Schismatrix Plus (1996)
By Bruce Sterling
Cyborgs; Genetic engineering; Posthuman; Science fiction
Abelard Lindsay uses training to navigate Schismatrix, a universe composed of cyborgs Mechanists, bioengineered Shapers and alien Investors.
Lindsay, Constantine and Vera are sent from their Republic to be trained in Shaper techniques, allowing them to alter physical traits through biotechnology, but they become outcasts when their Mechanist-dominated society declares war on Shapers. Mechanists – humans enhanced by machine parts – and Shapers are eternally feuding, with each side believing that their transformations spell the next stage of human evolution. The Shaper-Mechanist wars are based largely on class, with the wealthy, “Radical Old” investing in Mechanist technologies. Vera kills herself as martyr to the Preservationist cause of protecting human values, while Constantine becomes a mercenary leader of the Shapers. Lindsay is banished to a prison planet, and using the rudimentary Shaper transformative properties implanted in him, he manages a series of convenient alliances and near escapes. As the years pass, the lines between Shapers and Mechanists blur although the animosities remain; with both Shapers and Mechanists sensing the benefits of each others’ technologies, many have more than one type of modifications. With the arrival of aliens – called Investors for the wealth they pour into human systems – comes a tenuous detente between the warring factions. Eventually, Lindsay helps to bring down Constatine’s Shaper regime, which leads to a Posthuman age marked by an endless vista of possibilities for human transformation.
Sterling’s world offers a new perspective on the introduction of genetic technologies, in that there are two competing types of modifications rather than a conflict between unmodified humanity and its engineered counterpart. In fact, unmodified humans are largely useless in this galaxy, particularly since bioengineering has enabled humans to think in terms of decades and centuries rather than months or years. As Shaper technology becomes more advanced, these modifications are made to embryos or “created” beings. The pressure for youthful appearances or superhuman abilities creates a clientele for the Mechanist technologies. Both Shapers and Mechanists have advantages: Shapers intend to win the war because they can offer innovative and unfettered potential through modification, while Mechanists are limited by the cybernetic programming. On the other hand, the Mechanist wealth and technology provides an advantage in space travel and alien relations. In the end, it seems that humans are the ones that suffer, in that as these nations enter the “Posthuman Age,” the question is no longer whether or not modifications can be made, but how radical to make them. Still, this could mean that humans actually emerge victorious, for although the species differs radically from antiquated, unmodified versions, these transformations allow humans to adapt to hostile environments and colonize areas beyond their apparent limitations.
Evaluation: Sterling’s collection requires dedication from its readers, as its unique terminology and overwhelming plot can be difficult to comprehend. The shorter stories that complement the original novel are more suited to the less committed reader.
– Natalie Champ