Paranoia in<i>Spook Country</i>: William Gibson and the technological sublime of the war on terror

McAvan, Em

doi:10.1080/17449855.2010.482431

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Accompanied by the daily chorus of corporate anthems sung in unison, the tentacles of capital have infiltrated every corner of the city, leaving humanity entangled in an insoluble impasse. Every individual living in the cyber age undergoes this inescapable predicament: It springs from the isolated individual's state of disappointment and helplessness in relation to society as a whole, a tenacious complex in modern civilization, a powerlessness beneath the reign of the mighty [8] . Whether serving as pragmatic vessels, symbols of consumption, or offerings in supplicatory rituals, the body, as it participates in the construction and operation of society, gradually sheds its agency and creativity, becoming passive, inert, and emasculated possessions under the dominion of power.…”

Section: Alienated Bodies: Vessels Symbols or Offeringsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body, Memory, and Utopia: Exploring the Survival Predicament and Realist Allegory in Burning Chrome

2023

jsoce

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The progenitor of cyberpunk, William Gibson, in his anthology of short stories titled Burning Chrome, meticulously crafts a portrayal of human survival within a nearfuture world characterized by the paradoxical juxtaposition of advanced technology and societal degradation encapsulated by the adage "high-tech, low-life." This paper converges its analytical lens on the narrative's delineation of alienated corporeal manifestations, fragmented mnemonic constructs, and the disillusionment of utopian aspirations. Under the pervasive infiltration of capitalist hegemony, the human body metamorphoses into vessels, symbols, and offerings, becoming integral to the construction and functioning of the societal fabric. Manipulated through the agency of information technology, the fragmentation and rupture of individual memories instigate the attenuation of emotional resonance and the perturbation of identity. At the same time of the disintegration of subjectivity, human hope is directed to the futile pursuit of conceptualization and utopia. Gibson's introspective reflections and metaphorical allusions to contemporary authenticity stand out through a careful exploration of the collective dilemmas facing humanity in an urgent socio-cultural environment.

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Section: Alienated Bodies: Vessels Symbols or Offeringsmentioning

confidence: 99%