Defamiliarization and Speculative Fiction

by Cannon Hurst

Defamiliarization & Speculative Fiction

In her essay "Old Futures," Alexis Lothian argues that the term "speculative fiction" provides a more fitting description of cultural narratives surrounding sexuality, gender, and race that involve alternate futures and technology than other commonly used terms. This is because speculative fiction encompasses a wide range of genres and techniques, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism, among others. However, Lothian also notes that the technique of making the familiar strange, often used in speculative fiction to challenge traditional assumptions and norms, has been described using a variety of terms, including "cognitive estrangement." While this term captures the idea of using a cognitive, rational practice to think about things otherwise, it falls short of fully describing the complexity of these narratives.

Instead, this paper argues that the term "defamiliarization" provides a more comprehensive and nuanced way of understanding how these narratives challenge traditional assumptions and norms. Defamiliarization, a term coined by the Russian Formalists, refers to the technique of making the familiar unfamiliar in order to encourage readers to question their own preconceptions and consider alternative perspectives. In speculative fiction, defamiliarization is often used to subvert traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and power, and to imagine more inclusive and diverse futures.

To illustrate this argument, this paper analyzes "Rent, Don't Sell," a story by Calvin Gimpelevich, and The Dispossessed, a novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. Both works use defamiliarization by doing so, they offer a powerful critique of the status quo and invite readers to consider new possibilities for the future. In this way, defamiliarization has real-world stakes, as it encourages readers to imagine and work towards a more just and equitable society.

Defamiliarization is a literary technique that involves making the familiar seem strange or unfamiliar, often by disrupting the reader's expectations or by presenting something in an unexpected or unusual way. This technique is intended to challenge readers' preconceptions and to make them see the world in a new and different way. As Victor Shklovsky argues, "By not calling the hat by its name, and by removing it (in the most bizarre way) from its normal context, Swift makes it harder for us to recognize it as a hat. It remains, for a moment, strange, unfamiliar, an empty space in the narrative" (Gunn 25). In other words, defamiliarization involves taking something that is ordinary or familiar and presenting it in a way that makes it seem unfamiliar, forcing the reader to reexamine. This technique has been used by many writers throughout history, from the surrealists to the science fiction writers of the present day. It is often used to explore themes of identity, power, and social justice, as well as to push the boundaries of what is considered "normal" or "acceptable" in society. In speculative fiction, defamiliarization is often used to create alternate worlds or realities, in which the reader is forced to question their assumptions about gender, sexuality, and race, as well as about the nature of reality itself.

When it comes to the story “Rent, Don’t Sell”, we see a few examples of defamiliarization. The first is a quote that comes from the beginning of the story which depicts one of the main aspects of the plot: the G-C Transmorphic generator. The main character Nok describes how “the lab had a dozen swappers, each with space for two bodies. You could not have a body without a mind, and you could not have two minds in one body. She wasn’t sure if those restrictions were legal or technical, but that’s what they said in the training” (Gimpelevich 82).

The excerpt presents a prime example of defamiliarization through this device, in that the world isn’t much different from our own other than the existence of the technology. But it goes further than that, it also challenges the reader's understanding of the relationship between the mind and body, which is a deeply entrenched concept in our society, the limitations of the device generate a sense of otherworldliness that defamiliarizes this concept. The notion that a body cannot exist without a mind, and two minds cannot occupy the same body, is a prevalent belief in our understanding of human existence. However, in the story, the G-C Transmorphic generator presents a world where the mind and body are separate entities that can be switched and traded, leaving the relationship between them ambiguous.

Furthermore, the excerpt showcases defamiliarization by presenting a society where technology has advanced to a point where bodies can be easily exchanged. The description of the lab with its swappers and their two-body capacity generates a sense of estrangement and unfamiliarity, where the exchange of bodies feels both unnerving and fascinating. The limitations that are mentioned regarding the device, whether they are legal or technical, raise questions about the ethics of its usage, adding to the sense of defamiliarization. Gimpelevich’s intent seems to be to challenge the reader's assumptions and encourage them to question their own understanding of the relationship between the mind and body, as well as the role of technology in shaping society.

Another example of defamiliarization is how "Rent, Don't Sell" highlights the important role that speculative fiction plays in representing marginalized identities, such as disability, race, gender, and sexuality. As stated by author and Professor Sami Schalk,

What speculative fiction does for the representation of disability is work between these polarities and, in the process, require the reader to do some imaginative labor as well. The defamiliarization of disability in the story is particularly important, as traditional narratives often abstract disability into a metaphor for loss, damage, or evil or present it as a fixed and easily recognizable medical/biological fact. (Schalk 115)

Nok's character, a marine veteran who lost part of her arm while serving, defies these typical representations of disability by showcasing the complexities and nuances of living with a disability. Her excessive workouts and desire to switch bodies reflect the struggles and desires that many disabled individuals face in a society that often views them as inferior or broken.

‍The Dispossessed effectively employs defamiliarization through its portrayal of Urras. The planet, which is reminiscent of present-day Earth, is presented in a way that challenges the reader's preconceived notions of familiarity. As the saying goes, calling a hat by a different name makes it unfamiliar, and the same effect is achieved with Urras in the story. The protagonist, Shevek, describes the planet several times throughout the narrative, but one particular quote towards the end of the novel is particularly noteworthy:

We took nothing. Because there is nothing here but States and their weapons, the rich and their lies, and the poor and their misery. There is no way to act rightly, with a clear heart, on Urras. There is nothing you can do that profit does not enter into, and fear of loss and the wish for power...There is no freedom. It is a box—Urras is a package with all the beautiful wrapping of blue sky and meadows and forests and great cities. And you open the box, and what is inside it? A black cellar full of dust, and a dead man. A man whose hand was shot off because he held it out to others. I have been in Hell at last, it is Urras. (Le Guin 346-347)

Furthermore, The Dispossessed challenges the conventional notion of a utopia through the portrayal of Urras, which is initially presented as a perfect society. However, this perception is quickly dismantled as Shevek begins to uncover the flaws of both Urras and his own world, Anarres. The novel defamiliarizes the commonly held preconceptions of what a utopia is supposed to entail. Instead of presenting it as a flawless ideal, The Dispossessed offers a more nuanced interpretation that encourages readers to reevaluate their understanding of a perfect society “which means that the genre must succeed by failure, or a meditation on the ‘all-too-familiar'—a defamiliarization and restructuring of our experience from our own present” (McCleese 369).

While defamiliarization is an important technique within speculative fiction, it is not comprehensive enough to replace the term entirely. Rather, it is one form of speculative fiction that often appears within narratives exploring sexuality, gender, and disability. Defamiliarization serves a specific purpose within speculative fiction by challenging readers' preconceptions and pushing them to consider alternative perspectives. However, speculative fiction as a whole encompasses a wide range of genres and techniques, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism, among others.

Speculative fiction goes beyond simply defamiliarizing the familiar and includes a vast array of narratives that explore different possible worlds, whether they are in the future, an alternate present, or a magical realm. These narratives can delve into complex issues of power, identity, and social justice, and offer a space for marginalized voices to be heard. Queer speculative fiction, in particular, has become a thriving subgenre that pushes boundaries and explores the intersection of sexuality, gender, and race in new and imaginative ways. Similarly, speculative fiction that addresses disability also challenges traditional assumptions and allows for a broader and more nuanced understanding of disability and its impact on individuals and society.

In conclusion, "defamiliarization" is a literary technique that challenges traditional assumptions and norms by making the familiar unfamiliar. In speculative fiction, this technique is often used to subvert traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and power, and to imagine more inclusive and diverse futures. While other terms such as "cognitive estrangement" have been used to describe this technique, "defamiliarization" provides a more comprehensive and nuanced way of understanding how these narratives operate. Through the analysis of "Rent, Don't Sell" by Calvin Gimpelevich and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, we see how defamiliarization can have real-world stakes by encouraging readers to imagine and work towards a more just and equitable society. Overall, defamiliarization is a powerful tool that writers can use to challenge readers' preconceptions and invite them to consider new possibilities for the future.

Work Cited:

Fitzpatrick, Cat, et al. “‘Rent, Don't Sell’ .” Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers, LittlePuss Press, Brooklyn, New York?, 2021.

Gunn, Daniel P. “Making Art Strange: A Commentary on Defamiliarization.” The Georgia Review, vol. 38, no. 1, 1984, pp. 25–33. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41398624. Accessed 4 May 2023.

Hollinger, Veronica. “(Re)Reading Queerly: Science Fiction, Feminism, and the Defamiliarization of Gender.” Science Fiction Studies, vol. 26, no. 1, 1999, pp. 23–40. JSTOR.

LeGuin., Ursula K. “Chapter 13.” The Dipossessed, Avon, New York, 1975.

Lothian, Alexis. Old Futures: Speculative Fiction and Queer Possibility. NYU Press, 2018. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/76243.

McCleese, Nicole. "Queer Futures and the Anxiety of Anticipation: Literary Masochism in Delany." African American Review, vol. 48 no. 3, 2015, p. 359-374. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/afa.2015.0038.

Schalk, Sami. “Defamiliarizing (Dis)Ability, Race, Gender, and Sexuality.” Bodyminds Reimagined, 2018, pp. 113–135., https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822371830-005. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4240749. Accessed 2 May 2023.