This document provides a summary and analysis of the science fiction novel Limit of Vision by Linda Nagata. It discusses several themes relating to human responsibility towards artificial lifeforms. The novel centers around artificial intelligence and what duties humans have towards artificial creatures. It focuses on the ethical challenges posed by humanity's interaction with highly intelligent non-human lifeforms that were created by humans, as well as conflicts between physicians' duties to their patients versus their obligations to enforce laws. The document analyzes how these themes explored in the novel relate to real-world issues around biotechnology, medical ethics, and human responsibilities towards advanced non-human entities.

1. Paul R. Viola
HON 3305 Narrative Medicine
Final Reflection Paper
Limit of Vision is a bookby LindaNagata whichcentersaroundthe notionof artificial
intelligenceand whathumandutiesare towardsartificial creatures. Thisbookdiscussesseveral themes
relatedtothiscourse;the one I wishto focuson ishuman dutiestowardsartificiallifeforms.
Additionally,thisbookalsodiscussesthe issue of physicians’dutiestowardstheirpatients. Inthisbook,
Randall Panwar,Virgil Copeland,and GabrielleVillantiare researchscientistsforEquaSys –Equatorial
Systems,acompanywhichworkedona device calledLOV. Thisdevice wasfirstconstructed
to interactsymbioticallywithorganismsbut eventuallystartedacting asone initsown rightand was
implantedsomewhere onthe head. Inthe beginningof the book,Gabrielle isfounddeadinthe
laboratory,whenshe,Randall,andVirgilwere supposedtogive apresentationonthe LOV,originally
inventedbySummerGoforth–nowa scientistforthe International BiotechnologyCommission,but
laterabandonedbyherafterseeingthe disastrous results. Randall,Virgil,andtheirthenbossNash
Chou,latera UN agentand scientist, are investigated bythe local authoritiesformurder. Randall leads
Virgil awayfromthe laboratorywhere theyare under house arrest,afterbeingshotbythe authorities,
but he isable to maintainhiscomposure due tothe LOVsgivinghimstrength. While Randall andVirgil
are underarrestin theirlaboratory,the anLOV sendsa message tothe twoshowing how itmight
survive;inthe process,therebysendinganLOV colonydownclose to Hanoi.
Thisprojectasks me to thinkcriticallyaboutacontemporaryethical issue,whichIwill identify
veryshortly,butthere are twoothersthat I will describeverybriefly.ElaSuvanatatisa starving
writerwhoafterseeingthe crashbegsher jobbrokerto allow herto go to dive nearthe scene of this
LOV colonywhile workingonanotherproject forKyXuanNgyuen. The endof all thisisthat all of the
maincharacters, Ky,Ela, andVirgil are involvedwithestablishinga“reservation”forLOVs. Isay
“reservation”inquotesbecause inIBC’sview,all three are criminalsbutdue toKy’snegotiationswith
the local governmentandthe UN,the three are protected – as longas the UN keepsagreeingtotheir
demands. It doesn’tlastlong;atmost three monthsbefore the InternationalBiotechnology
CommissiongoesonTV to declare anemergency. The LOVsbondwithanyorganismtheycan in
contact with,includinghumansandfish. Theyevenrigupa makeshiftshowerforEla.

2. There are several differentthemeswhichcanbe discussedhere,includingthe issueof consent –
as personsare evacuatedfromthe reservationformedical care,theirLOVsmustbe removedsince they
are illegal outside of the reservation, butIwantto focus onone,and that isthe issue of human
responsibilitytowards otherlifeformsandhumaninteractionwiththese lifeforms,whichisbroughtup
in our latestunitof thiscourse on “Mutants andthe Anxietyof the Abnormal”. Manypeople will think
that thisissue isonlyinthe realmof science fiction. Ido not. The matteris broughtupon several
contemporaryfronts,includingthe use of xenotransplantation –the transplantationof organsfromone
speciestoanother;andthe possibilityof creatinghuman-animal hybridsforharvesting. Iwill concede
to you myown biases;Iam a CatholicChristianwhoputsa premiumonhumanbeingsbefore anyother
speciesinthisuniverse. Nevertheless,thisnovel didgetme thinkingaboutthe ethical challenges which
mightbe posed.Inthisnovel,the LOV interactswiththe organismitbondswith;tothe extentitaffects
humans,I remainconvincedthathumansmustbe givenpriority. However,afterhumanissuesare
considered,thenIthinkwe have anobligationto provide foranyothersentientbeingswhichcould
potentiallydevelop,especiallygiventhatinthisnovel,the sentientbeing –LOVs– had the abilitytodo
many things inthe realmof intelligentbeings,includingcrashingone of theirowncolonies.
Additionally,Ithinkhumanshave aresponsibilitytouse creationresponsibly –nearthe endof the
novel,the IBCdirectorturnsrogue and decidesthatinsteadof eradicatingthe LOVs,he wantsto
use it forotherpurposes. Inlightof thisreading,myconcludingstatementisthatthat humanshave a
responsibilitytotreatanybiological mattertheycreate responsibly,providedthatthe welfare for
humanitymustcome first.
Some otherreadingswhichexplore the dutiesof humanity towardsadvancedcreatures
include “The GoldenMan”by PhilipK.Dick. In thisbook,one suchadvancedcreature,CrisJohnson,is
protectedbya humanfamily while anundercoveragentof the DCA is out lookingforhim. WhenCrisis
arrestedbythe DCA agent,he is placed intoanexperimental labandisscheduledtobe euthanized. The
Johnsonfamilyinthisbookcanbe comparedto the trioof Ky,Virgil,andElain Limit of Vision – these
three seektoprotectthe LOVs whichwere inventedinthe laboratoryof Summer GoForth,whothen
goeson to become anagentfor the International BiotechnologyCommission,butthenturnsagainst
it. Likewise,SummerGoForthcanbe comparedto AnitaFerrisof the SemanticsAgencyin“The Golden
Man”. Atthe endof the story,FerrishelpsCrisJohnsontoescape.

3. Anotherreadingwhichexploresthe notionof humanity’sresponsibilitytowardscreationis
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Inthisbook,VictorFrankensteinmakesacreature,butassumesno
responsibilitytowardshim,especiallyafterhearingof hisviolentdeeds. Thisisinstark contrast to Ela,
Virgil,andKyin Limit of Vision,whoassume responsibilitytowardsthe LOVs.
Additionally,anotherissuewhichcanbe discussedisthatof physiciansashealersversusagents
of the state. As mentionedabove,thoseneedingmedical care thatisnot available onthe reservation
musthave theirLOVsremovedbyneurosurgeons,asthese devicesare notpermittedoff of the reser-
vation. One can therefore imagine conflictof interestissuesbetweenthe well beingof the patientand
the lawsof the state. In contrast, in The Doctor,a 1955 short filmbythe U.S. InformationService,
Dr. Wade isportrayedas a physicianwhohascompassiononhispatientsandgoesoutof hiswayto
helpthem. Anotherworkwhichexploresthisrelationshipbetweenpatientandphysicianis District9.
In thismovie,Wikusvande Merwe,aMultinational United(MNU) agentchosentoleada relocationof
aliens,himselfstartsturningintoone afterbeingsprayedbyfluid. He startsshowingsymptomsata
party,and is takentoa hospital where aphysicianafterseeinghisbandagedarmimmediatelysummons
MNU whotakesintotheirlaboratory. PietSmitordersthatvan de Merwe be exploredforpossible
weaponry.Itshouldbe notedthatMNU isan arms manufacturerchosenbythe governmenttorelocate
the aliens. One cansense thatthere isan almostinherentconflictof interestinhavinggovernmentor
governmentcontracted physiciansservebothashealersaswell asreportersforthe state. The doctor
whoexaminedWikuswasnotcallousinhistreatment;nevertheless,he didwhathe neededtodo. In
like fashion,the physiciansin Limit of Vision whotreat patientsoutside of the reservationare not
meaningtobe grotesque inhowtheytreattheirpatients,buttheydohave to enforce the law. One can
draw parallelsbetweenthemandthose whoare responsible fortreatingdrugaddicts. Insome juris-
dictions,police officersserve asparamedicsoremergencymedical technicians. Thiscouldpossibly
create a conflictof interestinthe role of healerversusthatof enforcer. Thisissue alsocame upduring
the recentSyrianuprisings,where physicianswere oftenforcedtoturnawaypatientsonordersof the
militaryorthe police. Regardingthe MNU scientists,afinal connectioncanbe made betweenthemand
the IBC directorin Limit of Vision,whogoesrogue at the end,seekingtoharnessthe LOVs. Earlyin
the twentiethcenturywasthe Holocaustwhichincludedseveral brutalities,includingthe use of the
Jewsandotherconcentrationcampvictimsforbrutal medical experiments. In District 9, expe-

4. rimentationismade onthese aliens. Inlike fashion,the IBCdirectorstartsto use LOVsfor hisown
purposes,andinthe Holocaustthe Nazisexperimentonthe concentrationcampvictimstosee if they
can create a superiorrace. Thisisalsoexploredin the movie Cloud Atlas, where“somnis”are createdto
serve humans,thenexecutedtobe usedforfoodforfuture somnis. Theyhave nofreedom;ratherthey
are made to serve aswaitresses beforebeingkilledoff. The issuesbroughtupinthese worksof fictions
are notfantastical;rathermanyof themare verymuchrelevanttomodernity.
In conclusion,thisbookprovidesseveral moral andphilosophical issueswhichcanbe raisedin
lightof modernmedicine,publichealth,andthe law. Ido notsee themgoingaway,but ratherthat the
issueswill be broughtmultiple timesinthiscenturyandbeyond.