Week 3: 23rd – 30th September
Week 3 The Punk Scene
In cyberpunk novels and film, setting is often as much a character as the human and non-human characters. The dystopian futures are often nightmarish visions of imagined post-capitalist societies where large multinational corporations have more power than national governments. Grey skies and polluted air permeate Gibson’s novels; the famous opening line of Neuromancer describes a sky that is “a color of television, tuned to a dead channel”. Blade Runner and The Matrix both illustrate similar realities, and Snowcrash imagines a world where governance has been ceded to corporations and entrepreneurs.
This week’s discussion will focus on the idea of setting in cyberpunk novels and film. What is the effect of the crowded cityscapes, rain, eternal dusk or nighttime, neon signs, faceless masses and speeding rapid transit on the narrative? How do these elements contribute to the tone of the novels, and could they be said to be responsive characters in their own right? Write a 1-2 page paper on the settings of the cyberpunk novels and films in the curriculum and explore the questions raised above.
Please upload your piece as a blog post by Monday 28th of September, in preparation for the discussion on Wednesday 30th September. Please tag your post with the tags “Week 3″ and “scenery”, as well as any other tags you would like to add.