This essay argues that the relationship between these two texts is far more complex than prequel and sequel, and that their combined structure calls into question the rationale of narrative theory (as it has been practiced in literary studies), and even the production of meaning itself, by reconfiguring narrative as a super-intelligent evolutionary system. Watts retards Echopraxia by shifting his conceptual focus from speculations based on hard science toward imaginings of a mystical hive-mind intelligence for which he openly admits there is not a single shred of existing scientific evidence. Watts's critique of anthropocentrism, however, exceeds the compelling and sometimes disturbing thought experiments he depicts in his fiction beyond the novelty of their content, Watts's recent novels Blindsight (2006) and Echopraxia (2014) attack the values of humanism at the level of narrative form. Abstract:Peter Watts is a relatively new figure in the field of science fiction, and his recent work has presented the literary community with a refreshingly innovative take on the ontological question of the human.
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