Praxis
Written by Karen Joy Fowler
www.ink2quill.com

“Praxis” is a Scifi, short story and part of a collection of short stories in the anthology “Artificial Things”. There are 13 short stories with “Praxis” being the last one. The idea is original and probably what is in store for us in the not-too-distant future. This is a less known gem worth the read. This short story has been republished in several publications over the years.

Praxis Karen Joy Fowler Goodreads webpage

Artificial Things, Praxis SF Gateway webpage

Artificial Things, Praxis SF Amazon webpage

“Praxis” is the story of narrator who went to the theater to see the Bard, William Shakespeare, ‘Romeo And Juliet’ as a guest of the Baron Claude H., his daughter and a woman called the Grande Duchesse. The narrator is in an exclusive showing of “Romeo And Juliet” and in a theater filled with the wealthiest people in society. In spite of the fact that the influential people in this society use titles like ‘Baron’ and ‘Duchesse” this is a modern society with sophisticated androids who are the actors in this play. The androids are called ‘simulants’ or ‘cyber’ and they have humanoid bodies and software brains, as the narrator clarifies to us. This society really walks the fine line of what is life and what is artificial. And shouldn’t life be sacred in a more advanced, better world? All of the wealth and technology means nothing in a society that does not hold life sacred. Anyway, I digress. In this story we soon learn that in this medieval style world the elite class uses the cybers as a buffer against the poor and downtrodden. This is a society where the noble class live in constant and extreme fear of the lower classes. The play unfolds and the narrator has an interesting conversation with the Duchesse.

The simple definition of the word ‘Praxis’ is the practice or exercise of an art, science or skill. Or the practical application of a theory. And that seems to be what goes on often in the society of the story, especially concerning the Baron. Think of the artificial people working in entertainment and the like. Think of people using their technology to create the artificial life. The theme of ‘praxis’ is pervasive in the story.

One glaring element of the story is the relationship of the cybers to their society and how that society treats them. We learn that the do the worst jobs, most have limited intellects and primitive programming, and generally are treated worse than furniture or even toasters. After all who shoots their toasters? Where are their rights? I wonder. I’m sure that they feel and have a type of awareness, call it sentience. These are the theme of slavery and genocide.

When the Duchesse shows the narrator her number IPS3552 burned into her palm. I can’t help but think back to the horrible history of the Nazi concentration camps of WWII. It reminds me of the Holocaust the nazis committed on the jews and gypsies where people were worked to death and murdered in ovens and gas chambers. Conservatively 6 million people were killed in that horrible way. It was genocide pure and simple.

The Duchesse seems to be involved in a rebellion/ genocide but how did she survive it? The Duchesse is a hard person to figure her out. She tells the story of hiding among duplicates to save herself from an angry mob during a revolution, think of the French Revolution kind of mob, but her story doesn’t hold water. She however is really the central character of the story and it is through her that we understand this society and its problems. After having read George Orwell’s novel “1984” I see that this society is struggling to maintain a status quo that is not sustainable. It is a society in collapse.

As a side note, I have a theory about this society and where it’s headed. At the moment when the cybers gain the upper hand, either with intelligence, technology or the like, they will take control of society and replace the people that created them.

This is a tale of social class, social cast, revolutions, social unrest, the mistreatment of lower classes and artificial people. These are timeless themes but in “Praxis” the story is somehow fresh and still disturbing. I feel that this story deserves a miniseries of its own to expand the ideas and worldbuilding. This is a world of rampant revolutions that don’t seem to produce positive societal change.

This is a good story. Karen Joy Fowler gave us a fresh look at themes so old and well known to history.

John Ink2Quill

I2Q Blogs / Written 2025 / AI / artificial / bard / baron / cyber / duchesse / fowler / ink2quill / john / quill / scifi / Shakespeare / short story /