Literary-prize winning French authors are not afraid of writing speculative fiction. Long before “The Anomaly”, renowned French author Robert Merle had already published several works that could be categorised either as soft SF or speculative fiction, including post-apocalyptic “Malevil,” ethology SF “The Day of the Dolphin,” and dystopian feminist “The Virility Factor.”
Categories, as often, are somewhat forced here: all through his life, one of the focus (and strength) of Merle’s novels was describing dynamic interaction of people and groups, and digging deep in individual psychology in his favourite narrative style, inner monologue. In his speculative fiction, the same focus (and strength) appears, making “Malevil” a character-driven literary novel where the apocalypse is almost just an excuse for the setting, and “The Day of the Dolphin” as much a study of human behaviour as that of the dolphins.
“The Virility Factor” is perhaps the most speculative of the three novels, though the focus on human interaction is maintained, and we are treated to well-written prose about the claustrophobic atmosphere of the protected zone. Its original title, “Les Hommes Proteges” (protected men) is perhaps more expressive of the book’s theme – a world where a disease wipes out much of the male population, making men scarce, vulnerable, and in equal measure “protected” and oppressed.
I’ve recently re-read the book, and I’ve been stung by the publishing date. The French original was published in 1974, exactly 50 years ago. Young women who read the book when it came out are in their seventies, and a girl born that year would be middle-aged now. Here’s the sting: this book should feel outdated, and at least some problems should be matters of the past. But it’s just not the case.
While science did progress significantly since 1974 and clones (that appear as a mostly theoretical possibility in the book) are nothing new, gender equality has advanced at a rather slower pace, occasionally taking one step forward, two steps back. Many women today would still be familiar with sexism-related scenes of the book. Have you ever met different expectations towards men and women – from work to parenthood, from partying to politics? Perhaps the fact that we have terminology such as the gender pay gap, glass ceiling or invisible labour marks a kind of progress – but naming the problem is only a small step towards solving it.
So, unfortunately, “The Virility Factor” has aged well, much of the social criticism still valid, and many of the situations totally recognisable for the double standards and (un)conscious bias embedded. Quite a few ideas are similar to those in 2018 French comedy “I Am Not an Easy Man”, really making one wonder about the (lack of) evolution of gender equality in the 44 years between book and film.
A different, and just as poignant sting I got from the book was the realisation how little damage could a bigot fanatical feminist authoritarian lesbian president in fiction inflict on US democracy compared to, well, some recent examples in real life. The fact that in the half-century since the book was published we still haven’t had the first female US president almost pales as a problem.
Beyond all the stings, all the unpleasant awakening to how little the world has moved forwards, let’s not forget that “The Virility Factor” is also a very entertaining novel. Merle is a great master of producing relatable main characters with decent morals and a few endearing flaws. He’s equally good at creating antagonists (often also relatable) and human monsters (some truly terrifying). After imagining all these complex characters, Merle often places them in some enclosed space – a post-apocalyptic medieval castle, an airplane, a laboratory, or in this case, a barbed-wired protected zone – and then meticulously describes the ensuing interactions from conflict to attraction to cooperation. The characters feel very alive, also thanks to the great physical details from trembling earrings to rumbling stomachs. Merle describes human interaction so well that oftentimes, the plot just seems to take a back seat – but immersed in his world, it’s hard to mind it.
If you don’t mind a small spoiler, check out one of my favourite quotes from the book below. Plus, you can read more book reviews here, or see the list of 10 Best SF novels ever written!
And last, one of my favourite quotes from the book. It’s from the last chapter, when rationality prevails and a moderate feminist president (second female US president in the novel) takes charge and introduces policies aimed at increasing the birth rate. If only it was more universally acknowledged by those in charge of demographic policies…!
“In Europe, where moral conservatism was based on a long tradition, people believed they were promoting repopulation by repressing abortion and homosexuality. President Hope judged this repressive policy harshly. … The President further estimated that the impact of contraception and abortion on demographic reconstruction was insignificant, and that of homosexuality, completely zero. According to Hope, the vast majority of women in a country actually wanted children, and putting the small minority who didn’t want them in prison would not encourage others to have more. What was needed was to give women advantages and facilities such that a large family would no longer feel as a crushing burden or lifelong slavery.”
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