Monsters

I am on Book 2 of Koontz' Frankenstein. Not a bad set of books, but they in no way rival the classic original. At least not in execution. But in the way of social commentary ...

I just got to a part of the book today where one of the head monsters has a conversation with Victor's newest wife: Erica 5. She is the fifth such wife, all hand-crafted by Victor Frankenstein. Anyhow, the monsters are starting to off themselves and Erica, fresh from her creation, doesn't understand why. The head of the household service monster (Christine) explains to her that their programming: which is to serve the greater good the greater good, as defined by Victor the creator, leads inevitably to despair. Despair because as Victor's monsters they are subject to hard coded rules that prevent them, not from MAKING decisions, but being able to act upon them. The monsters are ruled absolutely by Victor, yet they are thinking, sentient beings. And no matter how much programming he has coded into them, true understanding comes only through experience. What the monsters' experiences teach them vary from monster to monster. Some wish to murder, other to procreate, others to delve into art, etc. But since none of these endeavors always fit into Victor's plans, the monsters are coded with the inability to act upon them. In other words, they lack free will.

That is some pretty weighty stuff. These Koontz novels inform the reader's conscience of what value free will is. While Koontz makes no explicit parallels to any religions, ideologies, or forms of government, one cannot help but see them.

If anyone decides to read these books, let me know what your conclusions are. I personally can't help but read this as an indictment of rigid, dogmatic ideologies and theologies. Without the free will of the individual, the individual is nothing more than a machine made of meat. A machine whose purpose is that "greater good" as defined by your maker.

What's interesting about humans is that many of us willfully allow ourselves to be programmed in just such a way. The monsters at least have an excuse: they were made that way. What excuse do the radicals and extremists have?