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Introduction to Cyberpunk Literature - Mar 2010
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Welcome
Welcome to the Introduction to Cyberpunk Literature course.
I'm going to be your tutor, well, I wouldn't call it this way; I'll be a guide through material we'll study, and we are all here to learn from each other.
Please introduce yourselves to the group, say anything, from where you are, geographical timezone, personal timezone, how cyberpunk you are, why are you here, etc. It doesn't have to be CV-like structured, don't be formal, be wild, we are punks here.
I'll start first:
My name is Laurian Gridinoc and I'm an addict. An information addict, I'm constantly on twitter, constantly having 50+ tabs open in a browser, reading and scanning a large range of topics. I do work for the Open University in the UK (iTunes U infrastructure), I did research on Semantic Web things, I'm mad about Blade Runner, Philip K. Dick stories, I listen to Massive Attack and other trip-hop music, I drink espresso constantly, etc.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyle Murphy from Nebraska, USA.
I was first introduced to the cyberpunk genre back in middle school when I played a video game called "Snatcher". It had a crazy detective story where you tracked down criminal cyborgs who'd stolen human bodies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snatcher). A few years later I saw "Blade Runner", "Akira", and "Ghost in The Shell" and discovered the similarities between all these works.
I was hooked. But I couldn't explain why.
A few months ago, a friend (Kevin aka "Mynock", a member of this class) convinced me to read "Neuromancer." I don't read enough fiction for this to mean much, but it's become my favorite novel. I do read lengthy works of non-fiction about once every two weeks.
At work I'm a software developer who focuses on "user experience design"; a fancy term that means "making technology work for people instead of the other way around."
Hi, I'm Sjef. I currently reside in Amsterdam, the Netherlands where a friend and I run a small web/graphic design studio called Largetosti.
My previous employment adventures can be read on Linkedin, it's mostly web related.
I also write the occasional rant/review/comment on SpaceCollective.
I work/sleep late, so my personal timezone I guess is closer to East Coast US than CET.
I like cyberpunk for a number of reasons, there's the aesthetic, the culture it grew out of, and the amusing ways in which it has been used/abused/misconstrued to name a few.
Also I like that it's a future we've largely already caught up with, and now nobody can figure out what the hell is going on anymore.
Reasons I'm here are basically that I'm trying to force myself to write more, and I'm very interested in how this P2PU idea will work out, as I've always enjoyed learning but have generally been bored to the point of quitting by 'formal' education.
Good morning,everyone! My name is Dorene DeMars and I live in Tacoma, WA USA. (As of tomorrow, Pacific Daylight Time) My times of availability would probably be late evening 7:30-9:30ish PDT.
I have always been a voracious reader, most often preferring Science Fiction. I cut my teeth on Heinlein's juvenile fiction during my pre-teen years and have really never looked back. Cyberpunk sort of eluded me as a sub-genre, though, until I ran across an abandoned copy of William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition" in a coffee shop. I fell in love with it and eagerly passed it around to my friends. I realized I was pathological when most of them returned it to me saying, "I don't get it."
Like Laurian, I would be an information junkie if I didn't really keep myself in check. I love having my Google Reader open, along with Facebook and Twitter. And e-mail. And whatever Google document(s) I'm working on. I often have to remind myself to close the lid on the laptop and go outside and play. I've purposely chosen not to own a smart phone. That would be my undoing...
By day I teach at a local technical college. The rest of the time I read, lift weights, run, bike, watch the occasional movie, ride my motorscooter, play quirky board games like Settlers of Catan/Carcasonne/Race for the Galaxy, and constantly rearrange the furniture.
Hey Everyone,
My name's Avi Zacherman, I'm a New Yorker living in Oklahoma, USA, currently attending grad school. Like Laurian, I would classify myself as an information addict. I've spent a number of nights up, following links on Wikipedia, just seeing where it would lead me. I love to cook and can never get enough BBQ.
I got introduced to Cyberpunk when I was thirteen, when I discovered Shadowrun, a role playing game that combined magic and cyberpunk.
I got quite hooked from my Shadowrun experience, and sought to expand my Cyberpunk comprehension. I soon read everything Gibson ever wrote, literally devoured the stuff. Something about the dystopic nature of the future in the genre just really appealed to me, it felt more real.
Hi, I'm Janine. I live in Queens, New York and work a basic 9-5er so evenings and weekends Eastern time are best for me in terms of synchronized meetings online.
I've always been a fan of sci-fi, but have never really concentrated on any specific sub-genres. I've always been fond of robots, clones, and dystopian futures so this course naturally grabbed my attention. I write short fiction and have been trying to flesh out an idea for something involving a clones that may or may not go in the direction of being "cyberpunk" so finding this course was a timely discovery for me.
My day job can be really boring, but it allows for a lot of down time which is what spurred my interest in online learning (ha, what HR rep wouldn't want to read that?). I've been taking graduate classes in media studies though the New School online for the past year, which has been a great experience, and I'm excited to try out P2PU.
Hello all, my name is Kevin Mehlbrech and I currently hail from Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Professionally I'm a web developer, but my hobbies and interests span a wide range of topics. To continue the pattern, I'm also an information addict though I sometimes need to unplug completely for a few days to escape the noise.
I have been obsessed with science fiction and fantasy for as long as I can remember, with cyberpunk being especially attractive. I am excited to explore some of these works with everybody here and to hear different opinions.
I'm also a 9-5er so evenings and weekends (central time) work best for me. Most Friday afternoons would be fine as well.
My name is Ian Turton and I'm British but I live in Pennsylvania at present. I teach on-line classes in Geography for Penn State to pay for my extensive book habit. I first encountered Cyberpunk through William Gibson, then moving on to Bruce Sterling etc. I'm currently reading Kage Baker's Company series.
Hi All, my name is Warren Smith. Thanks Laurian for guiding this class, I look forward to finding out where it leads. I have made a meager living for the past 20 years as a computer tech/audio engineer. For the past 6 years I've engineered and published cc audiobook recordings free at http://literalsystems.org. It was in reading texts for possible production as audio recordings that I started to hear what I was reading in a way like I had never done before--the kind of renewed interest in reading that leads to writing... so I have just begun to write too (http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/warren-smith/free-at-last). What a great way to experience a course called Intro to Cyberpunk Lit! I am Texas born but living in Maine right now with my love.
Hey gang. I'm Will, 27, hobbyist learner. Been loving the cyberpunk since I was a young teen. Dad took me to see that wack adaptation of Johnny Mnemonic (I mean, I still dig it anyway) and then decided he'd made a mistake by letting me see the movie before reading the excellent story. Thusly, a Gibson fan was born. I attended a tech university and my interest in the genre reignited there. Excited to talk about these things with fellow punks again. I'm a barista so my schedule is unreliable but I'm a firm believer in making it all work. Laurian, do you make your own espresso or are you a faithful customer in some local shop?
Hey, everybody. My name is John Van Ort. I'm 18 and currently a senior in high school. I've always had a great interest in literature and, more recently, sci-fi (specifically steam and cyberpunk.)
Once I graduate, I'll be going to UIC to study theatre performance and either directing, playwriting or psychology (Odd choices, yeah?). I always love analyzing literature and we don't cover science fiction in any course at our school, so this was a great chance to look at that.
Hi everybody,
sorry for the late start :) due to information overload these past few days. My name is Dana Timar and I have been working the consulting business for some years now. I originally come from Romania, but I now live in Oslo, Norway (and enjoy it very much!).
I became interested in SF early on, and literally devoured all my father's library, most of all instead of studying for my Economics exams :D. I might be a rather "classical" punk :): while more the space opera type (Dune, Empire series, Pandora series), I also enjoyed more "philosophical" SciFi writing, particularly Stanislaw Lem, Gerard Klein and of course Asimov.
My interest is particularly in the utopia/dystopia theme, a subject I like to indulge in (with Huxley, Orwell and Ayn Rand bearing the flag). I am here to discuss, to argue, to punk, and to have fun, most of all :D
I am currently available every day after 1PM(GMT+1) and on weekends.
Looking forward to this course!
Hi everyone,
sorry for the late start - it seems that my previous post didn't exactly get through to your universe, so to speak.
My name is Dana Timar, been working in consulting for the past five years, focus on IT implem and supply chain. I'm originally from Romania, but now I'm living in Oslo, Norway (and enjoying it tremendously!)
I'm probably a bit atypical, being more of a space opera fan (Dune, Empire, Pandora series), as well as a lover of "philosophical SF", having grown up with Stanislaw Lem, Gerard Klein, Asimov. My father is the one who introduced me to the SF genre, with my mom rather on the classical literature side. That's where I get the preference for the (political) utopia/dystopia theme (avid devourer of Huxley, Ayn Rand, Orwell). Looking forward to expand my knowledge in the cyberpunk genre as well :)
Dana
Hi everyone,
sorry for the late start - it seems that my previous post didn't exactly
get through to your universe, so to speak.
My name is Dana Timar, been working in consulting for the past five years,
focus on IT implem and supply chain. I'm originally from Romania, but now
I'm living in Oslo, Norway (and enjoying it tremendously!)
I'm probably a bit atypical, being more of a space opera fan (Dune,
Empire, Pandora series), as well as a lover of "philosophical SF", having
grown up with Stanislaw Lem, Gerard Klein, Asimov. My father is the one
who introduced me to the SF genre, with my mom rather on the classical
literature side. That's where I get the preference for the (political)
utopia/dystopia theme (avid devourer of Huxley, Ayn Rand, Orwell). Looking
forward to expand my knowledge in the cyberpunk genre as well :)
Dana