Moderan by David R. Bunch
Moderan is a speculative fiction work that explores a dystopian society where inhabitants have undergone a transformation from biological beings to largely metallic forms, with a minimal amount of flesh. Narrated by the leader of Stronghold 10, the book comprises several interlinked stories originally published between 1959 and 1970. The narrative begins with a foreboding tone, suggesting an impending destruction that leads to the citizens being judged by their metallic composition, with those having the least flesh considered superior.
Life in Moderan revolves around war and hedonistic pursuits, including relationships with female robots, reflecting a deeply militaristic and male-centric culture. Women are largely segregated from men to prevent distractions from their war-driven objectives. Despite their mechanical bodies, the inhabitants engage in human-like rituals and emotions, celebrating holidays and forming families through scientific means. However, the underlying tensions related to love, loyalty, and the potential for emotional connections with robotic companions ultimately contribute to the society's downfall.
As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the leaders of Moderan possess the means to control their society, yet they are also deeply flawed and prone to self-destruction. The story culminates in a catastrophic ending, where the leaders’ inability to manage their emotional and societal complexities results in their own annihilation, leaving the future of humanity in a precarious state.
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Subject Terms
Moderan
First published: 1971
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—dystopia
Time of work: An indefinite time in the future
Locale: Moderan and Olderan, cities of what is presumably Earth
The Plot
A book that is greater than the sum of its parts, Moderan is narrated by the leader of Stronghold 10. The book consists of interrelated stories originally published separately between 1959 and 1970.
The tale begins with a line that sets the tone for the rest of the book: “Flesh seemed doomed that year; death’s harpies were riding down.” After the first story considers possible theological ramifications of the forthcoming destruction, David R. Bunch’s narrator crosses over into Moderan. There, he undergoes a process to change him from a life-form that is primarily biological to one that is composed largely of metal, with only a few strips of flesh left on each body. Citizens of Moderan are judged in part by how little flesh they have, though no one is ever reported as having a body that is more than 92.5 percent steel.
The narrator soon demonstrates his superior abilities. Life in Moderan consists almost exclusively of making war and “Joys,” including the equivalent of sexual activity with “female” robots. The narrator excels at both pursuits. As explained in “And So White Witch Valley,” Moderan is “man country with man aims and man views.” Women who have undergone the transformation are relegated to a walled province so that men will not be distracted from their purpose of making war.
The stories emphasize everyday life in Moderan. The residents of Moderan, even though they may be primarily steel, observe the rituals of humanity. They celebrate Halloween (“black cat weather and jack-o’-lantern times”) and Christmas (“Jingle-Bell weather”), have families through scientific methods that allow the parents to maintain lives independent of both their children and each other, and fall in love.
It is this last that brings about the downfall of Moderan society, though the seeds of its destruction are made clear long before. In “Penance Day in Moderan,” the narrator and several of his cohorts gleefully lie to one another about new weapons and new tactics they plan to use in forthcoming battles while paying penance with artificial tears. “Playmate” makes it obvious that the true rulers of Moderan know precisely how to control their society. Bunch makes clear the problems that can develop in Moderan society if the little girl-playmate-companion dolls in widespread use become more than playthings. The specter of White Witch Valley is raised continually. The women of Moderan are not necessarily any less vicious than the men: Little Sister, who in many ways is the closest approximation to a human being in Moderan society, almost inevitably produces a “yes” answer to the title in “Was She Horrid?” The narrator himself is chastised and nearly stripped of his stronghold for having fallen in love with his robot playmate in “Getting Regular.”
Ultimately, another Stronghold leader, whose own ro-botic plaything is destroyed accidentally during what is supposed to be a cease-fire, is so affected by her destruction that he unleashes the full power of his arsenal on Moderan. Several doomsday weapons later, the proudly social Darwinistic leaders of Moderan prove their superiority to the Flesh-Born by managing to destroy their own society in only a few days, far less time than the humans before them had taken to destroy theirs. It is left open as to how long, when, or if the surviving humans who will inherit this plastic-covered world will live.