In class today we discussed values that make America unique: social mobility, rugged individualism, and the self-made man. While lived out in reality in the tales of people like Chris McCandless, these themes also appear in novels, especially science fiction. Specifically, I am reminded of Insignia, by S. J. Kincaid, a story I recently read concerning computerized warfare in the near future.
Tom Raines begins as a "scrawny, stupid little kid" with no real talents except in video games. He attends school through virtual reality, and gets abysmal grades even there. Escape from his pathetic life seems impossible until his abilities in cyberspace get the attention of a military recruiter looking for gamers to pilot computer-controlled spaceships for the Americans and their allies. After this one boost, however, Raines has to prove himself, and he does. In this he is a perfect embodiment of both the self-made man and social mobility, since the pilots are "the smartest human beings alive", the feted elite of the entire planet - quite a step up from the loser he started out as. He exemplifies rugged individualism as well; when corporate sponsors attempt to contract him as hot new talent, Raines tells them in no uncertain terms where they can put their endorsement deals.
Science fiction might be just that - fiction - but truly great novels must echo profound values, and when your target audience is the US, nothing runs deeper than the American Dream.
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