Monday, September 5, 2016

The Big Trip Up Yonder, Kurt Vonnegut

This is the second short story of Kurt Vonnegut's (1922-2007) that I have read. "The Big Trip Up Yonder" (1954) is available freely at Gutenberg.org. There are not many of his stories on Gutenberg.org, so unless I can find more of them elsewhere, this will be the last.

"The Big Trip Up Yonder" is similar in theme to his other story, "2 B R 0 2 B". Aging has been cured. Unlike "2 B R 0 2 B", no attempt at population control has been made. Growing food hasn't kept up with the population. Breakfast is "egg-type processed seaweed." The apartment is very small, but occupied by many generations. The eldest owns it, and has control over where those who live in the apartment may sleep.

The medicine that is used to stop aging is 'anti-gerasone.' To get rid of Gramps Ford, the medicine is poured down the drain. Gramps Ford catches Lou in the act, but says nothing. The next day, they discover a note with a will leaving the small apartment to them all in equal proportion. This creates a battle which " 500,000,000 delighted viewers on the Eastern Seaboard" get to see on TV.

The family members find themselves in a prison where the conditions are better than they are on the outside.

Em and Lou, in adjacent four-by-eight cells, were stretched out peacefully on their cots.
"Em," called Lou through the partition, "you got a washbasin all your own, too?"
"Sure. Washbasin, bed, light—the works. And we thought Gramps' room was something. How long has this been going on?" She held out her hand. "For the first time in forty years, hon, I haven't got the shakes—look at me!"
"Cross your fingers," said Lou. "The lawyer's going to try to get us a year."

In other words, the small prison with the cots and the wash basin give them the most space and privacy than they've ever had in Gramps Ford's small apartment.

Meanwhile, Gramps Ford is back in his apartment, all alone, and watches on the TV an anti-aging medication which will allow him to return to a youthful state. Of course, he starts to order it.

This is an awful dystopia. Of course as technology develops, humankind's ability to produce more food improves. Today there are prototypes of automated farms and gardens, while LED lights are efficient and capable of growing food. However, there will of course be limitations in the number of people who can live on the planet. But no one really knows what that number is. As technology advances, so too does the ability to expand the population. Further, if populations do explode to that degree, it may erode the natural world to the extent that it cannot sustain us in terms of atmospheric gasses (no trees). It's hard to imagine where we're headed. Also, natural disasters are fully capable of killing millions when in populated regions.

The idea of an immortal grandfather perpetually holding over his kin their pecking order within his will is quite comical. It is a dark piece of science fiction comedy.

Anyhow, it's a very short story and a good read.

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