India will see a science fiction renaissance soon, mark my words. Well, maybe renaissance is the wrong word, as it implies a rebirth. Maybe genesis is a better word to describe it. Not a rebirth of science fiction, but a genesis of important, impactful sci-fi stories.
And the reason is twofold. First, despite the nation’s economic surge in recent years, India is struggling with widespread systemic poverty and all the social problems that go along with it. Much of India’s poverty issue is class based. Although discrimination based on caste has been outlawed, people who live under that caste system say those anti-discrimination laws are largely unenforced and social mobility is still nearly impossible. Second, the internet. Unlike those of us in the United States who are burdened by corporate monopolies which dictate and control utility prices at a criminal rate, the internet is typically cheaper in other countries. The more information people have access to, the more likely they are to begin to demand social change. For those of you in the “anti-sjw” crowd: science fiction has always been about social justice. Like it or not, it has always been a vehicle to promote social change. If you don’t realize this, then you are either being willfully blind or you are very new to science fiction.
So that leads us right to the topic at hand – a genesis of rich science fiction from Indian authors. Reading through some of 2017’s best science fiction short stories, I came across “The Moon is Not a Battlefield” by Indrapramit Das, an author from Kolkata, India. He tells the story of a war veteran from India who, after serving for years on the moon where India battles for sovereignty with China and Russia, is retired and sent back to Earth to live out the remainder of her life in the slums of Kolkata, forgotten by the people she fought for, and those who had promised an easy retirement back on Earth. In Das’ vision of the future, Earth is looked to as a paradise by those who spend their lives living on permanent settlements on the moon. A mythical Avalon where they would, someday, enjoy their retirement years in comfort. The reality, however, is an Earth that is all too familiar to his readers: a planet filled with massive slums, poverty, despair, and hopelessness. It’s very easy to see how Das’ future India could come about – without any social change it will inexorably arrive at the very conclusion Das has suggested.
I’m a sucker for a beautifully written sentence. Das doesn’t disappoint. “The Moon is Not a Battlefield” is written with a moving eloquence and just enough vagueness to let the reader in as an active co-creator of this world. Das also has a talent for opening lines. Opening lines are crucial to a good short story. When a reader is holding a 700 page anthology of dozens of short stories, it is the opening lines that decide whether to keep reading or skip ahead to the next tale. With Das there is no question – I’m going to keep reading.
If you are looking for science fiction with meaning, science fiction that isn’t afraid to look at a future that exposes our social injustices, science fiction that reminds us that the future is, and will be, what we make of it, start reading some Indian authors like Indrapramit Das. It’ll remind you of what science fiction is supposed to be about.
You can follow Indrapramit Das on Twitter @IndrapramitDas or check out his webpage at www.indradas.com
He is a frequent contributor to Lightspeed Magazine.
