1987
Eric Hall
Lance Harrington
Kristy Keaton
Science Fiction Eye premiers all cyberpunk issue. Cyberpunk is recognized as a genre itself among science fiction
Robocop released - Police officer almost killed in the line of duty is integrated with machine to stop a politician from getting to be chief of police. "What is human?" issue brought to public, throughout the film, he struggles with being human or machine.
Akira released in English - Manga describing the world after WWIII, psychic research done by government with "guinea pig" experiments. Psychic powers are acknowledged and the government wants to harness the power but does so by inhumane means.
Bubble Gum Crisis - Manga where Tokyo is split by earthquake, Genom Corp becomes immensly powerful. Genom creates "Boomers"; artificial beings used for manual labor. (Blade Runner anyone?)
Mirrorshades published in Germany
Sega releases Phantasy Star - one of the first RPG's with Sci-Fi/Fantasy setting and first to have female protagonist. Cyberpunk and science fiction genre is used within game concepts.
Incentive released Driller - precursor to modern FPS 3D - Humans abandon Earth after it was destroyed by relentless conflict and search for natural resources.
Pat Cadigan publishes Mindplayers - The main character, Allie Haas is persuaded to "to try an illegal, stolen "mindcap". This experience goes very wrong She ends up hospitalised and criminalised, facing a serious sentence. But then she’s given one last chance - to take up a dangerous and, to her mind, loathsome career as a mind-player." This relates to cyberpunk when the high technology of a mindcap is used on the low life of a drug user.
Lucius Shepard releases Life During Wartime - This story has all the elements of cyberpunk, "a helicopter that thinks it's God; a man whose brain chemistry is somehow wired to that of butterflies" etc.
H.P.Garg publishes Advances in Solar Energy Technology: Collection and Storage Systems
The Running Man is released - World economy falls and the world is in chaos. Totalitarian society has set in and capital punishment is seen as entertainment where the main character, Ben Richards, is selected to play. This relates to cyberpunk when the economy has collapsed and the world is in chaos. Totalitarian societys erupt after a collapse of the government infrastructure.
Cherry 2000 is released - The story of a man who has an android wife who blows a fuse. The story follows Sam Treadwell as he shuffles through barren wastelands and abandoned manufacturing plants to find a replacement android wife.
Black Magic M-66 is released - This story tells the tale of a girl captured by a government-issued android who is out-of-control. Military issued androids is only found within cyberpunk.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Journal #3
Blade Runner was made in 1982 based in Los Angeles 2019. The story line is based around “a semi-retired cop known as a blade runner, attempts to track down a foursome of renegade slave cyborgs known as replicants” (Schager). The film is based on Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, with many modifications. This film introduced the world to a future that would not be a bright and happy change, rather a dark and dirty world where fear and non-human creatures called “replicants” exist and are rampant throughout Los Angeles.
With this large amount of people, technology has grown and “replicants” have taken over the labor work. Science has taken a giant leap forward since the modern times where genetics are just beginning to be understood. The “Tyrell Corporation” is the company responsible for creating the “replicants” and have to make them as full grown adults, seeing has how each part must be non-organically. Having pioneered such a feat, the Tyrell Corporation is reaping the benefits of creating mechanized slave labor, however, they can also be destroying the world that made them so wealthy.
Within the capitalist society we have today, advertisements are everywhere we look; on busses, internet ads, magazines, billboards, etc. Blade Runner paints us a picture of what we, as Americans, have to look forward to: “mass advertisements littering every inch of any wall of every building” (Varun). Aside from the advertisements, nightlife is just as busy as daytime, a constant buzz of people buying and moving all around. Night is no long night, the neon lights flood the streets where sunshine sat hours earlier. Schager describes it best as a, “multicultural techno-grunge hellhole drenched in rain, infested with advertising and shrouded in mist.”
The concept of creating this dark, gloomy future, may be more realistic than we want to believe. Large corporations run the world with the large sums of money they come to terms with. In Blade Runner, it is suggested the Tyrell Corporation may have played a role in creating a devastating environment. “…Nuclear, chemical and biological wars, grand-scale terrorism, global warming, merciless exploitation, excessive pollution, exhaustive over-population; probably a combination of them all. The way the Tyrell Corporation and other commercial enterprises are presented in the movie suggests the mega-corporations are to blame” (Hermansson). All aspects of a change in weather throughout the film are gone, the only time it is not raining and dark is within Tyrell’s own office when, “ Only in his office do we see any essence of the sun and a calm space” (Skaar). This is to suggest that, as Skaar states, Tyrell has a “God-like presence” being the principal power within the society.
The environment we all see and take for granted today is seen as a massive overhaul of advertisements and acid rain, as represented in Blade Runner. The large corporations are blamed for such a catastrophe and have more power than can be imagined. Evidence of such an event can be seen today if one looks close enough, for instance companies like Wal-Mart are buying up large areas of land are have made billions of dollars, Microsoft has made billions for creating Windows(PBS). Large corporations can control much of the planet and if we are not careful, the grim future that is portrayed in Blade Runner, may be our reality.
Works Cited
"Frontline: Is Wal-Mart good for America?." Secrets of Wal-Mart's Success. 2005. PBS. 1 Oct 2008
¬¬
Hermansson, Niclas. "The World 2019: A Worn-Down Hell." Blade Runner Insight 17 Dec. 2005. 27 Sept 2008
Schager, Nick. "Blade Runner: The Final Cut." Slant Magazine Film Review: Blade Runner 25 Sept 2007. 27 Sep 2008.
Skaar, Tor Inge. "How Science Became God In Blade Runner." Blade Runner Insight 7 Aug 2006. 27 Sep 2008
Varun, Begley. "Blade Runner and the Postmodern: A Reconsideration." Literature Film Quarterly 2004. 29 Sep 2008.
With this large amount of people, technology has grown and “replicants” have taken over the labor work. Science has taken a giant leap forward since the modern times where genetics are just beginning to be understood. The “Tyrell Corporation” is the company responsible for creating the “replicants” and have to make them as full grown adults, seeing has how each part must be non-organically. Having pioneered such a feat, the Tyrell Corporation is reaping the benefits of creating mechanized slave labor, however, they can also be destroying the world that made them so wealthy.
Within the capitalist society we have today, advertisements are everywhere we look; on busses, internet ads, magazines, billboards, etc. Blade Runner paints us a picture of what we, as Americans, have to look forward to: “mass advertisements littering every inch of any wall of every building” (Varun). Aside from the advertisements, nightlife is just as busy as daytime, a constant buzz of people buying and moving all around. Night is no long night, the neon lights flood the streets where sunshine sat hours earlier. Schager describes it best as a, “multicultural techno-grunge hellhole drenched in rain, infested with advertising and shrouded in mist.”
The concept of creating this dark, gloomy future, may be more realistic than we want to believe. Large corporations run the world with the large sums of money they come to terms with. In Blade Runner, it is suggested the Tyrell Corporation may have played a role in creating a devastating environment. “…Nuclear, chemical and biological wars, grand-scale terrorism, global warming, merciless exploitation, excessive pollution, exhaustive over-population; probably a combination of them all. The way the Tyrell Corporation and other commercial enterprises are presented in the movie suggests the mega-corporations are to blame” (Hermansson). All aspects of a change in weather throughout the film are gone, the only time it is not raining and dark is within Tyrell’s own office when, “ Only in his office do we see any essence of the sun and a calm space” (Skaar). This is to suggest that, as Skaar states, Tyrell has a “God-like presence” being the principal power within the society.
The environment we all see and take for granted today is seen as a massive overhaul of advertisements and acid rain, as represented in Blade Runner. The large corporations are blamed for such a catastrophe and have more power than can be imagined. Evidence of such an event can be seen today if one looks close enough, for instance companies like Wal-Mart are buying up large areas of land are have made billions of dollars, Microsoft has made billions for creating Windows(PBS). Large corporations can control much of the planet and if we are not careful, the grim future that is portrayed in Blade Runner, may be our reality.
Works Cited
"Frontline: Is Wal-Mart good for America?." Secrets of Wal-Mart's Success. 2005. PBS. 1 Oct 2008
¬¬
Hermansson, Niclas. "The World 2019: A Worn-Down Hell." Blade Runner Insight 17 Dec. 2005. 27 Sept 2008
Schager, Nick. "Blade Runner: The Final Cut." Slant Magazine Film Review: Blade Runner 25 Sept 2007. 27 Sep 2008
Skaar, Tor Inge. "How Science Became God In Blade Runner." Blade Runner Insight 7 Aug 2006. 27 Sep 2008
Varun, Begley. "Blade Runner and the Postmodern: A Reconsideration." Literature Film Quarterly 2004. 29 Sep 2008
Journal #2
Cyberpunk, as Bruce Sterling suggests, is much like punk rock; a raw form of music that has “in some sense a return to roots” (Sterling, x,xi) bringing more of the essential feelings and characteristics early science fiction had laid claim to. One of the most prominent writers, one that coined the term “cyberpunk”, was William Gibson (Leonard, 2007). Gibson was growing up in a time where a lot of things were changing and the future looked very shiny and clean and everything would work perfectly. Society at the time looked forward to the future to bring greatness and peace to America, while Gibson’s father died while he was only a child. Feeling the trauma of a lost father, he turned to science fiction. Gibson saw the awesome power technology could have, all the while having the trauma of a lost father haunting him. The cyberpunk genre had yet to be made, but the mold of high tech, low life was being formed while Gibson was growing up. (Gibson)
When reading cyberpunk, there seems to be a recurring theme of a fantastical future that mankind had strived for, and in working towards that goal, mankind destroyed the environment we had lived in for millennia. There is always a mix of the amazing lights and technological advances with the dark and gloomy presence of watching eyes and the weaker in society being taken advantage of, yet still able to use modern technology.
This theme is apparent in Johnny Mnemonic, the short story where Johnny was to collect a large sum of money for a great deal of data stored within his head in which he had not access to. “If they think you're crude, go technical; if they think you're technical, go crude” (Johnny Mnemonic). This statement shows the “high tech, low life” atmosphere all cyberpunk stories are famous for. Aside from the direct quote from the story, the setting is another example of “high tech, low life” in which someone is acting almost as a drug mule, transporting data for a large sum of money. If Johnny does not deliver, he will be killed. Interesting as to how the cyberpunk genre is to be set in the future, yet the same aspects of illegal activity that plague the modern day society are still played out. Throughout the story, the reader will see that the future can be just as scary and dirty as today’s society is, but with a sort of exaggeration. The future is an inevitable thing that we cannot stop and the technological advances mankind has made over the past century is mind-boggling. With a more technologically advanced society, there will always be problems with someone, or a group, breaking the law and trying to rule over as much of the streets, or world, as possible.
In conclusion, the future can hold many great possibilities for mankind and possibly end many diseases and illnesses. However, the same conflicts that emerge within our society today seem to still be apparent within the cyberpunk genre. Crime is always a constant; drug transportation is replaced with data transportation and the human population seems to be on a steady increase throughout the future. Money, people, and crime are the few aspects that seem to transcend time. What makes the story is how the people interact with one another with the technology.
Works Cited
Gibson, William. "William Gibson: Johnny Mnemonic." Johnny Mnemonic 01 Oct 2002 25 Sep 2008
Gibson, William. "Since 1948." William Gibson - Official Website. 6 Nov 2002. 25 Sep 2008.
Leonard, Andrew. "William Gibson: The Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary Interview." Rolling Stone 27 Nov 2007 25 Sep 2008.
Sterling, Bruce. Mirrorshades. New York: ACE, 1986.
When reading cyberpunk, there seems to be a recurring theme of a fantastical future that mankind had strived for, and in working towards that goal, mankind destroyed the environment we had lived in for millennia. There is always a mix of the amazing lights and technological advances with the dark and gloomy presence of watching eyes and the weaker in society being taken advantage of, yet still able to use modern technology.
This theme is apparent in Johnny Mnemonic, the short story where Johnny was to collect a large sum of money for a great deal of data stored within his head in which he had not access to. “If they think you're crude, go technical; if they think you're technical, go crude” (Johnny Mnemonic). This statement shows the “high tech, low life” atmosphere all cyberpunk stories are famous for. Aside from the direct quote from the story, the setting is another example of “high tech, low life” in which someone is acting almost as a drug mule, transporting data for a large sum of money. If Johnny does not deliver, he will be killed. Interesting as to how the cyberpunk genre is to be set in the future, yet the same aspects of illegal activity that plague the modern day society are still played out. Throughout the story, the reader will see that the future can be just as scary and dirty as today’s society is, but with a sort of exaggeration. The future is an inevitable thing that we cannot stop and the technological advances mankind has made over the past century is mind-boggling. With a more technologically advanced society, there will always be problems with someone, or a group, breaking the law and trying to rule over as much of the streets, or world, as possible.
In conclusion, the future can hold many great possibilities for mankind and possibly end many diseases and illnesses. However, the same conflicts that emerge within our society today seem to still be apparent within the cyberpunk genre. Crime is always a constant; drug transportation is replaced with data transportation and the human population seems to be on a steady increase throughout the future. Money, people, and crime are the few aspects that seem to transcend time. What makes the story is how the people interact with one another with the technology.
Works Cited
Gibson, William. "William Gibson: Johnny Mnemonic." Johnny Mnemonic 01 Oct 2002 25 Sep 2008
Gibson, William. "Since 1948." William Gibson - Official Website. 6 Nov 2002. 25 Sep 2008
Leonard, Andrew. "William Gibson: The Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary Interview." Rolling Stone 27 Nov 2007 25 Sep 2008
Sterling, Bruce. Mirrorshades. New York: ACE, 1986.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Cyborgs: Human or Not?
The term “cyborg” has a variety of meanings, it could mean a human brain that is infused with machinery or it could mean humans that cannot seem to function without their technology. The futuristic cyborg has been shown in a variety of different forms, but all seem to have the same inability to show emotion. The Terminator, like C3P0 and R2-D2, 100% robot able to imitate human actions and reactions, but not emotions. The androids in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? looked and acted like humans for the most part, but were unable to show emotion or empathy. What really makes a human a human is the emotions and imagination we all have. Using imagination we can foresee how our actions may create unlikable consequences. A machine, or cyborg, on the other hand is unable to imagine, it is only able to do what it was programmed to do. Even with the most advanced technology, emotions are impossible to replicate.
The possibilities of technology mixed with mankind can be frightening. Take a look at the technology available to the public today and how people misuse it. Cell phones and cars, both are wonderful advances in technology but when the wrong people use them together, the result can be catastrophic. Now imagine if humans had machine parts that were able to cause much more harm, would you really feel safe? Aside from being physically threatened by each other, think of how a machine appendage would be attached? Try this scenario:
There is a large manufacturer of machine bodies that would allow mankind to live for 200 years each, all one would have to do is sign a waiver stating you realize what you are doing and you will not sue this manufacturer. Turns out, this manufacturer has a contract with the governments of the world that the public is unaware of. The government funded this manufacturer as long as they would put a microscopic chip in the spine of the cybernetic body allowing the government to control all mankind as needed. You wake up your surgery and all things work great and you assume you can go on living your life for the next 200 years.
The problem here is the governments of the world now have control over the public. If war broke out, there would be no need for a draft, they would have these fighting machines that had a program already set in for fighting combat, all they needed was the consent of the human. I could see this being a problem because the majority of the American public, at least, tends to be pretty gullible and stupid. Cybernetics can be a wonderful thing as long as they can be controlled. Humans love to control each other, it is in our nature and society only proves it, for instance, management of a large corporation. Allowing a person to have machine parts may sound good at first, but it should not be surprising to find out the leaders of the program has an ulterior motive. .
Mankind is destined to destroy itself; technology is just an easier way to do it. The weaponry created during World War II is enough of destroy ourselves, from the 1940’s. It is now 2008 and technology is getting smaller and more discrete, we cannot be certain who are watching us and where. The concept of a government knowing more about us than we can acknowledge is a threat to mankind and can be used as just another tool to control humans. By allowing our bodies to become machinery, it is allowing other humans to mess with the inner workings of our individuality. Machines and technology are to make mankind more powerful over the elements, not each other.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
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