Week Eleven: Cyberpunk and Steam Punk


Johnny Mnemonic

Johnny Mnemonic, the short story by William Gibson, was a pretty interesting read! This story which first appeared in Omni magazine in May 1981, was written during the time when cyberpunk and sci-fi were coming into a new age. While this story seems a little more on the fantasy side than most stories of that time, it definitely gives you that same quirky sci-fi feeling that you get when you watch Blade Runner or Tron.

The 1980’s were a time of technological revolution. The first household computers were being created, along with gaming consoles and portable phones. People today seem to really love and have a connection to the 80’s. Maybe it’s because the 1980s were where the technology we rely on and use daily, originated.

The 1980’s were the time of the computer’s infancy. People started to seriously think about where this technology would take us. Johnny Mnemonic certainly seems to address this. In the time of floppy disks, memory space was limited. In Johnny Mnemonic, which takes place in the nondescript future, the line between memories and memory were blurred with the ability to store computer information in one’s mind. Ever since the creation of smart technology, we as a people we were paranoid with the thought that the technology we build would eventually outgrow us and take over. What if they did not take over but rather we, people and technology, fused into one? Would that be any be any less terrifying? It seems to cause trouble in this short story. We as a people, will always be concerned with technological take over, but will we ever stop creating and evolving the technology? No.

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