Mutiny by Mutation: Uses of Neoteny in Science Fiction

Abstract

Developmentalism and Romanticism represent contrary poles in an absolutist dichotomy that frames most Western discourse on childhood. This opposition is generally recognized in current childhood studies but the former discourse still dominates institutional practices. Both views, however, rely on similar presumptions—that development is a linear process, whether an ascent or descent; that childhood as a subjective position is best understood through simple absolutes; that through studying children we can know them and even learn about our adult selves. These common premises reinforce each discourse’s credibility and obscure their contradictions, justifying adult projections and stereotypes. In this essay I demonstrate the deconstruction of this binary in science fiction (my samples come from texts written for or popular among adolescents) and examine the more empowering views posited therein, exemplified by interpreting evolution as neotenous, or led by children.