Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born 1935) is a prolific American science fiction author, renowned for his diverse writing style and insightful exploration of human nature and societal issues. He began publishing at a young age, bridging the gap between the Golden Age and New Wave of science fiction. His works, which span hard sci-fi, space opera, and psychological fiction, have earned him numerous Hugo and Nebula Awards, cementing his legacy as a master of the genre.
Haverford, a reclusive ham radio operator, believes he is the last human on Earth after an alien invasion by the Lanthaii. He seals himself in his room, listening as his global contacts disappear. The story builds tension through his isolation and escalating fear of the insect-like invaders. The shocking twist ending reveals that the 'aliens' are in fact Earth's original inhabitants, and humanity was the real 'horde,' now being 'exterminated' by creatures who treat even a common fly with reverence, profoundly subverting the reader's initial perception of the invasion.
本篇「光之對談」由克萊兒主持，與科幻作家羅伯特·西爾弗伯格（Robert Silverberg）展開對話，深入探討其1958年短篇小說《歸鄉的蟲群》（Homecoming Horde）的核心主題。對談聚焦於故事的顛覆性結局，即人類才是被「歸鄉」的蟲群所「清除」的「入侵者」，而非傳統意義上的外星入侵。內容涵蓋了西爾弗伯格的創作初衷、故事中海弗福德的孤立與無線電的象徵意義、蟲群生物形象的選擇及其反諷效果，以及作品對偏見與人類中心主義的批判，啟發讀者重新審視對「外來者」的定義。
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born 1935) is a prolific American science fiction author, renowned for his diverse writing style and insightful exploration of human nature and societal issues. He began publishing at a young age, bridging the gap between the Golden Age and New Wave of science fiction. His works, which span hard sci-fi, space opera, and psychological fiction, have earned him numerous Hugo and Nebula Awards, cementing his legacy as a master of the genre.
Haverford, a reclusive ham radio operator, believes he is the last human on Earth after an alien invasion by the Lanthaii. He seals himself in his room, listening as his global contacts disappear. The story builds tension through his isolation and escalating fear of the insect-like invaders. The shocking twist ending reveals that the 'aliens' are in fact Earth's original inhabitants, and humanity was the real 'horde,' now being 'exterminated' by creatures who treat even a common fly with reverence, profoundly subverting the reader's initial perception of the invasion.