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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SPECULATIVE FICTION FEATURES
IN SOME SHORT STORIES OF RAY BRADBURY AND HOJIAKBAR
SHAYKHOV
Masuma Obidjonova
Senior lecturer at Tashkent State
University of Uzbek Language and Literature, PhD
Abstract
This piece comparatively analyzes speculative fiction features in some short
stories of an American author Ray Bradbury and an Uzbek writer Hojiakbar
Shaykhov. It touches upon common aspects of their works, identifying humanism
as a major theme of their respective short stories. The article also points out some
original features of their works. Based on the analysis the author puts forward some
conclusions for consideration.
Key words
Speculative fiction, Short story, theory, Principle of reality, Fantastic,
Literary studies, Comparative literary analysis
In this article we intend to look into genre features of speculative fiction in
Ray Bradbury’
s
and Hojiakbar Shaykhov’s
short stories.
Tzvetan Todorov, who is credited as a creator of the theoretical genre of the
fantastic, points out:
“I
n a world which is indeed our world, the one we know, a
world without devils, sylphides, or vampires, there occurs an event which cannot
be explained by the laws of this same familiar world. The person who experiences
the event must opt for one of two possible solutions: either he is the victim of an
illusion of the senses, of a product of the imagination
–
and the laws of the world
then remain what they are; or else the event has indeed taken place, it is an integral
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part of reality
–
but then this reality is controlled by laws unknown to us. The
fantastic occupies the duration of this uncertainty. Once we choose one answer or
the other, we leave the fantastic for a neighboring genre, the uncanny or the
marvelous….
The fantastic . . . implies an integration of the reader into the world
of the characters; that world is defined by the reader’s own ambiguous perception
of the events narrated. It must be noted that we have in mind no actual reader, but
the role of the reade
r implicit in the text (just as the narrator’s func
tion is implicit
in the text) [1].
A Turkish researcher
Şeyma Karaca
points out that “
Bradbury uses
conventions of fantasy and science fiction in his stories.
”
[2] She tries to
“define
fantasy and science fiction in the context of the reality principle because the
relationship between these two genres and the real and unreal determines their
position in literature
”
. [3] An Uzbek researcher Rano Ibrohimova in some way
echoes that definition, stating “fantasy as
a
genre takes its roots from fairy tales”.
[4]
She references to Hojiakbar Shaykhov’s work “
Telba dunyo
” (Crazy world)
citing that
“Uzbek science fiction arose from fairy tales.”
As Ray Bradbury himself
stated, “
all science fiction is an attempt to solve problems by pretending to look
the other way
”.
[5]
Agreeing that principle of reality serves as a borderline for both fantasy and
science fiction, we believe it is worth differentiating these two genres. Science
fiction and fantasy both fall under speculative fiction genre where many elements,
characters, and settings are created out of imagination and speculation rather than
reality and everyday life. However, there is a distinct difference between science
fiction and fantasy. Science fiction is based on science and technology and
therefore, depicts scenarios that could be true one day. Science fiction can be
basically categorized into hard science fiction and soft science fiction. Hard science
fiction often involves accurate details, especially physics, astrophysics, and
chemistry, and accurately portrays and predicts advanced technology that is yet to
be invented. Soft science fiction is based on social sciences such as psychology,
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political science, sociology, economics, and anthropology and are not as scientific
as the hard genre.[6] Fantasy, on the other hand, involves many supernatural
elements and takes place in a world that does not and cannot ever exist. Therefore,
the main difference between science fiction and fantasy is that science fiction has
its base in science and consists of possibilities whereas fantasy has no base on
reality and consists of impossibilities.
Looking for answers to our questions within our comparative analysis we
intend to look at personalities, and some works of the two authors. Because, as Ray
Bradbury pointed out, “
I have always tried to write my own story. Give it a label
if you wish, call it science fiction or fantasy or the mystery or the western. But, at
heart, all good stories are the one kind of story, the story written by an individual
man from his individual truth
”
. [7]
Ray Douglas Bradbury was a US writer of fantasy, horror, science fiction
and mystery. He is widely considered to be one of the 20th century’s greatest and
most popular writers of science fiction, however, Bradbury famously, and
consi
stently, resisted the title of “science fiction writer”
[8] claiming that his work
was based on the fantastical and unreal. Nevertheless, h
e is defined as “one of
the
masters of science fiction and fantasy”.
[9] His fascination with magic and future
technology in his early childhood helped him to shape his fantastic and science
fictional stories. Aside from his most well-known work, 1953's Fahrenheit 451, the
prolific author and screenwriter claimed to have penned mostly fantasies
—
stories
filled with impossible events. His works have been translated into more than 40
languages and have sold tens of millions of copies in different countries. His
popularity continues in the 21st century. During his long writing career, Bradbury
wrote almost 600 short stories, eleven novels, as well as various poems and plays.
[10]
Ray Bradbury’s principal literary form has been the short story, and he has
published several important collections, including Dark Carnival (1947), The
Illustrated Man (1951), The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953), and I Sing the Body
Electric! (1969). Two important extensive collections of his short stories are The
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Stories of Ray Bradbury (1980) and Bradbury Stories: One Hundred of His Most
Celebrated Tales (2003).
Hojiakbar Shaykhov (1945-2002) was one of the founders of Uzbek science
fiction. Hojiakbar Shaykhov is the author of more than 30 science fiction stories,
short stories and novels. "Renee's Riddle" (1977), "Glorious Steps" (1977),
"Operation Seventh" (1979), "Strange Shadow" (1980), "Diamond Shine" (1983),
"The Destruction of the Last Dragon" (1985), " Living Dreams ”(1985),“ Memory
of Ancestors ”(1986),“ Burning River ”(1986),“ School Stage ”(1988),“
Magic
Girl”(1989),“ Crazy World ”(1990),“ Connected Worlds»(1996),«The Witch's
Husband
»(1999),« Two Worlds of Troubles »(2001), etc. there are fantastic stories
and novels. In his works, the struggle between good and evil, right and wrong,
tolerance and selfishness is reflected in a unique way in science fiction forms. No
matter how supernatural the series of events is, no matter how strange the heroes
are, no matter what happens not only on Earth, but in the whole universe, on the
neighboring planets, they are ultimately connected in some way to the lives and
concerns of people today. His works, such as "Strange Shadow", "Rene's Puzzle",
"Diamond Gloss", became popular among readers and were translated into several
languages. Hojiakbar Shaykhov is recognized in Uzbek literature as the founder of
the science fiction genre. This is evidenced by the fact that the encyclopedia of the
world's most advanced science fiction writers, published in the United States,
includes the name of Hojiakbar Shaykhov as a representative of Uzbek literature.
[11]
Analyzing short stories of the both authors, we believe that main
characteristic feature that unites them is their humanism.
There is a consensus that, as Erik Sofge puts it, Ray Bradbury was science
fiction's first great humanist.[12] Some have criticized his science-fiction stories
for their scientific and technological inaccuracies, a criticism that Bradbury did
accept, stating that was a
“people”
writer. [13] His dominating concerns are social,
cultural, and intellectual issues, not scientific accuracies. Bradbury is also known
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for his distrust for technological advancement.
"What if one day our race for development gets out of control?" The author
raises this question in his short story "The Smile". The narrator describes to the
reader a story that takes place in 2061. He paints ruined, broken, charred
cityscapes; creates vivid portraits of the poor, accurately conveys their remarks and
reasoning - and behind such a calm intonation of the narrative, a desperate cry
breaks out. "Think about it!" - the writer inspires, - "What will this run lead to?"
The reader sees people who have lost themselves in the race for civilization. “Who
needs it? .. It's all in vain anyway,” says one of the main chara
cters - Grigsby. Tom,
who saves Gioconda
’s smile in his
fist, and smiles back at her, gives us hope that
brainy people, whose soul lies to the beautiful will eventually prevail.
Several critics have accused him of sentimentality and simplicity because of
his critical acceptance of technical progress, his emphasis mainly on human values,
his opposition to modern materialism against the human spirit, and his belief in the
basic virtues of small village life against the weak indifference of big cities.
Bradbury responded by saying, "Critics write with their heads, and I write from the
heart." His most chilling stories comment on the human consequences of progress.
“
Science ran t
oo far ahead of us too quickly,” he once said, “
and the people got
lost
in a mechanical wilderness.”
Bradbury believed that one purpose of science
fiction “
is to warn about negative things that might happen in the future if care is
not taken in the present”
.
Bradbury's idea is vividly portrayed in
“
The
Pedestrian”
. [14] Mankind has
taken great strides toward progress with inventions such as television. However,
when children refuse to read and play outdoors to turn on the TV, the question may
arise as to whether this is progress or decline.
In “The Pedestrian”
, Ray Bradbury
chose to make a statement about the impact of these changes. Through the images
of the protagonists of the story, it shows that if society rises to the point where it
loses its humanity, then humanity can also perish.
Mr Leonard Mead, who loved walking in silence, in ten years of walking by
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night or day, for thousands of miles, had never met another person walking, not
one in all that time. We could say he is the last man, who has become a stranger
for a society in 2053. His interaction with the police car demonstrates that very
clearly, as the police car seems surprised by his answers to its questions:
‘Your name?’ said the police car in a metallic whisper. He couldn’t see the
men in it because of the bright light in his eyes.
‘Leonard Mead,’ he said.
…‘Business or profession?’
‘I think you’d call me a writer.’
‘No profession,’ said
the police car, as if talking to itself
….
‘What are you doing out?’
‘Walking,’ said
Leonard Mead.
‘Walking!’
‘Just walking,’ he said simply, but his face felt cold.
‘Walking, just walking, walking?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Walking where? For what?’
The progress portrayed by the police car with a metallic voice takes Mr Mead
to the psychiatric centre in the end of the short story. Bradbury reminds us that
progress without a soul may eventually destroy us as human beings. The impact of
development on humanity as a result of the loss of humanity’s spirit is evident
in
the conversation between Mr Mead and the police car. The car does not understand
the need for humanity. It
doesn’t understand Mr. Mid’s desire to return to nature
-
“just walking to see” is
incomprehensible to him.
It can’t understand why Mr Mead
isn’t inclined to sit in front of a “watch screen” or “breathe air conditioning air”.
Development does not feel the need for humanity. It simply locks him in the back
seat and takes away from his house. Bradbury thus warns that humanity can only
end sadly if becomes a captive of technical progress.
The same could be said about Hojiakbar Shaykhov’s works. As prominent
Uzbek literary critic Ozod Sharafiddinov stated, Shaykhov's works contain all the
necessary features of
“
fantastika
”
, meaning that their events take place not only on
Earth, but throughout the Univers
e, in neighboring galaxies. Shaykhov’s
protagonists are various robots, aliens, human-like or non-human-like creatures.
However, no matter how supernatural the series of events may be, no matter how
strange the heroes may be, they will ultimately be linked in some way to the lives
of the people on Earth. The writer thinks of weaving interesting, fascinating
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adventures from each other, not to occupy the reader's imagination, but to raise
man's eternal problems, to appeal to the human conscience, to awaken him from
his slumber, and to make him more perfect. Therefore, at the heart of Shaykhov's
works are the issues of meaning, belief, honesty and purity of human life. The
writer depicts the struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, tolerance and
selfishness in science fiction forms. [15]
We can find tones regarding technological progress and humane values
paradigm
in Hojiakbar Shaykov’s short story “
Sirli Nur
” (
Mysterious Light
). [16]
The author warns that even most advanced technologies can lead humanity to
destruction, if people do not use them in a proper way. A planet “Ziyo” discovered
by astronauts has achieved significant technological progress, and people there
were able to live up to thousand years. A protagonist of the short story Davron
Sharipov lands on the planet, but finds no-one, as all inhabitants of the planet had
perished due to their selfishness. The Medical Academy of the planet discovers
“anti
-
genes” to vaccinate the population, which would allow them to live a
thousand years. However, that invention did not satisfy all, as sociologists of the
planet warn that without natural deaths demographic growth would mean that the
planet would not be able to feed all. Hojiakbar Shaykhov points out that, social
thought and technological progress should develop in a harmonious way. “D
ue to
some peculiarities of the developing social societies on the planet, sciences such as
biology, medicine, and genetics developed rapidly and were far ahead of their
time
”
. The Council of the planet decides to temporarily sterile the population, to
allow scientists to find ways for the solution of the problem. A few years later, the
high spirits and joys were replaced by other emotions. It was as if something had
happened to the human psyche. People became cautious, slow, and vigilant.
Everyone has developed a habit of carefully monitoring their health, which can
cause panic if they get a little sick. The number of cases of mutual neglect has
increased. Suddenly it became a habit to get nervous for something trivial, to be
stupidly upset. The number of people willing to participate in scientific
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experiments has sharply decreased, and university audiences have become empty.
No one wanted to risk their lives. Astronauts, sailors, pilots, and underwater divers
gave up their jobs en masse and began to engage in peaceful activities near their
homes. Mankind, which was once a whole, has been divided into separate
individuals who are confined to a narrow and limited world. When there was such
a wonderful opportunity to live a thousand years, no one would want to die of an
illness or an accident. But the worst was yet to come. The effect of the temporary
sterilization had already expired, but for some reason the birth still did not recur.
Previously, it was suggested that sterilization would likely affect more than the
estimated time. But as the years passed, the decades were replaced by new decades,
and centuries passed
—
people began to forget even what a baby's cry sounded
like. Thus, it was recalled that the sterilization experiments were carried out in a
hurry, and that the interaction of the sterilizer with the anti-genes was not
investigated at all. Apparently, the same - the interaction of the anti-genes and the
sterilizer - gave rise to a new feature of the organism - infertility. This eventually
leads to the extinction of people on the planet. Hojiakbar Shaykhov makes a
conclusion that even the most advanced technology cannot solve problems of
humankind, if people do not care enough for humane values.
Comparative
analysis of Ray Bradbury’s and Hojiakbar Shaykhov’s short
stories discloses original tendencies in their works. First of all, we should mention
the length of their compared short stories. Ray Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” is
based on minimalism, but manages to give us clear understanding of the plot and
what is behind it
–
that is technological progress embodies in one police car.
Bradbury’s strength
is that he can describe
Mr Mead’s
loneliness, desertedness,
strangeness in one sentence. Answering
the police car’s question about marriage
,
he replies “Nodiv wanted me”.
Whereas, it takes pages for Hojiakbar Shaykhov
to describe what caused decline of the planet “Ziyo”. Shaykhov has to go into
details, creating new words (“anti
-
genes”), to explain us his intention from the
story. He even adds the text of a last will of the people of the planet, which seems
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unnecessary, as its message could probably be incorporated into information that
Davron Sharipov gets from the planet’s Cyber Centre.
However, despite these obvious dissimilarities, which probably speak about
the level of poetics and talent of the both writers, their common feature in using
speculative fiction in their short stories is a call for humanity to stay humane. That
message is definitely common for both of them.
References:
1.
Todorov, T. (1975).
The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary
Genre
. (p.25, 31). Ithaca: Cornell University press.
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