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UNIVERSITÉ LIBRE DE BRUXELLES FACULTÉ DE LETTRES, TRADUCTION ET COMMUNICATION Medievalism in Anglo–American Science Fiction Literature of the 1950s and 1960s Mémoire présenté sous la direction de Christophe DEN TANDT en vue de l’obtention du titre de Master en Langues et lettres modernes, orientatio...

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UNIVERSITÉ LIBRE DE BRUXELLES FACULTÉ DE LETTRES, TRADUCTION ET COMMUNICATION



Medievalism in Anglo–American Science Fiction Literature of the 1950s and 1960s

Thomas ROYBERGHS

Mémoire présenté sous la direction de Christophe DEN TANDT en vue de l’obtention du titre de Master en Langues et lettres modernes, orientation générale à finalité didactique

Année académique 2016–2017



Thomas Royberghs Faculté de Lettres, Traduction et Communication Département des langues et lettres : langues modernes Année académique 2016–2017

Medievalism in Anglo–American Science Fiction Literature of the 1950s and 1960s Résumé : Le présent mémoire a d’une part pour objectif de plaider pour l’inclusion dans la littérature de science–fiction, toutes époques et toutes origines confondues, de l’analyse du médiévalisme — c’est–à–dire l’utilisation de références au Moyen–Âge ou de certaines caractéristiques de cette période — à l’aide d’un cadre théorique soutenant cette thèse. D’autre part il étudie comment le médiévalisme est présent dans la littérature de science– fiction anglo–américaine des décennies 1950 et 1960, et comment celui–ci évolue. Deux ouvrages par décennie ont été analysés pour cette étude. Ainsi, la trilogie Foundation (1942– 1951) d’Isaac Asimov, The Wizard of Linn (1950) de Van Vogt, Dune (1965) de Herbert et Pavane (1968) de Roberts démontrent que médiévalisme et science–fiction sont parfaitement conciliables alors que dans la perception populaire, les concepts renvoient à des temporalités reculées d’une part et futuristes d’autre part, donc fort distantes les unes des autres. Il apparaît qu’au fil des deux décennies analysées, le médiévalisme dans la littérature de science–fiction devient de plus en plus présent et décomplexé. Les frontières de la science–fiction ne se limitent dès lors plus aux voyages futuristes et inter–galactiques, mais frôlent désormais celles d’autres genres tels que la fantasy.

Mots clés : Littérature, science–fiction, médiévalisme, années 1950, années 1960





Acknowledgements Average person: “So, what is your thesis about?” Me: “Science fiction.” A: “Yes, but more specifically?” Me: “Medievalism in Anglo–American science fiction literature of the 1950s and 1960s… Specific enough?” A: *stares blankly at me*

This is, with minor variations, a situation that happened more often than I can recall. And believe me, there is nothing wrong to it. First, because it made me laugh, second, because I myself had to dig in the obscure—but oh so interesting—scholarly work on medievalism on the one hand, and science fiction literature on the other hand before starting to write. And the research was worth it.

I would like to thank all the caring supporters of my thesis, family members and friends alike, who said I was crazy for writing a second thesis, but were also happy to see me work on it with much determination. Thank you for your kind encouragements.

Special thanks to Cyril for taking the time to proof read my thesis several times. It is no easy job, and I am very grateful for the help you provided. Lionel, thank you for your comments on an early draft.

Last but not least, thanks to the generous help of my promotor, Prof. Dr. Christophe Den Tandt, I managed to bring this thesis to a good end. His expertise on the topic and many comments on the drafts I sent have largely improved the content of the analyses. Thank you again.

To understand science fiction, therefore, one is forced to be a historian. Edward James, 1994





Contents PREFACE

V

GENERALITIES

8

DEFINITIONS

9

SCIENCE FICTION

9

MEDIEVALISM

15

HISTORICAL SURVEY

30

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE 1950S

36

THE FOUNDATION TRILOGY, ISAAC ASIMOV

36

THE WIZARD OF LINN, A. E. VAN VOGT

49

THE NEW WAVE OF THE 1960S

59

DUNE, FRANK HERBERT

59

PAVANE, KEITH ROBERTS

72

CONCLUSIONS

87

BIBLIOGRAPHY

91



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Preface When talking about science fiction, people generally tend to imagine flying space shuttles, creatures from other planets attacking humans (on Earth or in space), life on different planets or humans with superpowers. All this is true of course, but there is more to it than that. We will therefore debunk some of the preconceptions around science fiction and offer throughout the thesis a new perspective on a few major Anglo–American science fiction novels published in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The purpose is to show how medievalism can be present in science fiction literature, arguing that it is a complex construction, relying on literary codes and symbols, and that it deserves more academic (one might also say scientific) research. Science fiction became a widespread phenomenon in the first half of the twentieth century, relying on a strong fan base that welcomed new inputs from contemporary authors. Yet, science fiction is more than merely a short–lived phenomenon. Although it had already gained much attention since the late nineteenth century, science fiction, so it will be demonstrated, has not always been regarded as a literary genre worthy of attention by critics. Nowadays science fiction is embedded in many a story—in written or audio–visual format, so much that its boundaries have become vague. What is science fiction then? The definition we choose to use—with the necessary precaution and explanation—goes as follows: “SF is (…) a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition, and whose main formal device is an imaginative framework alternative to the author’s empirical environment” (Suvin, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction 7–8). For the reader to understand this, the first chapter (Generalities) will focus on what science fiction is. There, all aspects and implications from the chosen definition will be discussed at length. Focusing on the



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definition of science fiction is what will enable us to differentiate science fiction from fantasy, historical fiction, alternative history, horror and other kinds of fiction. Medievalism in science fiction is a relatively recent field of study in literature. Only a few dared to venture in that field of analysis, yet much remains to be done in this area. In short, the concept of medievalism consists of all elements referring, directly or indirectly, to the Middle Ages. The best and easiest way to illustrate this for non–experts in medieval history and science fiction is to take Star Wars as an example (1977 for the first movie; although this is a movie franchise and not a literary oeuvre, we hope our readers will understand this only serves to explain the basic principles). The light swords of the Jedi Knights (light side of the Force) and their duels are a first example of how chivalry and medieval combat are to be found in the movies. The fact that the Jedi call themselves knights and are part of the Jedi Order, is an explicit reference to the medieval orders such as the Templar knights, Teutonic knights or to similar orders. Furthermore, is the political and religious structure of the Star Wars universe similar to that of the Middle Ages. On a political level, the rise and fall of the Empire can be paralleled with the fall of the ancient Western Roman empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages, the succession of Sith Lords (dark side of the Force) with the different monarchies ruling over Europe throughout the Middle Ages. On a religious and symbolic level, light against dark is a typical medieval and Christian symbolic, yet also literal, battle that reflects the religious duality and the strife for a brighter (lighter) world (Haines 145–152; Henthorne). These are just but a few examples from one science fiction narrative that illustrate what medievalism is about. It is our objective to look for references to medieval times in Anglo–American science fiction literature from the early 1950s until the late 1960s. In doing so, it is necessary to define what is understood by science fiction and medievalism. Specific attention will be brought to the subtle differences or nuances between science fiction, speculative fiction and



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fantasy. The first chapter will thus focus on the terminology and the historical background of the science fiction genre. In the following chapter, “Case Study”, the two decades in which our selection of major science fiction works were written will be analyzed, each in its own decade. For each decade two works by two different authors are subject to analysis. For the 1950s, Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov (1942–1951) and The Wizard of Linn by Alfred Elton Van Vogt (1950) will be analyzed. For the 1960s, the focus lies on Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965) and Keith Roberts’s Pavane (1968). All novels are analyzed individually and compared to one another so it is possible to look for particular features and patterns in some of the novels and, depending on our observations, generalize them of observe changes over the three decades taken into consideration.



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Generalities Looking for the past in the present is a task usually reserved for historians, and for as long as there is history, there will be a past to link the present to. On the other hand, the study of science fiction literature can in this regard be seen as the study of the present through the future, or vice–versa, which is then—maybe wrongly—reserved for literary critics. This thesis will study the far away past (the Middle Ages) in the future of the recent past. To put it more simply, we will look through a few science fiction literary works, written between the beginning of the 1950s and the end of the 1960s, and determine how the Middle Ages are embedded in the narratives. Before starting our analysis, an introduction to the genre of science fiction and the concept of medievalism is due. In the following pages a discussion of what science fiction precisely is, bearing in mind that our aim is solely focused on literature, and what its relationship is to speculative fiction and fantasy, will follow. Secondly, we will set the framework of analysis for our case study by explaining what medievalism is, and how it can be analyzed in literature. Lastly this chapter will present a historical survey of science fiction literature, which will help better understand the possible evolutions in the genre in the period of our choice. The questions we focus on, aim to fully clarify the concept of medievalism in itself and, in the footsteps of very recent works, in connection with science fiction. The question thus appears whether medievalism can be applied to science fiction literature, if not any genre of literature. The purpose is not to offer an exhaustive reading grid of medievalism in literature, but only to find its most important features, to debate with existing scholarly works on the topic, and to make a step forward towards a broader study of medievalism in science fiction literature. To do so, it is obvious that our corpus has been selected for already having



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medievalist features. Subsequently, we do not propose an exhaustive list of works containing medieval elements or not. We must obviously determine what medieval characteristics are present in the selected works and how they are used or depicted. It will be demonstrated that not all works have the same characteristics, which means the reading grid needs to be as wide as possible, allowing many subtleties and individual appropriation. Once the medieval characteristics are selected, we need to ask ourselves whether the use of medievalism is intentional or not, and why. In case it was the author’s intention to use medieval elements in his/her novel, we will look at the medieval sources that inspired him/her. In any case must we analyze if the use of medievalism is historically correct and/or how it differs from medieval history.

Definitions Science fiction Many literary critics have tried to define what science fiction precisely is. In the preface we suggested that science fiction is “a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition, and whose main formal device is an imaginative framework alternative to the author’s empirical environment” (Suvin, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction 7–8). Yet it has been argued that trying to find a definition is a difficult task: every science fiction work will contradict the definition or need a different perspective. Edward James for instance, has argued that: [a]ttempts at definition usually seem to imply a belief in a Platonic idea of ‘science fiction’, rather than a bundle of perceptions about what constitutes sf—a bundle whose contents are constantly changing, from decade to decade, from critic to critic, from country to country. Attempts at definitions, in other words, frequently appear to be laying down rules about what sf ought to be like, rather



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than offering some kind of all–embracing description of the great range and wide variety of texts which have been, and are, recognized as making up the body of sf. (James, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century 1) The method of defining science fiction suggested by historian James is through the lens of history. His work focuses on the growth of the genre starting in the late nineteenth century and discusses the many transitions and mutations science fiction has been through from then to the publication of Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century in 1994. In the following subsection (Historical survey, see below: 30) we go deeper into the historical evolution of science fiction. Doing so will help us understand the context in which science fiction has evolved, how the selected works fit in their respective era and how the transitions from one era of the genre into another happen. Suffice it to say for this section, that James’s remarks need to be taken seriously and that we cannot allow ourselves to give a hasty definition. Other approaches to the genre also allow us to explain what the genre includes or not. The other possible method of defining science fiction is by looking at what the genre includes, what it excludes, and what its general features are. A very closely related genre is that of speculative fiction. Whether science fiction is regarded as a subgenre of speculative fiction is another question. Some will argue so, others will argue that both genres are simply associated, without any hierarchy per se, or that the most recent terminology (speculative fiction) replaces the older (James, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century 62). Speculative fiction in relationship with science fiction, was first used by Robert Anson Heinlein in his 1947 editorial essay On the Writing of Speculative Fiction (James and Mendlesohn 4; Harris– Fain 12–13; Heinlein). Heinlein is the first, to our knowledge, to clearly distinguish speculative fiction from science fiction. Later works also studied the relation between speculative fiction and science fiction, Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction: Challenging



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Genres is one of the most recent titles, many of which are inspired by or based on Heinlein’s essay (Thomas 2013). Heinlein starts by explaining what speculative fiction is, then continues by providing a definition for science fiction. Regarding speculative fiction, Heinlein defines it as a “story of people dealing with contemporary science or technology,” adding that “do not ordinarily mean this sort of story when we say science fiction” (Heinlein 3). What is meant then by speculative fiction are the ‘what (would happen) ifs’ based on a knowledgeable and recognizable situation in the real world. In the speculative science fiction story accepted science and established fiefs are extrapolated to produce a new situation, a new framework for human action. As a result of this new situation, new human problems are created—and our story is about how human beings cope with those new problems. The story is not about the new situation; it is about coping with problems arising out of the new situation. (Heinlein 3) It is important in Heinlein’s regard to be consequent in one’s elaboration of a scientific or technologic novelty and that the human problem in the story “is created by, or indispensably affected by, the new conditions” (Heinlein 3). Another important science fiction critic, Darko Suvin, has introduced a new term for these novelties: novum (s) or ‘novums’ (pl., as James indicates, “the correct plural nova would only confuse astronomers”) (James, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century 108–109). In Suvin’s bundle of essays, Defined by a Hollow, one paper from 1977 stands out and proves very enlightening on the concept of novum. Suvin explores the different implications of a novum, through cognition, the narrative consequences of its use and history (67–92; see also Suvin, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction 63–84). The basic idea for a novum is that the introduced change is based upon foolproof logic, be it scientific, biologic, technologic, or anything that would require to some extent logic and an



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explanation so the reader understands what the change is about. The novum should, in the narrative, also play a significant role in order to accentuate the human problem (Heinlein 3–4; James, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century 108; Suvin, Defined by a Hollow 67–92). The choice of labelling a literary work as science fiction has various implications. Literary critics cannot stress enough that libraries and book stores put science fiction, fantasy, and sometimes horror on the same shelves (James, Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century 2; Kears and Paz 18; Kang 245), which raises the question why a broader label is not used, combining these three genres. Many scholars have made the choice to ditch the science fiction label, preferring speculative fiction (Campbell 117). The need for clarification to which genre a novel belongs is then drastically reduced and one does not need to always attribute a genre to a novel, depending of course on the kind of research or criticism. Yet, leaving aside scholarly debates, authors themselves have been known to favor one genre over the other. A first famous example is Kurt Vonnegut, not realizing his writings were categorized as science fiction and reacting against it: Years ago I was working in Schenectady for General Electric, completely surrounded by machines and ideas for machines, so I wrote a novel about people and machines, and machines frequently got the best of it, as machines will. (It was called Player Piano, and it was brought out again in both hard cover and paperback.) And I learned from the reviewers that I was a science–fiction writer. I didn’t know that. I supposed that I was writing a novel about life, about things I could not avoid seeing and hear...