[Air-l] recent cyberpunk/Internet culture fiction

Michele White mwhite at wellesley.edu
Thu Nov 6 12:04:10 PST 2003


I appreciate the suggestions for cyberpunk and Internet culture fiction.
These considerations are a vital part of the ways that the Internet has
been conceptualized and help students to understand the political issues
through other kinds of writings. However, I should note that some of my
students find the unfamiliar terminology and narrative difficult to
initially grasp. 

I have used a variety of short stories in my class as well as longer
works. My ongoing concern is to include more diversity in the authors and
representations we deploy. I am suggesting a few additions and would
appreciate hearing more suggestions.

All my best,
Michele

Butler, Octavia. Bloodchild and Other Stories. New York: Davis
Publications, 1995.

Cadigan, Pat. "Rock On" and "Pretty Boy Crossover," Patterns. New York:
Tor Books, 1989: 57-65 and 129-138.

Cadigan, Pat, "Icy You . . . Juicy Me," The Register (2001)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/17497.html 

Delany, Samuel R. Dhalgren. New York: Vintage Books, 2001. The dystopian
technoculture, breakdown of text, and shifting narrative relate this novel
to cyberpunk even if the computer is not a featured technology.

Gomez-Pena, Guillermo. Friendly Cannibals. San Francisco: Artspace Books,
1996.

Hopkinson, Nalo, "A Habit of Waste," Women of Other Worlds: Excursions
through Science Fiction and Feminism. Hellen Merrick and Tess Williams,
eds. Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press, 1999: 261-276. Her
"Ganger (Ball Lightning)," might be more in the "cyberculture" category
since it considers VR suits, gender bending, and sexuality. Hopkinson,
Nalo. "Ganger (Ball Lightning)," Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative
Fiction from the African Diaspora, Sheree R. Thomas, ed. New York: Warner
Books, 2000.

Mixon, Laura. Glass Houses. New York: Tor Books, 1992.

Scott, Melissa. Trouble and Her Friends. New York: Tor Books, 1994.





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