The deliberate infliction of infertility in science fiction

Abstract

Infertility in science fiction (SF) is a huge subject. This article limits itself to the intersection of the deliberate infliction of infertility on humans, aliens, and animals by intelligent agencies. These narratives demonstrate fear of death, of the unknown, and of loss of immortality through the inability to engender offspring. Many of these stories serve as modern parables that warn against excessive hubristic overreach in our chase for posthuman changes that may seem to be improvements but actually hamper or hinder humanity, in this case, through infertility. While serving as cautionary tales, almost all of these stories result in a happy ending, a common outcome in SF that readers and audiences have come to expect from the genre.