Грег Эганның «Теранезия» романдасы: ғылым, қоғам және эволюция

1999 novel by Greg Egan

Teranesia is a 1999 science fiction novel by Greg Egan. Karen Burnham, an engineer and science fiction literary critic, stated how Egan's novels dive into scientific and socio political discourse in an "elegant" way to contribute to these conversations. Burnham wrote a book dedicated to Greg Egan's hard science fiction craft and artistic agenda, with an exclusive interview with notoriously private Egan. Greg Egan received a Bachelors of Science degree in mathematics from University of Western Australia. In Teranesia, American literary critic N. Katherine Hayles analyses how Egan conceptualised how quantum mechanics can intersect with consciousness in Teranesia, a reflection of his studies into mathematical theories. Egan dives into the foundations of quantum mechanics in a series called 'Foundations', where he explains modern physics concepts for fans who yearn to understand the scientific theory in his fictions. Egan has been vocal about his disdain in Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. In the Afterword for Teranesia, Egan remarks the austere conditions of Australia's detention centres and the 2001 Tampa Affair which roused Australia's border protection policy. He concludes he feels a "melancholic duty to report" these "atrocities". Egan dedicated himself to the refugee support movement, visiting refugees who had been detained and welcoming his home to those released from detention centres seeking a new life in Australia. This highlights Egan's field of research and inspiration when building the landscape of Teranesia. The refugee experience and impacts of migration can be seen in an array of his novels such as Distress (1995), Zendegi (2010) and Teranesia (1999), where Prabhir and Madhursee seek asylum in Canada. Steven Shaviro, an American philosopher and cultural critic states how Teranesia explores ramifications of inter ethnic and religious conflict in Indonesia through migration. In the acknowledgements of Teranesia, Egan shows appreciation toward The Malay Archipelago (1869) by Alfred Russel Wallace, a journal of scientific exploration around the Dutch East Indies, also known as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. He also mentions 'The Spice Islands Voyage' by Tim Severin which recounts Severin's expedition of where Wallace had initially explored 140 years later. This inspired Egan's take on the ecology of the islands of the South Mollacus in the novel.

This novel involves intersecting commentary on sexuality and gender, biological evolution, consciousness and rationality.

In numerous interviews leading up to the publication of Teranesia, Egan states that a central theme of Teranesia is biological evolution and "sexuality". Christopher Palmer, a fiction author with expertise in science fiction dissects Egan's take on dismantling gender stereotypes in Teranesia. Palmer supports this idea, voicing how in Teranesia, Egan has a clear inclination to tell stories regarding rationalism and self willed decision making. He continues to state as Teranesia is one of Egan's character driven novels, emphasis on Prabir's self determinism and rational thought roots from his father's involvement with the Indian Rationalist Association. Simon Petrie, a recognised science fiction writer and judge of the Aurealis Awards, comments on how 'Teranesia' is unique amongst the rest of Egan's novels being more character driven than science driven. Greg L Johnson, a writer for the New York Review of Science Fiction, and Petrie both state the real strength of Egan's Teranesia is in the character development, notably the protagonist Prabir, where responders are more concerned with Prabir's emotional crisis than the scientific discoveries. Grimwood then critiques how Egan doesn't fully explore pertinent themes in the narrative such as religion, political strife and Indonesian imperialism in detail, leaving fallacies when constructing motivations for the protagonist Prabir. N. Katherine Hayles, whose specialty lies in the literary intersection of technology and science, claims that Egan's novels, including 'Teranesia' offers a "millennial reassessment" to the concepts of consciousness. Literary and science fiction expert and author Christopher Palmer asserts how Egan intertwines biological concepts of evolution to exemplify human flaws such as misjudgements and impulse.