Because of the multitude of varying metho
ds explored in this dissertation it is difficult to conclude decisively. One point which is paramount is that the advancing technology within reproduction will continue to accelerate into the future with unforeseeable consequences. With Brave New World being the oldest text it may be used as a benchmark for what truth could materialise from the other texts used. Could the ideas of human cloning in The Possibility of an Island become reality in eighty years time? It is not impossible to imagine this, especially as the initial cloning of pets described by Houellebecq is now reality.
It is clear from the research one of the main elements which will limit reproductive advancement is public opinion and moral disputes. Many of the techniques such as gene therapy would perhaps become more advanced out of the public eye until they are thoroughly established, especially due to the number of failed attempts which will be involved in achieving success. The public will be likely to agree with Kant’s ideology that human life should be used as an ends not a means. If not then the public may embrace the curing of problems with gene therapy but not the enhancement of a character which was not initially flawed. Perhaps the most ominous element of gene therapy is the possibility of eugenics becoming common practise and Huxley’s caste system becoming a reality.
The central issues of cloning and isolation in The Possibility of an Island could be taken literally or interpreted to provide a satire of modern society. Baudrillard claims we are all already clones because of the same media saturation provided to each individual, this could continue to a greater degree resulting in the loss of individuality. The isolation expressed by Houellebecq still adheres to communication through a specialised interface. This could be representative of the internet and the ability to live ones life without leaving the house. This could also be seen as Bernal’s third stage of human in which immortality is gained through shared information.
The issues of fertility raised in the final chapter are wholly imaginable; however, as this would be a natural process it is hard to contemplate a drastic drop in fertility in the next century. The reduction in fertility would also have a struggle against the multifarious forms of assisted reproduction. The Children of Men and The Handmaid’s Tale are perhaps the most ominous of all the novels examined as they portray societies which have exploited the world they live in until life itself is under threat.
By comparing the speculative fiction to scientific research throughout this dissertation a constant correlation can be seen, and in case of Brave New World, to a worrying degree. The other novels have been written in a more recent history but if even one of them prevailed to be prophetic to a substantial degree it would mean unimaginable changes to society and humanity itself.
