Blindsight. A science fiction book written by a scientist? Or a philosophical examination by a philosopher? The two are not mutually exclusive in good science fiction, and Blindsight is a striking example.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. I understood that it was nominated for the Hugo award, so it intrigued me. It was recommended to me during a discussion about genetic memory. But when I first read that central to the book were not only extraterrestrials, but vampires in space, I was skeptical - was I going to get Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy captained by the Vampire Lestat? To my delight, and occasional horror, I was instead administered Arthur C. Clarke with a diabolical dose of H.P. Lovecraft.
Put simply, this is not an optimist's viewpoint of the future. Watts examines sentience; consciousness, awareness of self, that incomprehensible aspect of humanity which separates us from other forms of life. Watts wants to convince you that sentience IS comprehensible, an evolutionary accident, a fluke, even a flaw, and he drags you kicking and screaming into his dystopian reality. Your self-awareness is not only a lie, it's a burden to your survival.
It's stark I know, but that's because the psychology of the book reflects the terrifying reality of his topic. He speaks to the reader, involves the reader, does not let the reader sit as a passive observer to the events of the story. He assaults their very existence, calling them - us - "...stone-age nomads, eking out some marginal existence on the veldt - denying even the possibility of agriculture, because hunting and gathering was good enough for your parents." In other words,you may not like his viewpoint, you may disagree with him philosophically and morally, but those efforts are shallow rationalizations. A predictable human response, one that we've expressed in the face of the inconvenient reality throughout history - from denial of the Holocaust to the rejection of human-induced climate change. Humans don't like uncomfortable truths, and through sentience we seek to derive meaning beyond, create illusions where the truth doesn't fit what we'd like it to.
The book itself is clunky, laden with metaphors, similes and figures of speech that distract from the clarity and flow of the story. In fact, as story-telling goes, Blindsight leaves a lot to be desired. Vivid, if at times difficult to follow, descriptions do add to the horror, though, and his writing leaves the reader with an impression of his brilliance when interlaced with his unabashed scientific literacy and ability to give double-meanings to every event, action and twist in the story. It may not be the best writing, but that's a byproduct of his intelligence.
Blindsight, in sum, is a novel that examines sociopath mindsets, the consequences of automation, philosophical justifications for science, art and pursuit of knowledge, and humanity itself. Watts is undoubtedly brilliant, although that doesn't make him necessarily right. He is a biologist with a PHD who seems somewhat bitter at what he perceives to be humanity's arrogant, self important view of the universe. In Blindsight, he throws an extraterrestrial, planet sized vessel of destruction against our blinders, hoping,at the very least, to get us to see reality from another perspective.
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