Postcolonial Speculative Fiction

systems of nature

I did not consider the aliens in Lagoon needing a symbiotic relationship with humans to carry out their objectives. They could have overtly colonized the humans. They offered a symbiotic relationship with humans so the humans could find the benefits of a mutual relationship. This recalls an example we find in nature. The coyote and badger will hunt prairie dogs together. The badger can dig out but cannot out run the prairie dog. The coyote can out run the escaping prairie dog. They never share their catch, but the combination hunting increases their likelihood for food. I had envisioned the hybridity element taking place on the genetic level. When the alien dispersed the microelements, it embedded genetically with the humans. Viruses do this all the time. They like to steel parts of their host genetic information to benefit their survival. Check out how a virus stole black widow spider’s genetic code to make venom at https://lab.vanderbilt.edu/bordenstein/. What about synergism?

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