Diabolical Plots #5, July 2015
Reviewed by Cyd Athens
H.E. Roulo’s transhumanist piece, “Not a Bird,” tells the story of a couple who have given birth to a baby whose genetic modifications they selected for their daughter prior to her birth. During a middle-of-the-night feeding, Mom begins feeling distant from the feathered, vision-enhanced child and wonders if she and the baby’s father were wrong to force the changes on their girl. Dad assures Mom that transhumanism is the wave of the future, and that they have done the best thing for the baby. We flash forward to an interaction between mother and adult daughter after the daughter has given birth to her own child who, since changes in the laws, is allowed no transhumanist modifications at birth. This, then, brings the parent at odds with their newborn story full circle. The controversial nature of choosing a child’s genetic modifications parallels real-world issues where groups with strong but differing beliefs often find themselves looking to either the courts or their legislators for legal guidance on divisive issues.
Cyd Athens indulges a speculative fiction addiction from 45ø 29 30.65 N, 122ø 35 30.91 W. Comments on Cyd’s reviews are welcome at www.cydathens.net.