Further reading for anybody interested: I wrote about a similar topic in a 2022 essay entitled, 'the white writer’s misimagination of Black characters in science fiction'
So many thoughts, not enough letter space in the comments section. I could go over each section for hours because....well, damn. I feel like this essay encapsulates why the humanities are critical, especially in our world of ever expanding technology without pause for little things like ethics. Next time someone mentions defunding the arts, I am sending them your newsletter.
I’ve been slowly working on a piece about “speculative emancipation” (like speculative fiction) and the need to imagine futures of freedom over idealized subjugation aka robots/ai/etc.
Have you watched the film The Creator (2023) or the beautifully animated short film Zima Blue (2019)?
I would love love love to hear what you think about these films. They’re a big part of what I’m reflecting on.
"Speculative emancipation" sounds like a great piece and I think, in my own fictional worlds, is a great way to categorise them--I look forward to reading your piece!
I've seen The Creator. I don't have ever much to say about it, I'm afraid
But I think Zima Blue is perhaps the most beautiful and richest short film I've ever seen. I might write about it in the future as I haven't commited my ideas to an essay before but it is a poignant and complicated film.
This is a really compelling read. I have not yet read/watched Wild Robot but loved Becky Chambers Monk and Robot series and have heard them compared a lot. Now I want to recommend it just to discuss it because I think your analysis is spot on. I would really love to hear more of your thoughts about how robots and zombies and their different relationships to purpose, creation, and drive reflect culture's fixation on slavery. Thank you for this great piece. Side note: I found it because of your post about the mean comment!
I admit I haven’t seen the movie, but your descriptions of Roz immediately reminded me of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” I think it’s because both Roz and the tree are seen as valuable because they are resources to be used, not valuable in themselves. The connection was only strengthened when I noticed the detail of Roz working on fruit trees, helping them give themselves away. I’m also now interrogating my own easy linkage of captive maternal robot to captive maternal tree.
(It belatedly occurs to me that I’m assuming you’re familiar with the book; if not, this comment won’t make sense. It’s a children’s book about a boy and a tree, the latter of which gives various parts of itself to the former over the course of his life. It’s a fairly obvious allegory of being a nurturer with heavy feminine coding; for me, it’s also one of those books that you look back on and think, “That was actually very disturbing.”)
I've only read "The Big O" by Shel Silverstein but I know of The Giving Tree, I will have to check it out! Thank you for sharing the connective tissue you found!
This was fantastic and really dug into the deeper, more nefarious depths that were in the movie, and that are in humanities obsession with robots and AI. Thank you for writing !
I anticipated every word! Wonderful analysis and a great intro into your writing. The way you weave together details, knowledge, and observation is absolutely remarkable. Thoroughly enjoyed and fully engaged.
Incredible analysis, it added so much to my experience of the movie. I have to admit the end sat really oddly with me while I wasn’t entirely able to phrase why, except that the story seemed overwritten - it failed to end where it naturally should have ended.
First you have Brightbill leaving, then Roz wanting to leave, then Brightbill makes it back but Roz almost leaves, then she doesn’t want to leave but they try to make her, then they fight the human envoys and lay waste to the forest and she declares herself a wild robot and that - is - the - end.
It’s done. Her leaving again and then Brightbill finding her again both feel weak, unmotivated, and drifting away from the core narrative of ‘family is where you find it, you belong where you choose to put down roots, where you give yourself to others others will give back to you, that’s what community actually is’.
I couldn’t figure out why they thought taking her to an orange plantation was a good idea.
I'm really glad you've seen the movie so you can fully engage with this piece!
"they fight the human envoys and lay waste to the forest and she declares herself a wild robot and that - is - the - end."
100%, this is the most natural end point. The fact the filmmakers didn't end it there, physically creating more work for themselves for what felt like a much less satisfying and cohesive ending, really made me think about what societal ideas must've compelled them to instead settle the film with Roz in indentured servitude, I had to explore what kind of thought processes made it seem like that was the best idea.
Oh also interesting that ‘Rossum’ is a direct wink to Karel Capek’s stage play ‘R.U.R’ - Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum’s Universal Robots). It was staged in 1920 and I think it’s the first mention of the word ‘robot’? Interesting also that in Capek’s native Czech the word ‘robot’ would mean slave workers/ forced laborer, though in my native Serbian we use the same word - ‘rabota’ to simply mean work, doing something. Though historically we might have used it differently I guess.
I had to remove a massive part of my essay because I was looking into the origin of “Rossum” and found that not only is R.U.R perhaps the first use of the word Robot but the play is also about a) artificial beings made from synthetic organic matter (so more androids really) and b) their rebellion and the ultimate extinction of the human race.
Trying to weave that context was getting difficult with the overarching piece and I want to read the play before I add information about it but I think I’ll read it then add the background to the piece later.
Further reading for anybody interested: I wrote about a similar topic in a 2022 essay entitled, 'the white writer’s misimagination of Black characters in science fiction'
https://blackyouthproject.com/the-white-writers-misimagination-of-black-characters-in-science-fiction/
So many thoughts, not enough letter space in the comments section. I could go over each section for hours because....well, damn. I feel like this essay encapsulates why the humanities are critical, especially in our world of ever expanding technology without pause for little things like ethics. Next time someone mentions defunding the arts, I am sending them your newsletter.
high praise indeed, thank you! i could write so much about this topic and i’m glad what i have written resonates.
Thank you for this!!!
I’ve been slowly working on a piece about “speculative emancipation” (like speculative fiction) and the need to imagine futures of freedom over idealized subjugation aka robots/ai/etc.
Have you watched the film The Creator (2023) or the beautifully animated short film Zima Blue (2019)?
I would love love love to hear what you think about these films. They’re a big part of what I’m reflecting on.
"Speculative emancipation" sounds like a great piece and I think, in my own fictional worlds, is a great way to categorise them--I look forward to reading your piece!
I've seen The Creator. I don't have ever much to say about it, I'm afraid
But I think Zima Blue is perhaps the most beautiful and richest short film I've ever seen. I might write about it in the future as I haven't commited my ideas to an essay before but it is a poignant and complicated film.
Incredible reflections. You were right, this did make me want to watch the movie. Also, the Omelas reference was perfect 👌
you’re such a darling, i appreciate you! I’m happy (and not surprised) that you’re a fellow fan of Omelas 🤭
🫶🏽😘
Heavy with thoughts that need to be pondered. Thanks for writing this Inigo.
Thanks for reading, Nick. Definitely share your thoughts when you feel open to!
This is a really compelling read. I have not yet read/watched Wild Robot but loved Becky Chambers Monk and Robot series and have heard them compared a lot. Now I want to recommend it just to discuss it because I think your analysis is spot on. I would really love to hear more of your thoughts about how robots and zombies and their different relationships to purpose, creation, and drive reflect culture's fixation on slavery. Thank you for this great piece. Side note: I found it because of your post about the mean comment!
will add it to my evergrowing list haha but thank you very much for springboarding into my essays!
I admit I haven’t seen the movie, but your descriptions of Roz immediately reminded me of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” I think it’s because both Roz and the tree are seen as valuable because they are resources to be used, not valuable in themselves. The connection was only strengthened when I noticed the detail of Roz working on fruit trees, helping them give themselves away. I’m also now interrogating my own easy linkage of captive maternal robot to captive maternal tree.
(It belatedly occurs to me that I’m assuming you’re familiar with the book; if not, this comment won’t make sense. It’s a children’s book about a boy and a tree, the latter of which gives various parts of itself to the former over the course of his life. It’s a fairly obvious allegory of being a nurturer with heavy feminine coding; for me, it’s also one of those books that you look back on and think, “That was actually very disturbing.”)
I've only read "The Big O" by Shel Silverstein but I know of The Giving Tree, I will have to check it out! Thank you for sharing the connective tissue you found!
Wow! This is such insightful analysis! Thank you.
This was fantastic and really dug into the deeper, more nefarious depths that were in the movie, and that are in humanities obsession with robots and AI. Thank you for writing !
This was one of the most enlightening reads!!! Ah, your mind…i wish this existed when I took Black women in media during college. ahggg thank you
Thank you so much for reading, Lina. Better late than never! 🫂
Incredible. I will be mulling over those last three questions for a while. Thank you for sharing.
I anticipated every word! Wonderful analysis and a great intro into your writing. The way you weave together details, knowledge, and observation is absolutely remarkable. Thoroughly enjoyed and fully engaged.
How lovely, thank you so much :’)
Fantastic analysis
Incredible analysis, it added so much to my experience of the movie. I have to admit the end sat really oddly with me while I wasn’t entirely able to phrase why, except that the story seemed overwritten - it failed to end where it naturally should have ended.
First you have Brightbill leaving, then Roz wanting to leave, then Brightbill makes it back but Roz almost leaves, then she doesn’t want to leave but they try to make her, then they fight the human envoys and lay waste to the forest and she declares herself a wild robot and that - is - the - end.
It’s done. Her leaving again and then Brightbill finding her again both feel weak, unmotivated, and drifting away from the core narrative of ‘family is where you find it, you belong where you choose to put down roots, where you give yourself to others others will give back to you, that’s what community actually is’.
I couldn’t figure out why they thought taking her to an orange plantation was a good idea.
Until I read your piece.
I'm really glad you've seen the movie so you can fully engage with this piece!
"they fight the human envoys and lay waste to the forest and she declares herself a wild robot and that - is - the - end."
100%, this is the most natural end point. The fact the filmmakers didn't end it there, physically creating more work for themselves for what felt like a much less satisfying and cohesive ending, really made me think about what societal ideas must've compelled them to instead settle the film with Roz in indentured servitude, I had to explore what kind of thought processes made it seem like that was the best idea.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for writing!
I was genuinely shocked when the movie didn’t end at the ‘end’ place. You really helped me unpack that weird confused feeling.
Oh also interesting that ‘Rossum’ is a direct wink to Karel Capek’s stage play ‘R.U.R’ - Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum’s Universal Robots). It was staged in 1920 and I think it’s the first mention of the word ‘robot’? Interesting also that in Capek’s native Czech the word ‘robot’ would mean slave workers/ forced laborer, though in my native Serbian we use the same word - ‘rabota’ to simply mean work, doing something. Though historically we might have used it differently I guess.
I had to remove a massive part of my essay because I was looking into the origin of “Rossum” and found that not only is R.U.R perhaps the first use of the word Robot but the play is also about a) artificial beings made from synthetic organic matter (so more androids really) and b) their rebellion and the ultimate extinction of the human race.
Trying to weave that context was getting difficult with the overarching piece and I want to read the play before I add information about it but I think I’ll read it then add the background to the piece later.
It would be cool!! Capek was a great guy, his other writing is also very interesting. He had a book of children’s stories I ADORED as a kid.
Not robots being the modern slaves wait-