Unnarratable Pain and Species Extinction: Insects as Narratives in Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem

Ruth Y.Y. Hung

Unnarratable Pain and Species Extinction: Insects as Narratives in Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem

Ruth Y.Y. Hung^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Language and Culture

Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference abstract › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigates Liu Cixin's depiction of large-scale extermination in The Three-Body Problem as a critique of narrating species pain during the Anthropocene. Drawing on Kafka and Forster's works, I examine how humans are often portrayed as insects in post-apocalyptic literature. I contend that these narratives anticipate human extinction through descriptions of indescribable pain experienced by animal and insect swarms, which are often equated to human suffering, potentially undermining the unique otherness of non-human species.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Nov 2024
Event	The 121st PAMLA Conference - he Riviera Palm Springs Resort, 1600 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California, 92262, Palm Springs, United States Duration: 7 Nov 2024 → 10 Nov 2024 https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/Webforms/Schedule.aspx

Conference

Conference	The 121st PAMLA Conference
Country/Territory	United States
City	Palm Springs
Period	7/11/24 → 10/11/24
Internet address	https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/Webforms/Schedule.aspx

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Unnarratable Pain and Species Extinction: Insects as Narratives in Liu Cixin{\textquoteright}s The Three-Body Problem",

abstract = "This study investigates Liu Cixin's depiction of large-scale extermination in The Three-Body Problem as a critique of narrating species pain during the Anthropocene. Drawing on Kafka and Forster's works, I examine how humans are often portrayed as insects in post-apocalyptic literature. I contend that these narratives anticipate human extinction through descriptions of indescribable pain experienced by animal and insect swarms, which are often equated to human suffering, potentially undermining the unique otherness of non-human species.",

author = "Hung, {Ruth Y.Y.}",

year = "2024",

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T1 - Unnarratable Pain and Species Extinction

T2 - The 121st PAMLA Conference

AU - Hung, Ruth Y.Y.

PY - 2024/11

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N2 - This study investigates Liu Cixin's depiction of large-scale extermination in The Three-Body Problem as a critique of narrating species pain during the Anthropocene. Drawing on Kafka and Forster's works, I examine how humans are often portrayed as insects in post-apocalyptic literature. I contend that these narratives anticipate human extinction through descriptions of indescribable pain experienced by animal and insect swarms, which are often equated to human suffering, potentially undermining the unique otherness of non-human species.

AB - This study investigates Liu Cixin's depiction of large-scale extermination in The Three-Body Problem as a critique of narrating species pain during the Anthropocene. Drawing on Kafka and Forster's works, I examine how humans are often portrayed as insects in post-apocalyptic literature. I contend that these narratives anticipate human extinction through descriptions of indescribable pain experienced by animal and insect swarms, which are often equated to human suffering, potentially undermining the unique otherness of non-human species.

M3 - Conference abstract

Y2 - 7 November 2024 through 10 November 2024

ER -

Unnarratable Pain and Species Extinction: Insects as Narratives in Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem

Abstract

Conference

UN SDGs

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