- [Madeleine] Isaac Asimov
once said, "The saddest aspect
of life right now, is that science fiction
gathers knowledge faster
than society gathers wisdom."
The year is 2020, and not only
are we in a global pandemic,
but we're also witnessing
our world transform before our eyes.
Topics such as authoritarianism
and corporatism
are hot on our lips, many
science fiction fans are eager
to call out dystopian
present as 'Orwellian'
or as something out of 'Blade
Runner' or 'Brave New World'.
When China announced its
social credit score system,
Westerners compared Xi Jinping
to a villain out of Black Mirror.
Science fiction, it seems, is prophecy
considering that the 21st
century is often called
'The Asian century' by
some, it is no surprise
that science fiction films from Star Wars:
Attack Of The Clones to Blade Runner 2049
use East Asian aesthetics.
Many academics are quick
to call this 'Orientalism'
and imply that the science fiction genre
is guilty of racism.
Yet let's take a step
back and ask ourselves:
Why does science fiction love East Asia?
I'm Madeleine Rose Jones,
and you are watching Snowy Fictions.
(soft upbeat music)
Before I begin, a few disclaimers.
Although East Asia has a sure
influence on science fiction,
it is not the only one.
One can't neglect the influence
from Poland or Russia on the genre,
or from legends such as
Jules Verne or H.G Welles.
Think of science fiction as
composed of many influences
from around the world
and at different times.
Secondly, East Asia, for
the sake of this video,
means China, Japan, Hong
Kong, North Korea, Mongolia,
Macau, Taiwan and South Korea.
Note how different these
countries are from each other.
Japan will have different geopolitics
and culture than say, North Korea.
It's vital that we do
not simplify East Asia
to a single word, image or emotion.
It's a complex region of the world.
As you'll hear later in the video,
a science fiction director may be inspired
by an element of Chinese culture
that is simply not present elsewhere.
Let's start.
Part One: The Relationship Between
Science Fiction And East Asia.
In the Star Wars prequels,
there is a planet called Coruscant.
It's busy, densely
populated and high tech.
It's also a place of power,
with the Jedi Temple and the senate.
A lot of the prequel narrative
takes place in Coruscant.
Although, Star Wars is
not a dystopian seres,
and you could argue that it
is actually fantasy series,
Coruscant is evidence of
Star Wars playing futurism.
Because of that, Star Wars
is considered science fiction
for the sake of this video.
In Coruscant, there are blazing
neon lights and advertising.
During The Attack of the Clones,
where Anakin and Obi-Wan
track down an assassin,
we witness a visual and sensorial assault.
There's bombarding advertising everywhere,
flying cars approaching and
loud club music thumping.
Coruscant is reminiscent of the
original Blade Runner movie,
with an urban and apocalyptic feel.
Yet, it is not just Blade
Runner that inspires Coruscant.
Look at Fritz Lang's
1927 film, Metropolis.
The soaring skylines are
reminiscent of New York City
and the Art Deco movement.
As we know that America
is not part of East Asia,
we can't argue that high-rise
buildings and urban density
are solely East Asian characteristics.
Yet compare Metropolis to Blade Runner.
As both inspired Coruscant, we
must look at the differences.
Metropolis, although
commonly listed as dystopian,
should not be seen as an 'older
version of Blade Runner.'
The movie is almost utopian,
with messages of friendship
and bringing people together.
The ending of Metropolis is far
more certain and optimistic,
whereas Blade Runner is
melancholic and ambiguous.
And I think that's why science
fiction writers and designers
take such an interest in East Asia.
From a Westerner's perspective,
East Asia in the 20th
century and currently,
represents uncertainty,
evolution and change.
After all, the Japanese
economy in the 1980's boomed,
and today, China dominates
American foreign policy
and the economics of Australia
and the Asia-Pacific.
Many in the Anglosphere
are naturally interested
in Hong Kong, particularly British people
and especially in the last 18 months
with protests and new
security legislation.
Naturally, it makes
sense for science fiction
to have East Asian aesthetics.
Science fiction is a
genre that prides itself
by being similar to our own reality.
And if the Anglosphere
reality is being shaped
by East Asian politics,
then science fiction
ought to reflect that.
Another consideration for
why Anglosphere artists
took interest in East Asia
was because of air travel.
After World War II,
commercial flying took off,
and now more and more
people could catch a plane
from LA to Tokyo.
As Americans, Australians,
New Zealanders, Canadians
and the British, or 'the five
eyes' fought in that war,
we can understand that Korean history
is also part of Anglosphere history.
Now, the science fiction
genre does not just exist
in the Anglosphere.
It's foolish to not mention
that it's a thing in East Asia.
From famous Japanese animes
to South Korean cinema,
East Asia itself also has an influence
on Anglosphere science fiction.
For example, Ghost In The
Shell and Akira are adored
by Western audiences, as
well as prestigious films
such as I'm A Cyborg,
And That's Okay and 2046.
In China, science fiction
experienced a boom in the 90s.
Today, we have popular web novels
like Mo Chen Huan's 'The Earth Is Online'
that introduce science fiction
concepts to a young audience.
My point is that in a
globalized, interconnected world,
countries will influence each other.
Science fiction was not build
solely by France or Japan.
It takes inspiration from
everywhere and everyone.
That's why when I discuss
why science fiction
loves East Asia, I am
not saying that East Asia
is the only influence on science fiction,
or that the Anglosphere has a monopoly
on science fiction content.
What I am arguing is
that artistic inspiration
is often fluid and ever-changing.
A lot of it is unconscious, as well.
It sounds bizarre to argue that
contemporary science fiction
is linked with East Asia
in such a profound way.
After all, many filmmakers and writers
may not consider themselves engaging
with East Asia when
they produced their art.
My point isn't to assign
motives to anyone,
but to use science fiction as a way
to better understand the
complexities of East Asia.
Part Two: What We Can
Learn From East Asia.
When it comes to geopolitics,
East Asia is complex.
The British Journalist
Martin Jacques said:
"The era when the United States
was the dominant global power
is steadily coming to an end,
and it must find a way
of acknowledging this
and training its ambitions
and interests accordingly.
Instead of claiming the
right to continuing primacy
in east Asia, for example,
it should seek to share
that primacy with China."
Fears that America will no longer
be the dominant global power are crucial
to understanding international relations
between East Asia and the West.
In the 1980s, as I explain in
my video about Blade Runner,
people made similar predictions
about Japan becoming a
superpower in the world.
Although you may disagree with Jacques
like I do that the United States
should share primacy with China,
he is correct that China
poses challenges to the USA.
In 2020, these tensions are high.
This has led to some journalists,
such as Melissa Chen
from The Spectator USA,
to call the upcoming presidential election
in the USA as the 'China election.'
Also important is the frayed relationship
between North and South Korea.
In my list of disclaimers,
I mentioned that East Asian countries
are different from each other.
That's an important distinction,
because although
Anglosphere science fiction
loves East Asian aesthetics,
it's vital that we acknowledge East Asian
differences and history.
However, it is not my intention
to paint East Asia's influence
on the Anglosphere science fiction
in an entirely negative light.
For one, nations like
Taiwan, Japan and South Korea
enjoy healthy relationships with the West.
There's a reason why, every year,
East Asia receives plenty of tourism,
especially in beautiful cities like Kyoto.
Japan and South Korean manufacturing
is a hotbed of innovation.
Just as we can't simplify Western Europe,
we can't dumb down East
Asia to a single emotion.
If there is one thing we can learn
from the buzzing nightclubs in Corusant
or the futuristic South Korea
in David Mitchell's Cloud
Atlas, it's that East Asia
is just as complex as
anywhere else in the world.
Westerners should never embrace
tyranny as a way to rule,
like the Chinese Communist Party does.
But we can look at East Asia for guidance.
For example, when one studies how areas
of Japan look after its
natural parks and resources,
and how the diverse flora and fauna
is often a point of pride,
Westerners can, and should, admire that.
Science Fiction, in its current state,
can seem pessimistic and
dour about the future.
And because of that, one can imply
that East Asian aesthetics
represent something negative.
Truth is, I don't know how
the future will unfold.
How will Mongolia shape China's
relations with the world?
Will war ever erupt on
the Korean peninsula?
What about Japan's aging population?
The future is uncertain, and
science fiction reflects that.
When I researched this video,
I didn't want this video to be a positive
or negative about East Asia.
I wanted this video to have uncertainty
and even an element of
chaos and confusion, why?
Because it's those emotions
that sum up the 21st century,
or 'The Asian century'.
If you are interested in
a science fiction show
that has East Asian aesthetics,
but without the melancholic
feel of Blade Runner,
then I highly recommend Firefly
and the sequel film Serenity.
The characters are great,
and it's a fantastic mix-up
between American Western space operas
and East Asian aesthetics.
Part Three: Orientalism And Racism.
Many watch the Blade
Runner movies and assume
that the East Asian aesthetics
are racist, or unfair.
Fears of East Asian people
being treated or seen as exotic,
or dystopian, are common threads
in film studies especially in
Academia, and you know what?
I understand that.
I'm not arguing that there
is no racism going on here,
or that all cultural
depictions are flattering.
Yet it's unfair to assume that every use
of East Asian aesthetics by a Westerner
or in the Anglosphere,
comes from a place of malice or ignorance.
What goes on in East Asia
affects the whole world.
Many filmmakers and writers
have genuine curiosity
regarding East Asia.
When science fiction uses East
Asian imagery and symbolism,
they are acknowledging the shaping force
for better or for worse
that East Asia has.
Fiction mirrors reality,
and it's fitting for our
science fiction films and novels
to have an East Asian presence.
It's also unfair to assume
that any negative depiction
of any East Asian country is racist.
No country is perfect or above criticism.
A massive problem I have with
the Chinese Communist Party
is that they pretend as
if any criticism of them
as political agents, is
criticism of the Chinese people,
that's not true.
One can criticize the government
without being affiliated
to whole populations.
Because of that the Anglosphere interest
in East Asia should be nourished.
Writers and artists ought to have freedom
to explore any anxieties or
hopes they have for the future.
I'd like to see an exchange of ideas
between East Asia and
the West, where artists,
regardless of where they live,
are encouraged to use science fiction
to better understand the
present world we live in.
Going back to the Isaac Asimov quote.
Science fiction has knowledge,
whereas society struggles with wisdom.
The Blade Runner and science fiction films
still haven't resulted in flying cars,
but they certainly
predicted the rise of China,
and growing themes of alienation
and discontent in society.
If there is one reason why
Western science fiction films
and books love East Asia,
it's because of the need
to better understand our future
in the complex Asian century.
As Martin Jacques warns:
"I know it's a widespread
assumption in the West
that as countries modernize,
they also westernize.
This is an illusion, it's
an assumption that modernity
is a product simply of competition,
markets and technology.
It isn't, it is also shaped
equally by history and culture.
China is not like the West,
and it will not become like the West."
Perhaps the 'Asian century' is
not about East Asia changing
because of the West,
but the West changing
because of East Asia.
We ought to keep that in mind
when we discuss today's world,
as we navigate through
the confusion and chaos.
Thanks for watching.
(wind howling)
