Cyberspace, Matrix, Metaverse: The Cyberpunk Roots of the Digital Age

Much of contemporary culture feels like a manifestation of the dystopian futures imagined by cyberpunk authors in the late twentieth century: rogue AI agents that break into secure government systems, tech-moguls with authoritarian desires, surveillance capitalism, and dreams of immortality in the cloud or outer space. This is more than a coincidence, it is a matter of literary influence and (mis-)readings of Science Fiction by those who build or own the technologies we use: META is named after the concept of the Metaverse, introduced in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel Snow Crash. The Manosphere and conspiracy theorists have taken the concept of “red-pilling” from the film Matrix (The Wachowskis, 1999) to suggest that men are governed by a cabal of feminists. The concept of the “matrix” was introduced together with “cyberspace” by cyberpunk trailblazer William Gibson to define digital spaces as “consensual hallucination.” The design of Tesla’s Cybertruck is explicitly modelled on the aesthetics of Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner (1983). In this course, we will revisit key works in cyberpunk science fiction that are often cited as influences on contemporary cyber culture. We will follow the proposition that contemporary Silicon Valley futurists materialize—and to some degree misread—cyberpunk, flattening its underlying critique and engagement with social complexities, while transforming their techno-capitalist dystopias into models to be emulated.

Required course texts will include:

·      Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, 1983, FILM

·      William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984), FULL NOVEL

·      Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (1992), FULL NOVEL

·      The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis, 1999, FILM

This course will include four block sessions and conclude before the Christmas break. Our first session is on Oct 20.

SCHEDULE:

Introduction | Tuesday, Oct, 20, 13:00-14:30 (DS 4)

Cyberpunk Theory | Tuesday, Oct 27, 13:00-14:30 (DS 4)

BLOCK 1 | Blade Runner | Friday, November 6, 14:50-20:00 (DS 5-7)

BLOCK 2 | Neuromancer | Friday November 20, 14:50-20:00 (DS 5-7)

BLOCK 3 | The Matrix | Friday, November 27 | 14:50-20:00 (DS 5-7)

BLOCK 4 | Snow Crash | Friday December 11 | 14:50-20:00 (DS 5-7)

Conclusion | Tuesday, December 15, 13:00-14:30 (DS 4)