An alien invasion is a famous plot in the literature, but Ndedi Okorafor enriches it with a few important details. In his Lagoon, the author chooses Lagos, one of the most populated world cities, as a center of invasion. In particular, the invasion of aliens begins at Bar Beach that is described as a place of mixing (Okorafor, 2014). This statement denotes that the world is full of contrast, and one state can quickly turn into another one. For example, Okorafor (2014) mentions that sand mixed with the ocean, while the poor mixed with the wealthy. This information reveals that the narrative will focus on a change. The given topic is also discussed in the prologue to Chapter 1, but the inclusion of Bar Beach to convey this message is a less direct but still significant way to do it.
Ayodele is an alien that comes to Earth to establish contact, and the author relies on specific means to describe the character. In particular, the focus is on how Adaora responds to the alien’s presence to show what Ayodele is. According to Okorafor (2014), Adaora experienced both attractive and repellent feelings while talking to the alien. On the one hand, this information means that Ayodele is a human-resembling character, and this feature is attractive for others. On the other hand, the alien has an idealistic appearance and exaggerated mannerisms, and these facts make people believe that something wrong is with Ayodele. It seems that Okorafor (2014) has decided to make the given character contradictory, and Adaora’s reaction to her presence reveals this fact. Consequently, such an ambivalent description of the alien is necessary to convey that it is not known what to expect from this creature.
Another significant detail refers to a personal space that is represented by Adaora’s laboratory. The author offers a detailed description of this location that the character uses to analyze the alien tissue (Okorafor, 2014). It is possible to suggest that Adaora always spends much time in her laboratory. One should admit that such a personal space is a shared feature of numerous scientists, engineers, and designers representing other fiction works. According to Gil (2018), a laboratory can be a metaphor of a state when a character conducts a philosophical experiment with variables to analyze unfamiliar phenomena or events. That is why many science fiction works provide their heroes with such spaces where they can perform their experiments and make fateful decisions. This information demonstrates that the literary work under consideration perfectly fits with other pieces representing the same genre.
Finally, Chapter 7 includes the line “we are changed,” and the author perfectly explains the essence of the genre through these words. Every science fiction text relies on the idea that technological advancement could change the way of living. For example, time travel, limitless bioengineering, extraterrestrial life, and others could be possible if people invested much time and effort in improving their knowledge and skills. Okorafor’s Lagoon is not an exception from this list because sophisticated technologies made alien invasion possible. Consequently, it is possible to mention that the present literary work is aligned with numerous other texts that represent science fiction. All this information indicates that Okorafor enriched her work with both the features that are traditional for the genre and specific elements that make the novel peculiar.
References
Gil, S. (2018). It is alive in the laboratory of the mind: Frankenstein, thought experiment, and facing the future of science. Journal of Science & Popular Culture, 1(1), 27-41.
Okorafor, N. (2014). Lagoon. Hodder & Stroughton.