Grace Cauthron L&S Arts & Humanities
How Cyberpunk Fails: Reflections on CP's Popularity in the Digital Age
As a genre, Cyberpunk was birthed by a generation of writers who grew up being influenced by technological commodities like TV, computers, video games, etc., which sprang from the rise of multinational capitalism. Entertainment and image-based commodities such as these fundamentally altered how humans interacted with reality. Thus, themes of disembodiment, or disconnection from physical reality, became routine in the genre. Although Cyberpunks believed they had discovered a revolutionary new form, after its initial popularity in the 80s, Cyberpunk has since been criticized for its techno-orientalist aesthetics, its racially “colorblind” practices, and its devaluation of female subjects. But interestingly, Cyberpunk has made a strong comeback in contemporary popular media. By beginning with a close reading of recent, popular Cyberpunk media, I will explore hierarchies in race, sex, and class found in practices of disembodiment which will serve as a framework for understanding how Cybercultural media reflects our contemporary techno-cultural moment and how modern technology has altered our engagement with our own bodies, and by extension, our humanity.
Message To Sponsor
I cannot express the extent of my gratitude for having this opportunity. Working on this project will allow me to explore my love for speculative fiction and my curiosity regarding how humans interact with modern technology and media. Even just the preliminary research for this project has allowed me to strengthen my research skills and has heightened my resolve to pursue a PhD in literary and cultural studies, so I am extremely excited to continue working on and growing with this project.