Literary Sci-Fi in A Clockwork Orange.


     A Clockwork Orange has been acclaimed by many for its analysis of free will, evil, and the psychology of youth in response to the varied attempts of control placed upon them. It technically falls under the definition of science fiction, being set in a near dystopia where random acts of extreme violence are seen as almost normal events not worth contacting law enforcement over. However, this future dystopia could easily be just an alternate reality, as beyond the defined time there aren’t many hallmarks of traditional sci-fi. The most traditionally science-fiction-esqe element of the book is the all-important Ludovico technique used on Alex, which boils down to basic, yet extreme, negative reinforcement. 

     There is no talk about space, no looming monolithic mega-corporations, no extraordinary technology of any kind, no aliens, no time travel, and while science fiction requires none of these things to still fall into that category, it made it easier to stomach for the academics who read and analyzed the book. Personally, I don’t see why literary fiction and genre fiction must be mutually exclusive. Many elements of genre, specifically science fiction, are built for the express purpose of asking important questions about the nature of humanity and its relationship with the world around it. To section off such a large swath of literature and label it as ‘non-academic’ or ‘non-literary’ is harsh and misinformed. 

     Regardless, I enjoyed what I read of the novel, if somewhat disturbed by it as well, and found myself pondering the questions the novel asked because of some of its exaggerated traits, rather than in spite of them.

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