동아시아 여성 SF 문학에 나타난 ‘몸’의 정치성 연구 - 2000년대 한․중․일 소설을 중심으로 -

Abstract

This study aims to explore the political meaning of the body in East Asian science fiction works. Since the 2000s, science fiction literature in Korea, China, and Japan has grown qualitatively and quantitatively, addressing social issues and common themes. In particular, science fiction works created by women writers in East Asia have moved away from an anthropocentric worldview and formed new narrative structures that include non-human beings (plants, animals, technology, etc.). It is worth noting that this literary trend is rooted in posthumanism and life-centered egalitarianism, and addresses various social topics such as gender identity, environmental issues, and criticism of capitalism. Using posthumanist and neo-materialist feminist theories, this paper analyzes various depictions of the body, including monsters, parasites, and machines, in East Asian women's science fiction literature to reveal that East Asian women's science fiction literature presents a variety of ethical perspectives in the technological age. First, East Asian science fiction literature provides a new perspective beyond the existing anthropocentric thinking and seeks solidarity and equality among different beings. These works often criticize science and technology and colonial power structures that seek to control or exploit the body, while presenting a vision of coexistence and co-prosperity that goes beyond the anthropocentric framework. In addition, East Asian women's science fiction literature often reveals the political position of women through the questioning of the body. Through contact with aliens, female characters are shown to establish their own identity and challenge social control. These works highlight the vulnerability of women in patriarchal societies and suggest ways to forge new identities beyond social norms. Next, in East Asian women's science fiction, the evolution of the human body in combination with plants emphasizes ecological solidarity and interconnectedness. These narratives reveal our dependence on nature and remind us of environmental issues and the need for humans to pursue sustainable living. Fusion with plants envisions a future in which humans exist as part of nature through the process of crossing boundaries between life forms and creating new identities. Finally, in East Asian women's science fiction, posthuman beings often appear as beings that understand human emotions and transcend them. Through this relationship with non-human beings, they push the boundaries of humanity and raise questions about the nature of human existence. In short, the fulfillment of emotions through the interaction of humans with technology and humans with the environment shows how nonhuman beings redefine human existence. East Asian women's science fiction literature has shown the complex intersections of gender, technology, environment, and capitalism through speculative representations of marginalized or manipulated bodies in posthuman societies. Especially since the 2000s, the “body” in East Asian science fiction has become politicized in that it is strategically transformed to share the global problems of contemporary society