The Advent of CYBERPUNK and Literature of the Digital Age

THE ADVENT OF CYBERPUNK AND LITERATURE OF THE DIGITAL

AGE

I, Robot

The Big Question What makes humans, “human?”

Ideas??? (From clip or your own)

But First…An Introduction Kyle Fauss

Born in Jacksonville, Florida Lived in Australia (3 years) Moved back to Jacksonville Moved to Aurora, Colorado in 2004 and

STAYED (Though my parents just moved back to

Jacksonville….)

Couple More Things…

Now It’s Your Turn! Make a Name Tag

Name Image of some sort

Back to Business…Sort of. Before we can talk

Cyberpunk, we need to talk Science-Fiction, and where Cyberpunk fits in to a much larger genre.

From the Beginning What is Science-Fiction? Guesses? In an EXTREMELY general sense, science-

fiction is a genre that deals with the positive and negative aspects to scientific advancement (though there’s still much more to it than that).

Early Predecessors Who wants to guess the earliest example of

something that resembles the Science-fiction genre?

In 150 AD, Lucian of Samosata was experimenting with the idea of interplanetary travel in Vera Historia (“True History”), a parody of the “official truths” that historians before him had recorded.

Early Predecessors The most notable forerunner

to contemporary understandings of science fiction, however…

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) Dealt with the idea of a

scientist trying to surpass God—cosmic power struggle

Monstrosity—the Monster that Frankenstein creates

Is it human? What responsibility does the

creator have to his/her creation?

Early Predecessors Another was H.G

Wells The Time Machine

(1895) Time Travel and

the Encounter between Humans and Aliens

The War of the Worlds (1898) Alien Invasion

“Modern” Science Fiction 1926—Hugo Gernsback’s Magazine

Amazing Stories first published Did two things:

Inspired many future successful science fiction writers

Put out some really cut-rate literature, leading to the downgrading of the genre in the public and critical eye Described as “hackneyed adventure tales with

heroes outfitted in dubious space metal wrecked alien worlds and rescued space maidens.”

Amazing Stories

The Golden Age Among those inspired by Gernsback was

John W. Campbell and his magazine Astounding Stories.

Really started focusing on the impact of technology.

Included writers such as Isaac Asimov (wrote the laws of Robotics seen in I, Robot)

The Golden Age (cont.) Lasted from 1930’s-40’s Themes like robots, alternate worlds,

faster than light travel, meetings of humans and aliens (and the consequences that arise), and, esp. in the 1940’s, nuclear power.

Example (1977) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvqp

FbRKtQ

New Wave In the 1950’s technology’s negative

implications came more into the forefront—especially in the context of every day life and not as much distant times

British publication New Worlds (1946-70) Dealt with environmental depletion,

urban overcrowding, and the relationship between technology, crime, drug addiction, and sexuality

Example (2012) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-eI5o

LlIeY

Now Think!

CYBERPUNK:TAKE II

Cyberpunk!! Where did the term come from?

Bruce Bethke wrote a short story entitled “Cyberpunk” in 1980 (pub. 1983).

Used in 1984 to describe the William Gibson’s Neuromancer (which we will be reading in later on)

The big question: “What aspect of humanity makes us human?”

Themes of Cyberpunk “Cyber”: Cybernetics “Punk”: Defiant attitude seen in

characters. Often on fringe of society: outsiders

struggling to survive. What does Cyberpunk do?

It “distorts our sense of who or where we are, of what is “real” at all, and what is most valuable about human life.” Challenges everything we know to be real,

normal, natural.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8e-FF8MsqU

How was this different from Golden Age or New Wave? How is it similar?

What to Look for in the Genre Cybernetics

Ways in which humans and machines are connected through technology (i.e. “Biotechnology”) Namely, implants that enhance one’s physical or

mental performance in some way, shape, or form, provided that this implant is technological in nature. Examples:

An arm that doubles as a sword Ways to completely alter your personality Relocating your brain in a robot body Reprogramming yourself

Examples GIVE THEM TO ME!!

Think-Pair-Share

NOW ONTO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

(Kind of…)