Journal II

The genre of Cyberpunk seems to be that of the more realistic and, maybe, the more pessimistic author. Although much of what is addressed in many of the stories in Mirrorshades seem plausible, they also have a feeling of nostalgia. This is most likely a result of the stories being written in the early to mid-80's, but it gives them almost a naive quality. Some of the subjects they've written about have happened or are happening. Then again, some stories have this sort of feeling of normalcy and then a strange bit of information is given and it completely takes you out of what you felt was a safe place. The other vision of life we're given is one of supposed security in the state and world that the future has formed and it's rotten from the inside out, rotten with technology.

Snake-Eyes, for example, really appealed to me because the main character, George, lives and talks about places where I've been and grew up. He also describes his life in a very human, confused and frustrated sort of way, which makes him seems very “real”. At first it seems as though he's just another cast off from the Air Force, left to mentally designate and vanish. His purpose though becomes much more complex and strange as the story continues and he becomes controlled by the primeval force in his mind and a space “computer”. Passions ends up conquering all though love and the need to be in control. Which is a very compassionate and emotionally appealing conclusion to a tale that began so dismally.

This seems to be a running theme through out all of the Cyberpunk genre. Regaining hope through deep external and internal strife. Many of William Gibson's stories follow this pattern as well. He shows a world very similar to the one we live in now; dirty, used and lost in the past to a degree. Gibson also gives the impression that maybe it's for the best that we aren't living in the gleaming temple world that was envisioned for us. The Gernsback Continuum gives a great example of the potential totalitarian steel nightmare we avoided. We aren't burdened by he horror of flying cars, food in pill form only and uniform identities. What our future is now holding is poorly constructed condominiums that block out all view, tainted food sources and economic disaster. That will at least hold true, for the time being.

sources:

Mirrorshades, Bruce Sterling 1986

William Gibson - Official Site

Cyberpunk Project

Mirrorshades Postmodern Archives

Journal I

I think it would be fair to say that, currently, most people are living de facto cybernetic lifestyles. There are somewhat streamlined bio technologies that people's lives depend on (pacemakers, artificial limbs, cochlear ear implants,ect.) and more social technologies that others feel as though their lives depend on (Blackberries,cellular phones, domesticated GPS devices, ect.). Even though the most organic looking of the cybernetic technologies are not seen excessively, that is what they are meant for, to look natural. They are also very expensive, and until they become affordable for all the public they most likely will not be seen everywhere. Regarding communication devices, from what I know, they are for the most part entirely external. Eventually we may come to a precipus when it comes to hi-tech biotechnologies and what a human is. Even considering what is a cyborg is on more “realistic”terms may happen in my lifetime. Due to the over whelming incompetence of most people would make me think it's a little farther off then some others may believe. Any sort of maintenance that would have to be kept up by the person with a cybernetic device would be far less successful than some one with self-sustaining cybernetic technologies.
What we would be once considered a Cyborg in the recent past, now passes for almost the norm by today's standards. Everyday you see people with headset walking around talking to people, even keeping these headsets on after they have concluded their conversations. Even our memories are being replaced by technology. There is a galore of new devices that record memories through audio and video with very high quality. Many people become so dependent on these devices that it can be said that actually memory is not being valued as highly as digital memory. This has a sort of dehumanizing effect on a person, you can lose your sense of self if you don't have your own memories. The down playing of critical thought plays an active part in how this fact is ignored by some people, maybe for the purposes of easier rampant consumerism.
We are even given the option in some stores to have bank account information be linked to our thumb prints for a “safer, quicker payment option”. Part of this can be attributed to our modern cultures obsession with rampant commercial exploitation and having “the new thing”. Progress in smaller, more accessible technology is a major contributing factor as to why so many people have more of everything electronic. Before when such things as hand held camera or small recording devices were around they would have be marketed more towards people in a business field that would require such things. Much of the technology was more bulky and cumbersome. Many of the new devices we have now combine several different functions into one format. We can keep our camera-phone-computer-tracking-device-recorder on us at all times.
Medical technologies have also made many new inroads as far as what they can put inside us to keep living and on the move. Hip, knee, shoulder replacements, drugs that can act as various stimulator, and smaller and smaller electronic devices that are inserted into various parts of the body. Even the technology that goes into how we are operated on. When one sees the robotic arms that are meant to work on a person, is can look similar to what you might see on a car assembly line.

Sources:
1. Finger print access controller
2. Human Ethics: what is a cyborg?
3. Biotechnology
4. Cell Phones
5. Digital memory cards