Cyberpunk and Steampunk

There is a certain distinct reality created in most cyberpunk and steampunk narratives which can stem from or be centered around augmented or artificial realities. We can see different types rendered in some of this weeks material such as Blade Runner and Cyborg Manifesto. Blade Runner takes place in a futuristic  alternative reality. Some elements that support the believability of this reality are the buildings and the city's design, the advertisements on electronic billboards as large as the skyscrapers they are on, and the vehicles "flown". There are definitely elements of artificial reality as well, with the "robotic" and augmented people who are hunted down. Cyborg Manifesto is a different yet similar take on this artificial reality. Cyborgs are part human part machine and this text does go into the differences and some of the aspects of cyborgs and their version of their artificial and augmented realities.
For both of these medias, there is a distinct and identified version of reality created for the reader to be able to submerge themselves into. Both Blade Runner and Cyborg Manifesto have different realms but you are able to believe both because of the supporting elements and details that make up their realities as a whole.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contemporary Urban Fantasy

For this weeks reading, I dove into the world of Coraline, Gaiman's short fantastical novel. Within this story Gaiman explores major elements revolving around dreams and dream sequences, a theme commonly found in mythic reading. Majorly, there is the portal which transports Coraline into the world of "dreams" where she finds other personas of her family and friends around her. A very prominent and important character that follows Coraline along her journey and aids in assistance in her understanding, is her feline friend, the cat. This character archetype is seen many times before, one example being C.S. Lewis's cheshire cat. Which also derives from mythological animal characters, helping the protagonist in their journey or battle. Of course, the other mother is a very iconic mythic and fairytale archetype seen as the step mother. At first appealing as an even better version of Coraline's mother, but soon is revealed to be an evil entity trying to posses Coralin
Read more

J Horror

  The nature of J horror and its origins is widely different than those of western horrors. To break it down, in most asian horror stories or films there is not the same blatant good vs evil theme as in westerns. We are used to a formal distinction, possibly in the form of a monster (or evil person) and the "hero" or protagonist as the good element. We are used to an evil that you can directly "see" or identify physically, such as a killer monster, killer human, or evil entity. These ideas are easy to take in and understand, without usually having to reach far below the surface (even though in some cases there is an underlying message).   However, within the sub genre of asian horror, there is a distinct difference in the "evils" opposed to western's. J horror stories seem to have a higher meaning than just a blood thirsty creature, or psychotic human. They deal with the order of the universe, or the nature of the spirit world, rather than the demoniz
Read more
In Anne Rice's novel, Interview With The Vampire, there are many complicated and different types of relationships throughout the book. I think the main relationship we dwell on throughout the course of the book is Louis's back and forth connection within himself. Starting from the beginning of the story, as the Vampire tells the situation of him and his brother (before he became a Vampire of course). Louis is entrapped with horrible guilt and depression after the death of his brother, which he blames himself for the tragic death. He wishes himself to be dead, drowning in alcohol night after night. This goes on until Lestat chooses him, and embeds the Vampire into Louis, which then ignites a whole new sense of a complicated relationship between the two night walkers. Louis was enchanted by Lestat upon first and second eyeing, due to his Vampire charm and beauty. However, once Louis becomes the vampire, he sees Lestat in a whole new light. The magic of deception is gone and he s
Read more