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Original research
Science fiction in bioethics: a role for feminist narratology
  1. Evie Kendal
  1. School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Evie Kendal, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; ekendal{at}swin.edu.au

Abstract

This article explores the various reasons science-fictional references feature so prominently in bioethical debate, particularly regarding emerging reproductive biotechnologies. It will reflect on how science-fictional references are often co-opted in bioethics scholarship to promote technoconservatism, before considering how bioethicists can engage more appropriately with this genre in practice. This will include a discussion of which kinds of texts might be best suited to stimulate meaningful debate, and how using tools of literary analysis, such as narratology, can maximise the potential benefits of uniting these fields.

  • medical ethics/bioethics
  • literary studies
  • film
  • narrative ethics

Data availability statement

No data are available. Not applicable.

https://doi.org/10.1136/medhum-2021-012283

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    Data availability statement

    No data are available. Not applicable.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors EK is the sole author of this work.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.