Strange Relations by Philip José Farmer
"Strange Relations" is a collection of five science fiction stories that delve into complex themes of familial relationships and identity through unconventional narratives. The stories, each previously published separately, explore the dynamics of motherhood, fatherhood, and sibling relationships against the backdrop of alien encounters and transformative experiences.
In the first tale, "Mother," a mother-son duo becomes entwined with an alien species, leading to a bizarre symbiotic relationship that challenges traditional notions of parenthood. The sequel, "Daughter," continues this exploration with themes of survival and adaptation as the offspring navigate their harsh environment. "Father" presents a theological and existential crisis as a human grapples with the responsibilities of godhood, culminating in a profound personal sacrifice.
Other stories, such as "Son," examine themes of psychological struggle and liberation, while "My Sister's Brother" confronts issues of alien sexuality and repulsion, further complicating notions of connection and identity. Together, these narratives invite readers to consider the fluidity of relationships and the impact of external forces on personal identity, encouraging a deep reflection on the nature of familial ties across species and worlds.
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Strange Relations
First published: 1960
Type of work: Stories
Type of plot: Science fiction—cultural exploration
Time of work: From the 1950’s to an unspecified time in the future
Locale: Earth, Mars, and various planets
The Plot
The five stories in this collection vary in length and were written and published separately in various science-fiction magazines, including Argosy. The first story, “Mother,” was published in 1953 and focuses on the concept of maternal relationships. Paula, a domineering female scientist, and her son Eddie, a mother-fixated divorcé, embark on a scientific expedition, only to crash-land on the planet Baudelaire. They are captured by a race of intelligent, wholly female vegetables.
Once inside his new mother, Eddie functions as a sexual parasite living in the stomach womb of the vegetable. He is fed by her and accepted as one of her own babies, while also becoming her mate. In his adaptation to the mother’s environment, Eddie forgets his real mother and comes to accept the plant as his surrogate. Inside the womb, he becomes progressively infantilized and finally accepts his place and function there.
The second story, “Daughter,” is in some ways a sequel, as it concerns three daughters, the probable offspring of Eddie and his new mother. Two of the daughters are killed because of their stupidity and lack of foresight, but the third adapts through a combination of wile and scientific principles learned from her human father. By altering her body structure, she traps and kills the creature responsible for her sisters’ deaths. She comes to represent a progressively adaptive new species, combining the powers of physical transformation with a cunning intellect.
“Father,” the longest story in the collection, concerns an encounter with an alien god. The father of the story has the power to control his planet completely and has effectively turned it into a paradise for the creatures on it. Nothing is essentially created or killed, instead being endlessly recycled into solely female forms. The father wishes to travel to other galaxies, and he begins to search for a replacement caretaker for the planet. To facilitate this, the god causes a human spacecraft to crash on the planet; it carries likely candidates. His choice, ironically, is Bishop Andre. The internal struggle that ensues is between the roles of active servant and passive god. Andre is plunged into religious and theological turmoil. His crisis of faith explores the questions of perfection and responsibility, and ultimately the struggle proves too much for him. His friend, Father Carmody, witnesses the split in Andre, between administering to his human flock and actually becoming a god. Andre’s suicide effectively saves him from blasphemy against his own god and makes him a martyr.
“Son” is about Jones, a survivor of an American liner torpedoed by a Russian submarine. Inside the submarine, Jones takes part in a psychological game, hosted by a computer, that probes the limits of his own personality. Ultimately, he breaks free of his submarine mother, destroys her, and makes it to the surface.
The final story, “My Sister’s Brother,” takes place on Mars and explores the lives of the subterranean people who are responsible for the planet’s ecosystem. The human protagonist, Lane, finds himself alone on the planet with Martia, an alien stranger. Martia’s race is essentially bisexual and reproduces by offering larvae to mates. Martia initiates this sexual activity with Lane, who is repulsed and kills the larva offered to him.