Topics for the Fourth Discussion
Preface to Mirrorshades, Neuromancer, “The Gernsback Continuum,”
and
“The Girl Who Was Plugged In”

Preface to Mirrorshades by Bruce Sterling

How does Sterling define cyberpunk?
How is cyberpunk impacted by 1980s culture?
What is the significance of technology in 1980s culture? Modern culture?
What does it mean that “the literature of the future has a long and honored past” (xv)?
How does cyberpunk relate to previous styles of science fiction?
What makes the name cyberpunk significant?
How does cyberpunk relate to multinationalism and globalization?
What is different about 1980s technology?

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Global Space
How is space & place important in the novel?
In what locations does the novel take place?
What is peculiar about Chiba City?
What is the Sprawl like? BAMA?
Who is this vision of the future different from the one in Metropolis?
How is Deane’s office described? Straylight?
How do business and technology play roles in forming places?
What kind of place is Zion? Freeside?
Is place really important? Why or why not?

Case and the Matrix
What is the Matrix?
How is Case’s name significant?
What does it mean to think of the body as meat?
How does Case see his world?
How is Case’s body described to the reader? When is it finally described?
Is Case a character we can like? Why or why not?
What are his stars?

Molly’s Body and Gender Issues
Compare the descriptions of Molly’s body to the descriptions of Case?
How are they different? Why?
Consider how Molly’s body is described as both a sexual object and a weapon.
What is unique about Molly’s body? Why did she do this?
What is Molly’s role in the run? How does this conform to or break standard literary gender traditions?
What does it mean that Molly is made to be “ridden”?
What are some of the conceptual issues around Molly’s mirrored implants?
How does Molly define herself?
Does she have a history?
What does it mean to be a puppet? Why was Molly a puppet? To what end?
Why does Molly say she is wired?
What does the novel seem to say about gender issues?

Identity as Information: I Wish I Was In Dixie
What does it mean to be wired?
In what ways is the construct Dixie? In what ways is it something else?
Why does Dixie want to be erased?
How does this complicate the question of the body and the mind?
In what ways is Armitage similar to Dixie?

Life as Information: On the Beach
What is life on the beach like?
Isn’t this the culmination of Case’s philosophy of life?
Is it significant that Linda Lee doesn’t know that she is a “ghost?”
How is she similar to or different from Dixie?
Is life on the beach really life?
Why doesn’t Case choose this life?

AI Motivation: Wintermute and Neuromancer
What does Wintermute want? What does Neuromancer want?
How are the two AIs different?
Why does Case want Wintermute to win? What does he think will change?
What becomes of the AIs?
Do they change the world?
What becomes of Case?
What is a fantasy of control?

New Voices in the Future?
In “The Gernsback Continuum” Gibson seems to critique old exclusionary science fiction styles. Does Neuromancer offer a chance for voices other than the dominant ones to be heard?
How are issues of race and gender approached in the novel?
Is this a new approach?
Is it critical?

“The Gernsback Continuum” by William Gibson

What does it mean for something to become an episode?
What slice of Americana fascinates Dialta Downes?
What is the future that never was? Do you recognize this future?
How is this related to science fiction? Star Trek? Religion?
Why does the public want the future?
What does it mean to see a flying wing?
What is unsettling about the children of the future the narrator sees?
What are they like, and how do they live?
What kind of future is theirs? Who and what does it leave out?
How does it relate to real history?
What is the antidote to these semiotic visions?
What does it mean to live in a “human near dystopia”?
What does this story have to say about the history of the future?
What does it mean to have a history of the future?
What kinds of futures do we imagine now?
What are semiotic ghosts? Where do they come from? Have you seen any?

“The Girl Who Was Plugged In” by James Tiptree, Jr.

Consider the narrative voice of this story. What effect does the narrative have?
Who is the story being told to?
What is the future like? How is it like the present? How is it different?
Who are the young gods? What makes them gods?
What is the difference between gods and mortals?
How do the people in the GTX tower live?
Why are there no ads in the future?
What is distinctive about P. Burke? How is she described?
What choice does she make? Would you make the same choice?
Why isn’t this a Cinderella story?
Who is Delphi? How is she described?
What is a waldo?
What is the speech that Mr. Cantle doesn’t give?
In what ways is Delphi’s body insensitive? Why is this important?
What does Delphi do?
Why is it significant that Delphi begins to talk in her sleep?
Who is Paul Isham? What does he value?
Who is Rima? How does she relate to Delphi?
How does Delphi relate to Paul?
What is the mistake he makes?
How is Delphi reborn?
Do the stars play a part in this story?