Technology: A Coming Race vs Frankenstein

          In his book The Coming Race, Edward Bulwer-Lytton depicts a world in which technological advancement has caused universal peace. The discovery of the ever-present force referred to as vril revolutionized Vril-ya culture. Each advancement of this technology increased the power of each individual, for good and for bad. Vril can be used to build and produce - erect structures, heal the mind and the body, etc. – but it can also be used to destroy – demolish barriers, even kill other individuals. Eventually, Vril became so powerful that a single Ana could annihilate an army at will. While one might think this would cause the destruction of their race, it did the opposite. Instead, it caused widespread peace because the threat of extinction forced the Vril-ya to abolish the use of Vril for killing. This is interesting because it directly applies to current U.S. diplomacy. The United States, in addition to many other countries, have large enough reserves of nuclear weapons to wipe humanity off the face of the planet. Despite the capability for the world to be destroyed many times over, no one has used nuclear weapons is almost seventy years. Just like the Vril-ya, no one is willing to detonate a nuclear bomb because to do so would mean to cause the extinction of the human race.  

            Bulwer-Lytton’s depiction of technological advancement is very different that of Shelley’s mainly due to the scale of progress. While Shelley talks about an individual’s achievement, Bulwer-Lytton describes an entire race’s development of knowledge over years of growth and improvement. It’s possible, however, that both author’s arguments are founded in truth. Shelley offers an accurate depiction of technological growth in the short run. The monster is a representation of how technology can often provide wondrous benefits but simultaneously carry inherent, unforeseen problems. Bulwer-Lytton, however, shows the reader that technology will cause more harm than good in the short run, but eventually, will cause peace due to a worldwide stalemate in the long run.