From Middle-earth to Westeros: How fall shows build worlds 鈥� and bridges
In 2022, the biggest-budget shows on the small screen engage in what鈥檚 termed 鈥渨orld building.鈥澛�
These sci-fi and fantasy programs are escapist entertainment, but only up to a point. It鈥檚 hard to avoid drawing parallels between world-building narratives and modern-day issues.聽
Whether it鈥檚 Elves pitted against Dwarves in Middle-earth (Amazon鈥檚 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,鈥� debuting Sept. 1, rated TV-14), rival houses vying for power in Westeros (HBO鈥檚 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� prequel 鈥淗ouse of the Dragon,鈥� premiering Aug. 21, rated TV-MA), or the United Federation of Planets鈥� racist attitude toward Romulans (Paramount+鈥檚 鈥淪tar Trek: Picard,鈥� final season due in 2023), these tales often reflect tribalism in the real world.聽
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onSci-fi and fantasy programs are abundant now. What new views are they offering on conflict and cooperation?
It鈥檚 a recognition that an 鈥渦s versus them鈥� instinct has beset humankind since, well, forever. Yet these adventures also offer timeless ideals. Archetypal heroes illustrate the leadership qualities that can ameliorate polarization and develop unity and cooperation.
鈥淭he mandate when you鈥檙e telling stories is to find something where there鈥檚 some tension,鈥� says Daniel Abraham, co-author of 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� novels that were adapted into a recent Amazon series (for ages 16-plus). 鈥淭he thing that epic fantasy and science fiction lend themselves to on this kind of scale is there鈥檚 a largeness to the stories. They鈥檙e well built for telling stories about clashes between cultures and nations.鈥�
In 鈥淭he Expanse,鈥� the solar system is divided into three warring factions: the people of Earth, those who have colonized Mars, and Belters, who mine asteroids in deep space. The miners are an exploited caste, recognizable by their tall and thin physiology because they live in a low-gravity environment. They speak a language called Belter Creole. At its core, 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� is a critique of racism and tribalism. The difference between the heroes and villains is a narrow versus expansive view of humanity.聽
鈥淥ne of those two people says, 鈥業 want world peace and I鈥檓 going to try to build consensus among world leaders that allows us to negotiate our problems,鈥欌�� says Ty Franck, the other author of 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� books, which are published under the joint pen name James S.A. Corey. 鈥淎nd the other one says, 鈥業鈥檓 going to get world peace by killing everybody who doesn鈥檛 belong to my tribe.鈥欌�澛�
Although 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� seems to reflect our current milieu, its authors primarily drew inspiration from the pre-classical era in which tyrants ruled city-states. They note that history tends to repeat itself. For that reason, viewers read contemporary politics into fantastical genres. 聽
When 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� 鈥� based on a series written by George R.R. Martin 鈥� was on air, 脩usta Carranza Ko noticed that her students in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore regularly referenced the show鈥檚 tribal politics in classes. 鈥淚t reminds me of Thomas Hobbes鈥� great notion of group egoism,鈥� says Ms. Ko, who co-wrote the book 鈥淕ame of Thrones and Theories of International Relations鈥� with Laura Young, political science and international studies department chair at Georgia Gwinnett College. 鈥淭hat kind of notion of our group, and our interests versus that of others, gets interfaced multiple times in the 鈥楪ame of Thrones.鈥欌��
A common trope in fantastical stories such as 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� and 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� is that individuals from disparate groups have to learn to see beyond narrow interests based on group identity. They鈥檙e compelled to do so by an existential threat that threatens all of them.聽
For instance, in Amazon鈥檚 latest Tolkien adaptation, the Elf Galadriel leads a fellowship consisting of representatives of various Middle-earth factions. Dwarves, Elves, Men, and Harfoots (precursors to Hobbits, who share a similar disdain for footwear) unite in a quest to combat the evil Sauron.聽
The plot seems consonant with themes that Mr. Tolkien elucidated in 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings.鈥� As individuals overcome their personal prejudices about others, it represents the overcoming of tribalism.
Those who study conflict resolution have observed that when individuals from competing camps unite to solve a common problem, it helps create a new shared identity. 鈥淸Mr. Tolkien鈥檚] really exploring two different aspects of humanity. He鈥檚 trying to explore what our individual self is and what we can do heroically as individuals. But he鈥檚 also trying to fit that within the other side, and that is our desire to be part of the community in some way,鈥� says Bradley Birzer, author of 鈥淛.R.R. Tolkien鈥檚 Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-earth.鈥澛�
Once the disparate characters join forces with those of other factions, they don鈥檛 give up their original identities. But they don鈥檛 remain beholden to them either. 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� character Naomi Nagata embodies that duality by code-switching between her native Belter language and English.聽
The archetypal heroes in these stories exemplify leadership qualities that promote cooperation. They鈥檙e able to empathize with multiple groups because they themselves are outsiders by nature. Jon Snow, the hero of 鈥淕ame of Thrones,鈥� believes that he is the misbegotten son of Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell. James Holden, the heroic spaceship captain in 鈥淭he Expanse,鈥� has eight genetic parents. (This is science fiction. It鈥檚 complicated.)聽
鈥淭here are leaders who might try to unite people through sheer force but that tends not to work,鈥� says Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, who has written columns for The Washington Post about the political messages of 鈥淭he Expanse鈥� and 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥� 鈥淎nd then there are leaders who can unite because they have sufficient amounts of empathy and theory of mind to understand not just where they鈥檙e coming from, but where their potential allies are coming from.鈥�
The protagonist鈥檚 ability to forge a compromise comes from developing a balance between masculine and feminine qualities. In his 2004 book, 鈥淭he Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories,鈥� Christopher Booker describes the hero鈥檚 journey as an arc in which the embrace of feminine characteristics brings 鈥渕asculine strength fully to life by giving it the vital ingredient of connection ... which gives a link to others and to the world outside of ego.鈥�
In the final beat of these stories, the protagonist often makes a difficult choice (spoilers ahead). Jon Snow gives up his claim to the Iron Throne. Not just because a chair constructed of swords is perhaps the world鈥檚 least comfortable piece of furniture, but because he realizes that lust for power perpetuates group conflict. Similarly, in 鈥淭he Expanse,鈥� James Holden relinquishes his ego by stepping aside as president of a new intergalactic trade union. He cedes the position to a Belter and thus empowers the solar system鈥檚 repressed underclass. It鈥檚 setting aside a narrow affiliation with his original identity for the greater good of humanity. 鈥淗e鈥檚 trying to lean toward the light,鈥� explains Mr. Abraham. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what makes him a hero.鈥�
He and his fellow author admit that the character represents an idealism.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 a person who believes that we have enough cynicism in the world,鈥� says Mr. Franck. 鈥淚 think maybe that the piece we鈥檙e missing in our heroes right now is a little naivet茅.鈥澛�
