The political aspect of science fiction is becoming increasingly evident in novels, particularly the clash of traditional beliefs versus
new ideas. Two such novels that focus on this conflict are Greg Bear’s Darwin’s
Radio and Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash. Bear explores the idea of punctuated evolution, introducing an inborn virus in humans, dubbed SHEVA, which transforms humans within one generation. As
America is faced with the onslaught of mutated babies, the government is forced to act against them under the influence of the
Christian conservative outcry. In Stephenson’s novel, he introduces a sort of future in which everything, including
religion is franchised. Religion is powerfully influential and commercialized, and the corruption becomes evident when the owner of the largest chain of
churches begins to brainwash his followers with a
drug called snow crash. Both authors create a strong connection between
religion and politics, especially the increasing sway of beliefs upon government. Bear’s government is driven steadily into eventual seizure and quarantine of the SHEVA babies out of a refusal to reject the essentially
Christian beliefs of creation. Stephenson’s future goes in nearly the opposite direction, in which there exists almost no official governmental law. Yet, there still exists religion, and its franchise holds a monopoly over the entire spectrum of beliefs. Both authors accurately describe the recent trend of
religion in the United States, particularly in the 2004 presidential election. Religion has become one of the most powerful influence in
American politics, and it is only just beginning to gain momentum.
