The Giants Among Us: A Review of Sylvain Neuvel’s ‘The Themis Files’
Science-fiction has occupied the public’s mind for centuries, before, and at the height of, the Scientific Revolution, with scientific inquiry sparking literary movements and vice-versa. Scientists have said that Star Trek inspired their love for discovery (Simon, “The Sci-Fi that Came Before Science”). Science-fiction literature has constantly pushed the boundaries of scientific norms, with authors imagining different realities that could be possible with scientific progress. Science-fiction in itself is a fascinating topic, because of its ability to push human imagination to its limit, where technology can either aid or break humanity.
Science-fiction literature is different from speculative fiction (a much broader genre of ‘what-if’ literature) and fantasy with one major premise: the science used in the work must have some basis in current technology, and should be possible if science advances to a certain point. For example, science-fiction would involve extraterrestrial life (theoretically possible), whereas fantasy would involve magic (not possible at all in our world).
The Themis Files opens up with one simple question — what if we were not the only intelligent species to inhabit the Earth? Considering how murky our history is, Neuvel draws upon a popular idea known as the ‘Silurian Hypothesis’ (named after the characters introduced in Doctor Who, the hypothesis theorises that there may have been an ancient, powerful civilisation that inhabited the Earth several million years ago, and researchers Schmidt and Frank pondered on modern science’s ability to detect such a civilisation from remnants that would have survived today). The work revolves around questions of robotics, alien life, of the threats posed by alien life, and how prepared humanity is to deal with concepts that have the potential to change the way life works on Earth.
The work is interesting as it tackles a number of questions around technology, around older civilisations and alien life, and the impact that such technology will have on all human beings on Earth, from powerful leaders to the everyday individual. A section of the first novel talks about the ordinary nature of everyday life — despite new inventions being uncovered almost every day, the average man’s lifestyle has largely remained the same, with routines like school, work, housekeeping, and visiting friends and family taking up large chunks of time. However, with such massive discoveries, life, as we know it, has fundamentally shifted, and this series explores exactly how such a discovery would rock every single person to their core.
*If you are interested in a more detailed review, keep reading. WARNING: Spoilers for all three works below*
The first novel revolves around the initial discovery of a massive robot hidden beneath the earth — the robot is split into different pieces, with Dr Rose Franklin discovering the first piece, a metal hand, as a child. Fast-forward a few years, to Dr Franklin heading a search team handled by an unnamed organiser, comprising of two pilots, a linguist, and a geneticist. As they uncover more parts from regions around the world, we see interviews conducted with the head of the NSA, with generals from the US military, and with the members of the team themselves as pieces are recovered from Turkey, Russia, and other places.
The narrative style of the novel shifts between interviews, journal entries, and press conference releases giving the reader a holistic, yet first-person view of the story as it progresses. Unlike other sci-fi novels, the trilogy builds on the current world and the shock-waves that would theoretically run through the entire planet if such a discovery was to be made. From dealing with Russian soldiers while unearthing a piece near Siberia, to ensuring that the US military gives up some camps to satisfy Iraqi government, the novel slowly moves towards the construction of a massive, interplanetary weapon. With the completion of the robot (it was discovered to be a massive robot with a sword, a shield, and a small sphere within for two pilots to control the arms and the legs of this humanoid robot). The team within the robot accidentally press the wrong buttons and teleport to the Denver Airport, creating a crater that measures half a mile. Deemed too dangerous to operate, the robot was sent to the depths of the ocean, in hopes that with better technology, the robot would be recovered. However, the robot is soon recovered by a small team of nations, including Russia, Turkey, and the UAE, with American companies working with this small conglomerate. A power-crazed geneticist takes the robot to the North Korean border, provoking waves of fear and outrage across the international community. The exposure of such a weapon rocks humanity to its core, and the safest option was to send the weapon to the UN and establish an interplanetary defence council.
The second novel picks up on two new situations; Dr Rose Franklin has been brought back to life by the advanced extraterrestrial civilisation, and the novel opens with a second robot falling from the sky to land in Hyde Park. As time passes, robots continue to land on Earth’s surface, with 13 robots occupying 13 major cities around the world. Chaos ensues when the robot in London releases a toxic gas that kills approximately 99.95 per cent of the population, resulting in four million deaths in the city. The novel addresses a number of important questions around two central topics; one of identity, and the other of confrontation with a species that is far above our own technological capabilities. Soon, the rest of the robots also release toxic gas, with the eventual death toll rising to approximately 100 million people around the world. With a few thousand survivors remaining, Alyssa Papantoniou (the geneticist) studies the genetic makeup of the survivors to note that each survivor’s DNA contains a slew of genetic differences and disorders that are too rare to appear in such a large amount of people. Meanwhile, Dr Franklin takes over the unnamed narrator’s role as the unofficial head of the Themis project, as she is too valuable to be lost. Upon discovering that she has essentially been ‘re-made’, she suffers from a crisis of faith as she deals with questions revolving around authenticity and originality, and with questions of what makes a human being special when all we are is matter arranged a particular way. A conversation between the unnamed narrator and Mr Burns (the liaison) raised an interesting question — theoretically, there is an understanding that human beings are made of matter, of the same stuff that makes chairs and tables and food and everything else in the world. Objectively speaking, there is nothing physical that makes us different from anything else — at the base level, we are made of the same stuff. Yet, when Dr Franklin was brought back from the dead by simply rearranging matter to re-make her, the idea of a ‘copy’, of un-originality, arises. What makes us, us? If we were broken down to the atomic level and then re-created, would that make us different from what we were before? Rationally, it should not — Dr. Franklin was recreated to be the same, down to the atomic level, and she is who she is. Yet, she cannot shake off the feeling that she does not belong, that she is ‘out of sync’, raising the question of identity in terms of originality and re-creation — is she a copy? Does the question of being a ‘copy’ even arise, or is it just the intense human desire to be unique exerting itself in this situation?
At the same time, Kara and Vincent (the two pilots) must also deal with questions of parenthood, as they discover that they have become unlikely parents — Alyssa harvested their eggs and sperm to create a third pilot in case something goes wrong, with 10-year-old Eva being the new pilot for Themis. Kara discovers the child’s existence, smuggles her out of Puerto Rico, and is able to bring her to Themis. However, Kara passes away as she falls to her death in an attempt to save the two of them from the deadly white fog.
Continuing on the same vein as the first novel, the sequel continues in a similar style — with interviews, personal journal entries, and recorded conversations. The work continues to build on global implications of such practices; one interesting question raised was what people would do if such a devastating situation were to occur, and the lengths they would go through to level the playing field. With the Spanish government dropping a nuclear bomb on Madrid, in an attempt to destroy the robot, it became abundantly clear that not only were the robots impervious to nuclear attacks but the lengths that humanity would go through in an attempt to show that we have the bigger stick.
The novel concludes with the discovery as to why the human race was being eradicated — with the creation of Themis happening over 3,000 years ago, it was discovered that there were an alien species on Earth at that time. As time passes, these alien species mated with humans, resulting in alien DNA spread out over humanity — each human being (bar a very rare few) contained traces of alien DNA. Upon such a discovery, extra-terrestrials attempted to remove all alien presence from humanity, with the argument being that the development of a civilisation should be untouched, and not interfered with. However, since almost every human being does have some trace of alien DNA, Dr Franklin was forced to try and destroy a robot with a solution that does not involve the use of technology that has been ‘tainted’ by alien interference — nothing that has been created in the past 3,000 years. The question of ‘species interference’ and ‘pure development’, too, brings to light several other concerns, namely those of superiority (reflected in race-related issues that have plagued humanity for millennia, and continue to do so today). Her solution is an ingenious one — a particular strain of bacteria that has existed for thousands of years, capable of breaking down the metal found on the robot, eventually resulting in the robot breaking down due to this structural compromise. Dr Franklin is able to gather kegs of this bacteria and spray it on the robot’s foot in London, resulting in the robot’s leg being compromised, and subsequently falling to the ground. The sequel ends here, with Dr. Franklin proving humanity’s intelligence while still using knowledge gained over the centuries.
The final installment in the trilogy brings the tale to a head, picking up almost nine years later — the world is deeply segregated, and Eva, Vincent, and Rose have been trapped on a foreign planet for nine years before finally returning home. The novel introduces a foreign world — Esat Ekt, and its people, the Ekt (while also introducing a whole new language, props to the author for this, without simply ‘inventing’ a deus ex-machina-style translator and actually diving into the idea of aliens having a foreign language and struggling to communicate with Earthlings), diving into the complications of having multiple species on a planet that values non-interference above all else. The Esat Ekt is rocked with protests thanks to their stay, as the four humans pose challenging questions to the Ekt and other species; do they contain enough DNA to be considered citizens or are they outcasts? Though their stay on the planet is tenuous, with a slow-moving Council, the decision on whether to stay or leave takes over nine years, ending when the Empress convinces Vincent to give up key allies of a ‘terrorist organisation’ so she can gain control over her planet once more, without resorting to the Council. Their excitement upon returning to Earth with Themis is shattered when they realise how broken the world has become — the planet is divided into three major power factions, namely USA, Russia, and China — the US dominates on a global scale thanks to Lapetus (the abandoned robot they managed to revive), with most countries now being US colonies. Discrimination takes on a new meaning with every person being segregated to a particular scale based on how much alien DNA they have, from A1 (being ‘pure’) to A5 (being ‘impure’), with A5s occupying detention camps and prisons. Islamophobia continues to rear its ugly head in this world, as it was discovered that the aliens first inhabited the land that is now Turkey over 3,000 years ago (a unique take on the nature of discrimination and prejudice — when the world changes, humans don’t ignore old hatred for new ones; rather, new reasons are given to justify old hatred).
The final work shifts through themes of discrimination, prejudice and xenophobia, and of government manipulation and the greed for power against all odds. Back in Esat Ekt, the Empress thirst for power, chained by a Council that deliberates at a glacial pace, and on Earth, Rose Franklin is forced to return to the US, Vincent defects to Russia (and keeps Themis in Russia’s hands, in order to level the playing field), and Eva now pilots Lapetus. The work comes to a head when Themis and Lapetus fight — Themis representing Russia and China, Lapetus representing the US and Korea, both eventually disabling the other and lying on a field, leaving both robots up for grabs. Rose makes a call to the Ekt, with one simple message — this is on you. Squarely placing blame on the Ekt for what has happened on Earth, Rose sees humanity as childish, immature, a species not ready to take on interstellar responsibilities. The work ends with the Ekt returning to the Earth, to deliver a message written by Rose; namely, that the Ekt would be watching, to destroy the internment camps, let people go, and to disarm the human race of both robots. The idea of humanity shattering, when faced with awe-inspiring power, is one that I can, unfortunately, see eye-to-eye with; most weapons have been designed not with peace in mind, but war. Franklin’s opinion of humanity is resignation tinged with hope — though we, as a species, maybe immature now, there is a chance that the race matures in the future, to a point where humanity can handle such power without using it to target each other.
The entire trilogy is a delightful science-fiction adventure into how humanity would deal with extra-terrestrial interference, how governments would react on a global scale, and the persistence of discrimination against other humans when faced with an alien power that’s far, far above our own. Unlike other sci-fi novels that I’ve read, where the focus is on technology or alien life, this trilogy focused on the human reaction to technology and alien life, making it much more enjoyable and easier to connect and resonate with.
References:
Neuvel, Sylvain. Sleeping Giants. Del Rey Publications. 2016. Print.
Neuvel, Sylvain. Waking Gods. Del Rey Publications. 2017. Print.
Neuvel, Sylvain. Only Human. Del Rey Publications. 2018. Print.
Simon, Edward. “The Science Fiction That Came Before Science”. The Atlantic. November 2016. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/the-science-fiction-that-came-before-science/508067/
