a psychology professor in a mad world but rather shows us a reflection of the double-edged sword in our hands: the social-media.
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