Symbiosis in fiction

Symbiosis (mutualism)appears in fiction, especiallyscience fiction,as a plot device. It is distinguished fromparasitism in fiction,a similar theme, by the mutual benefit to the organisms involved, whereas theparasiteinflicts harm on its host.

Relationships

Further information:Parasitism in fictionandHuman possession in science fiction

Relationships between species in earlyscience fictionwere oftenimaginatively parasitic,with theparasitesdraining thevital energyof their human hosts and taking over their minds, as inArthur Conan Doyle's 1895The Parasite.

After theSecond World War,science fiction moved towards more mutualistic relationships, as inTed White's 1970By Furies Possessed;Brian Stablefordargues that White was consciously opposing thexenophobiaofRobert Heinlein's 1951The Puppet Masterswhich involved a parasitic relationship close todemonic possession,with a more positive attitude towards aliens.Stableford notes, however, thatOctavia Butler's 1984Clay's Arkand other of her works such asFledgling,andDan Simmons's 1989Hyperiontake an ambivalent position, in which the aliens may confer powers such asHyperion's ability to regenerate continually—but at a price, in its case an incremental loss of intelligence at each regeneration.

InStar Trek,theTrillwere a race of humanoids who incorporated a long-living symbiont. One of them was a main character on the seriesStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.

In the seriesStargate SG-1,both the principal villains, theGoa'uldand their benevolent versions, theTok'rawere symbionts who grafted themselves into the human nervous system.

The Forcein theStar Warsuniverse is described by the fictional seerObi-Wan Kenobias "an energy field created by all living things". InThe Phantom Menace,Qui-Gon Jinnsays microscopic lifeforms called midi-chlorians, inside all living cells, allow characters with enough of these symbionts in their cells to feel and use the Force.

InDouglas Adams's humorous 1978The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,the Babel fish lives in its human host's ear, feeding on the energy of its host's brain waves, in return translating any language to the host's benefit.

In theUltramanseries, the titular aliens take human bodies to rest in and hide among society, while the hosts gain inhuman levels of speed and strength.

See also

• Evolution in fiction
• Genetics in fiction