I recognize that with this post this brings the total to three that interact with the new film Surrogates, but given the wealth of material within it for cultural reflection I ask the reader’s patience as I explore a few other facets.

By way of background to the film, Surrogates presents a quasi-utopian world in the near future wherein robotics have advanced to the point where human beings can interface with and control them through neural activity. Whatever the robot experiences, whether sight, sound, smell or touch, the human being feels as direct and unmediated experience. In this way the robot becomes the surrogate for the human experience and the human being becomes the puppeteer. With this level of human/robotic synergy, and the limitations of the flesh transcended, new vistas in human play are opened up for people around the world.

This scenario is one that is not far removed from our present situation in the western world. Although robotics are nowhere near the complexity found in Surrogates, other expressions of digital technologies, such as multiplayer video games and online worlds such as Second Life (where digital avatar selves interact as opposed to the robotic ones in Surrogates), attract millions of people who spend great amounts of time in synthetic realms. Edward Castranova has written extensively about the various facets related to this phenomenon. He describes our present situation as one in which a “fun revolution” is taking place, and it is one with serious cultural ramifications. The title of one of Castranova’s books is telling in this regard: Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Changing Reality (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).

One aspect that Castranova explores in our increasing fascination with play in synthetic worlds is the economic implications and ramifications. As the author writes, “Time and attention are migrating from the real world into the viritual world.” This of necessity has economic ramifications both in the loss of time spent on wealth-generating activities, and also the transfer of “real world” economic activity to the synthetic realm.

Bringing these considerations back to Surrogates, we are presented with a world that seems to have found a balance in this area in that while the vast majority of humanity lives through their robotic surrogates, and many explore their fantasies in this way as well, yet economic activity and the maintenance of social order is maintained through surrogates as well. Bruce Willis’ character is an FBI agent who continues his investigative work, generating income and protecting society, only he does so through his robotic surrogate. Yet there is a change in the world as a result of surrogates as presented in the film in that crime has dropped dramatically. In fact, murder hasn’t taken place in many years, as a result of the great dependence upon surrogates, which makes the presence of murder directly related to surrogates all the more troubling for those investigating the killings in the case which make for the centerpiece of the film. We are led to believe in the film’s narrative that surrogates have provided a fantasy venue for humanity which has contributed to the decrease in crime. This may be one of the weaker points in the film in that human history has long promised that greater technology will make for better lives and society, yet we also know that technology not only empowers the more noble aspects of human nature, but also its darker aspects as well. A more balanced piece of speculative fiction would have not only considered the utopic possibilities of robotic surrogates, but would also have given greater attention to how it would also serve as a venue for crime. Denver criminal defense lawyer helps you in the criminal defense attorney, do visit.

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Related to this consideration, the military industrial complex is also addressed in the film. In this near future scenario the military has created robotic soldiers controlled by human soldiers who send their mechanical combatants to fight and die in their place. Given the worldwide presence of surrogates other nations of the earth must be doing this as well. Unfortunately, the film never explores the implications of robotic soldiers and war. By way of implication from the film’s treatment of surrogates and crime, perhaps this film would have us believe that such an environment would see less war between nations as well. If this deduction is correct I would disagree here as well. As yet another piece of science fiction illustrates through an episode of classic Star Trek (“A Taste of Armageddon”), sanitizing war through technology, while appealing in that it would be less “messy,” would likely remove much of what makes it so distasteful and would likely lead to more instances of and protracted warfare. After all, if we’re honest it’s body counts that impact societies and their commitments to war. Would we be less likely to commit to combat in a robotic utopian future, or would this in fact increase the likelihood in that the only losses would be those related to expensive robotics?

I know that I am far more cerebral in my reflection on science fiction than many, but this is one of the reasons why I find the genre so enjoyable. Beyond its exploration of futuristic crime and conspiracy Surrogates touches on topics that challenge the very real world of the 21st century.