Cyberpunk in William Gibson's Works - Term Paper Example

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Cyberpunk describes a techno scientific empire; an artistic shift to an empire not bound byfixed ideologies and politics as well one without a fixed fate. It is based on modern science fiction becoming more and more concerned with the impact technology has over our everyday lives. As a genre, modern science fiction can be traced back to 1926, the date of publication and issue of the American magazine, Amazing stories, edited by Hugo Gernsberk. Gernberk’s critics argued that he had a paradoxical understanding of what a science fiction story should consist of and accomplish. According to Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Gernberk’s stories were described as ‘hackneyed adventure tales in which heroes outfitted in dubious space metal wrecked alien words and rescued space maidens’ (New Grolier Multimedia encyclopedia 112). The popularity of the Amazing stories led to new entrants in the 1920s and 1930s to include, Science wonder stories, Wonder stories and Astounding stories. It was Campbell’s work which gave a credible representation of science fiction on how technology has an impact on individuals as well as their cultures through complex narrative techniques as well as exhaustive approaches to subject matters. His works have been regarded as the golden age of science fiction under which science fiction writers such as Robert A. Heinlein, Theordore Sturgeon and Isaac Asimov flourished. Major themes of science fiction are listed by Grolier as robots, alternate worlds, faster- than- light travel, the seeding of the galaxies by the humans and aliens and its many astonishing consequences and the full range of possibilities presented by the nuclear power. The impact of technology on everyday lives and on the planet’s fate became more dominant in science fiction from the 1950s onwards. Most notable development was the New Wave associated with authors such as Brian Aldiss and J.G Ballard whose focus was on topical issues such as environmental depletion, urban overcrowding, and how technology relates to drug abuse, crime and sexuality. The new wave in some aspects introduces cyberpunk’s attention to the impact of technology on the present no less than on the future an important component which features in William Gibson’s works and his contemporaries – that of computer technology. This continuous intermingling of reality and fiction has depicted science fiction as a means of sharpening the awareness of a people to their reality by de-familiarizing it through imaginations and fantasies (Heuser 76). Cyberpunk is surrounded by certain central themes. These include; the theme of prosthetic limbs, body invasion, implanted circuitry, genetic alteration and the even more powerful theme of mind invasion; brain computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, neurochemistry- techniques that are radically changing the nature of self and humanity. All these themes are in one way or another evident in an analysis of William Gibson’s short stories; winter marker, burning chrome and Johnny mnemonic. Cyberpunk and the use of virtual technology- Gibson conceptualizes his stories in the context of rapidly advancing technologies – a typical characteristic of cyberpunk. The impact of technology is exhibited under various themes of mind invasion, cybernetic enhancements as well body invasions and alterations and how this affects the conceptions of time, space, society and materialization. In the story of Johnny mnemonic the use of technology can be seen through the female character Molly is with lenses which were surgical inlays with the silver rising smoothly from her high cheekbones. Johnny mnemonic is a data trafficker who stores information securely in his brain which he himself cannot access consciously. In one particular escapade, Johnny meets Ralfi, a client who wants him dead. Johnny improvises an old fashioned low tech gun to fight back. Ralfi through his bodyguard Lewis catches Johnny off guard and subdues him with a neural disruption device hidden under the table. Ralfi reveals the information Johnny had was stolen from the yakuza that were keen to make sure no one would extract it using squids- a technology that retrieves the password finally revealing the information. The woman character in the story is Molly, a ‘razor girl’ with extensive body modifications most conspicuous under her fingers are razor sharp blades. Ralfi tries to buy her off but Johnny offers her a better deal as his bodyguard. Ralfi is later killed by a yakuza assassin with body modifications which enhance his muscular reflexes. Molly and Johnny flee to the lo-teks a group of anti-technology outcasts. At the lo-teks approval the assassin is allowed to climb to the ‘killing floor’ where molly kills him through ‘culture shock’, dance moves which trick the assassin to slice off his own hand and finally jumping a hole to his death. The story ends with Johnny and molly living among the lo-teks working with a heroine addicted dolphin with cybernetic enhancements. They unlock old clients’ information, blackmailing them for profit. The theme of technology is also evident in Gibson’s story burning chrome. This is a story based on two professional hackers Bobby Quine and Automatic Jack. With bobby planning to retire and is looking for one ‘big score’. The two team up to hack Chrome and steal money from her, a high level and well connected criminal. In the course of planning for the big score, a girl by the name Rikki Wildside enters their lives. The three develop a love which ends up devastating Bobby once they succeed in the big score but Rikki flees to Hollywood after getting her cut and they later learn was a prostitute in the infamous ‘house of blue lights’. The theme of technology is evident through the story in the way the three get ‘lost in technology’- the prevalence of technology in our lives and its consuming nature. By portraying the ‘matrix’ as an interface of our physical selves with data, computer systems, and mainframes begging the question whether this too much digital interaction will blur our own realities. With the practice of ‘stimism’ taking root as a recreational activity by many people in the story and more specifically Rikki who spends hours connected to the hacking ‘unit; shelving away her real life and realities. This explains what has been described as particularly true in cyberpunk; reality being a difficult concept to define in science fiction. As Vivian Sobchack puts it, science fiction is the ‘cognitive mapping and poetic figuration of social relations as these are constituted by new technological modes of “being in the real world”’ (cavallaro 14). In the novel software (1982) by Rudy Rucker, an elderly scientist exchanges her brain functions for an immortal robot body later realizing with disappointment that immortality did not come with absolute power. Conclusively, cyberpunk blurs our self recognition on aspects of who we are, what is real and what matters in our human life (Hafner and Markoff 78). Technology reduces us to the status of commodities living on a planned fate and obsolescence. This is illustrated in the story by the woman character Rikki, who is ‘jacked in’ to the unit with her real life taking a back seat. She is blinded by the ambition of a life in Hollywood. The story cautions us that we must resist the urge of letting technology obstruct us from the aspects of our lives such as love, hate, hurt and others that makes us who we are as human beings. The theme of technology also fits in well in Gibson’s story winter market- a classic cyberpunk story; first person narration by Casey who edits for a ‘simstin’ called fast wipe which directly taps into the minds of people, taping their dreams for others to enjoy. In a party organized by Rubin- a secondary character- Casey meets Lise, a woman character with a severe disease that causes her much pain forcing her to wear an exoskeleton. She is also an addict of a drug referred to as wizz. Together, Casey and Lise, using her extraordinary dreams make a recording under the title ‘kings of sleep’ which makes them rich and famous. Lise merges up with the net where she has a ROM construct of her personality finally getting what she wants. The theme of technology can be seen through the female character Lise. It is a story about the use of technology in trying to eliminate people’s misfortunes. Lise, even with a decapitating disease, is able to tap into her dreams and finally live a happy life Cyberpunk, gender and sexuality- the stories are authored in a context of women defying traditions and gender stereo typing. The author for example in Johnny mnemonic illustrates a context where a woman is demeaned and viewed as a sexual instrument. This is evident where lewis, Ralphi’s bodyguard refers to Molly as a bitch as he tries to dismiss her. She on the other hand replies, “lighten up. You want to buy some good free base?” which could point to the view of a woman as a sexual instrument. Technological restructuring of gender (by practices such as body alterations) however shifts our focus from the traditional perceptions of gender stereotypes to new alternatives suggesting female strength (Lavigne 88). This is evident in all the three stories under analysis. In Johnny mnemonic, the physical and mental strength of Molly can be seen throughout the story when she subdues Lewis, becomes Johnny’s bodyguard, ends up killing the yakuza assassin to add the fact that she seems to be highly revered by the lo – teks. In burning chrome, Rikki is depicted as a woman character with great ambition of a life in Hollywood. Bobby and Jack are happy when she joins them. Her female strength illustrates the discord between a gender stereo typing society and a society where all genders are viewed equally. She shelves away love and empathy in pursuit of her dream. Female strength also follows through in Gibson’s; winter market. The shift from the traditional perception can be seen from an analysis of Lise’s way of life. By the traditional view, it is a greater evil for a woman to do drugs as well as frequent parties. Lise is a drug addict and who meets up with Casie at a party. Female strength can also be illustrated in her success after producing ‘kings of sleep’. Cyberpunk and the city – despite the organized digital technology, the stories capture the context of a city full of crime, chaos and diseases. Crime has been illustrated all through the Johnny mnemonic story as from the time Molly slices lewis’ hand with bystanders milling around, the dreaded yakuzas who are depicted to have infiltrated even the mafias long before Molly was born, the lo- teks who organize killing arenas and sing songs about it as well Jones the drug addicted dolphin who was trained for the naval war. The theme of crime and society sprawl can also be seen burning chrome. From the hacking software stolen from Russia, chrome a respected criminal with a great network, to the female character Rikki who was a prostitute in the infamous ‘house of blue lights’. In winter market, the story interplays between urban decay - a city full of crime and diseases and extreme advancements in technology. A city full of sprawl can be seen through Lise a woman addicted to a drug wizz and with a severe disease. Love and loss – the theme of love and loss is best illustrated by the love bond between Rikki and the hackers winter market; where Bobby chooses to use her beloved Rikki’s photograph in the place of Chrome’s digital avatar. Their work requires utmost precision and an incredible amount of discipline and despite them being good at it; they let emotions cloud their work which proves disastrous to them once they realize she was a prostitute who leaves their lives as soon as she entered. The love and the immediate loss hurt the ‘new Bobby’ who despite his detached nature, love and loss proves to be painful and tempestuous. The story takes the context of a society where too much chaos and sprawl coupled with too much technology locks us out of our abilities to be able to embrace and handle our emotions. The theme also follows in winter market through Lise. The author leaves us with an after taste where despite Lise being able to finally get whatever she wanted her story does not end well as she is unable to find peace and continues to struggle in a consuming darkness. Conclusion William Gibson’s works depict a picture of advanced technologies which have eroded from individuals and society their original definitions of self and identity which gives humans their human aspects. Cybernetic enhancements, cosmetic surgeries and body alterations, brain computer interfaces and many other themes prevalent in these stories have obstructed people from their own realities and personal identity. ‘True identity’ is now a misconception considering the possibilities by which one can alter their body and mind. By Gibson’s reminder, ‘the streets finds its uses for everything, a conception that constantly pushes people out of their own reality to imaginations of cyberspace and other forms of artificial reality. It is this constant urge that fuels these technological advancements. Works Cited Heuser, Sabine. Virtual Geographies: Cyberpunk at the Intersection of the Postmodern and Science Fiction. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2003. Print. Lavigne, Carlen. Cyberpunk Women, Feminism and Science Fiction: A Critical Study. N.p., 2013. Print. The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Danbury: Grolier Electronic Pub, 1990. Print. Rucker, Rudy B, and Rudy B. Rucker. Live Robots: 2 in 1 Volume of Software/wetware. New York: Avon Books, 1994. Print. Read More