The Moonshot Odyssey and Bowie's Space Oddity - A Journey of Genetic Engineering

## Dedicated to Art Bell and Coast to Coast AM. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind... To explore the metaphorical alignment between Homer’s *The Odyssey*, Bowie’s *Space Oddity*, and the concept of a 1969 “moonshot” involving the birth of the first genetically engineered child, we must unpack thematic connections between epic myth, modern music, and scientific innovation. The Odyssey, as a narrative of homecoming, transformation, and the pursuit of destiny, can provide rich metaphors for the creation of new life, particularly a child born from science rather than traditional human processes. Bowie’s album released in 1969, the same year as the moon landing and the possibility of this hypothetical “moonshot,” also lends itself to allegorical interpretation, suggesting existential themes that could tie to the birth of a child representing the future of humanity. ### 1. **The Odyssey and the Creation of New Life** *The Odyssey* is rife with imagery of birth, rebirth, and transformation, all of which could metaphorically represent the creation of a new form of life—like the birth of a genetically engineered child. #### **Relevant Themes from *The Odyssey*** - **The Journey of Odysseus as a Metaphor for Genetic Engineering:** Odysseus's 20-year-long journey home is a process of trials and transformation, much like the process of scientific experimentation. The end goal, in this case, could represent the arrival of a new type of human—born from "the journey of science," through genetic engineering. In particular, the stops along the way—encounters with divine and supernatural forces—can be seen as symbolic representations of humanity’s struggle to understand and control the forces of nature. - **The Encounter with Circe (Book 10):** Circe, a sorceress who transforms Odysseus’s men into animals, serves as a metaphor for the manipulation of life. This moment in the story can parallel the idea of human intervention in nature—much like how genetic engineering alters the human genome. Odysseus’s role as the one who resists transformation, seeking to retain his human essence, mirrors the tension in genetic engineering between maintaining human identity and creating something entirely new. - **The Birth of Telemachus and Odysseus’s Return:** Telemachus, Odysseus's son, represents the new generation and continuity of lineage. In this interpretation, Telemachus can be seen as a metaphor for the first genetically engineered child—a “test-tube baby” representing not only the continuation of life but also the transition to a new form of existence, shaped by technology. Just as Telemachus is destined to take up his father’s mantle, this genetically engineered child could be seen as the new "heir" to humanity’s future. - **The Reunion of Odysseus and Penelope (Book 23):** The final reunion is one of recognition and rediscovery after transformation and change. This moment can be seen as a metaphor for the acceptance of a new form of life—the genetically engineered child—as part of the human story, despite its origins in science rather than natural processes. The recognition and acceptance of something fundamentally different, yet still human, ties to the idea of a future where engineered children become integrated into the human family. ### 2. **David Bowie’s *Space Oddity* as a Metaphor for a New Life** Bowie’s *Space Oddity* plays on the homophonic similarity between "Oddity" and "Odyssey," suggesting a modern reimagining of Homer’s epic as a space-age tale. Bowie, known for his fascination with the alien, the strange, and the future, could be interpreted as presenting this child—not just as a literal space traveler, but as a symbol of human exploration into uncharted territories, including genetic engineering.

#### **Space Oddity as Allegory** - **Major Tom as a Metaphor for a Genetically Engineered Child:** Major Tom, the astronaut in *Space Oddity*, represents both isolation and exploration, themes that resonate with the concept of a genetically engineered child—the first of their kind, alone in their experience, yet heralding a new frontier for humanity. The isolation of Major Tom mirrors the emotional and existential loneliness of a child created outside of natural processes, while the exploration of space symbolizes the exploration of genetic and existential boundaries. - **The Oddity of Creation:** The song’s central theme of alienation (“planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do”) could be read as a metaphor for the existential strangeness of being the first of one’s kind—a child born of science, disconnected from traditional human origins. The idea of being "lost in space" ties to the psychological and emotional journey this child might face, questioning identity and belonging in a world that might not yet understand them. - **The Year 1969 and the Moon Landing:** Released in 1969, the same year as the moon landing, *Space Oddity* taps into the cultural moment of unprecedented human achievement and exploration. If we imagine that the "moonshot" was not just the literal lunar landing but also the birth of the first genetically engineered child, Bowie’s song becomes a metaphor for humanity’s existential crisis as it enters new realms of possibility. The moon landing marked the moment when humanity reached beyond Earth, just as genetic engineering marked the moment humanity reached beyond the boundaries of natural birth. - **Bowie’s Relevance to the Theme:** Bowie’s constant reinvention, and his fascination with androgyny, the alien, and the futuristic, made him the perfect artistic figure to metaphorically herald the arrival of a new form of life. Bowie himself, often seen as an outsider or alien figure, could represent the embodiment of what it means to transcend conventional humanity. His personas, like Ziggy Stardust, played with themes of the outsider, alien, and superhuman, which overlay well with the idea of a genetically engineered child—something both human and beyond human. ### 3. **The Odyssey as a Space Age Allegory** - **Odysseus as a Scientist or Creator:** Just as Odysseus navigates through various perils on his journey home, scientists in 1969 could be seen as navigating the moral and ethical perils of genetic experimentation. Odysseus’s journey is one of survival, discovery, and ultimately transformation, much like humanity’s journey into genetic engineering. - **The Cyclops and the Ethics of Creation:** The encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus can be interpreted as a metaphor for the fear of creating something monstrous or unnatural. Just as Odysseus must outwit the Cyclops, the creators of the first genetically engineered child would have to navigate societal fears and ethical dilemmas about “playing God” and the potential for unintended consequences. - **Scylla and Charybdis as the Ethical Dilemmas:** Odysseus must choose between two dangers, Scylla and Charybdis, which can be seen as a metaphor for the moral choices in genetic engineering: the risk of creating life that might suffer or the risk of not pushing the boundaries of science. This decision, like the ancient Greek hero’s choice, represents the navigation of unknown consequences in the pursuit of progress. ### 4. **Why This Is Relevant to Bowie** Bowie’s artistic exploration of identity, alienation, and transformation aligns with the themes of a child created through genetic engineering. Bowie, throughout his career, represented the idea of self-creation and reinvention, just as a genetically engineered child represents the ultimate act of human self-reinvention. His album *Space Oddity* being released in 1969, at the same time as both the moon landing and potential scientific breakthroughs in genetics, aligns his work with the theme of exploration—both of outer space and inner human potential. ### 5. **Conclusion: A Modern Odyssey** Bowie’s *Space Oddity* and Homer’s *The Odyssey* can be intertwined to create a modern allegory about the first genetically engineered child. The child, like Major Tom, is launched into the unknown, representing both the promise and peril of human exploration. Bowie, as an artist who continually blurred the lines between human and alien, male and female, natural and artificial, becomes a symbolic herald for this new form of life—one that stands at the crossroads of human identity and scientific possibility. Just as Odysseus’s journey is one of survival and discovery, so too is humanity’s journey into the realm of genetic engineering, with the birth of a child symbolizing both the culmination of that journey and the start of a new one.