Myth, Technology, and the (Post)Human Subject in William Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 TECHNOLOGICAL MYTHS AND MYTHICAL TECHNOLOGIES

1.2 MYTHS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL SUBJECT: THE CYBORG AND THE NET

2. VIRTUAL REALITIES AND MYTHS OF THE HUMAN SUBJECT

2.1 POSSESSED INDIVIDUALS AND POSSESSIVE TECHNOLOGIES

2.2 THREE FACETS OF ONE NET: HOLOGRAPHY, SIMSTIM, AND THE MATRIX

3. CYBORGS AS POSSESSED OR POSSESSIVE INDIVIDUALS?

4. CONCLUSION

Research Objectives and Themes

This dissertation examines the intersection of technology and mythology in William Gibson’s "Sprawl Trilogy." It investigates how the literary construction of the cyborg and the matrix creates an oxymoronic tension between "possessed" and "possessive" individualism, reflecting a postmodern struggle between the loss of stable identity and the nostalgic desire for it.

• The role of the cyborg as a site of corporeal and technological fusion.
• The function of the matrix as a virtualized symbolic order that maps human subjectivity.
• The dialectical relationship between human agency and autonomous technological systems.
• The critique of postmodern hyperreality through the lens of Lacanian and Baudrillardian theory.
• The exploration of genre hybridity, blending science fiction with Gothic horror and detective narratives.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

INTRODUCTION: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework, utilizing Lacan and Baudrillard to analyze how Gibson’s fiction blurs the distinctions between technology and mythology.

VIRTUAL REALITIES AND MYTHS OF THE HUMAN SUBJECT: This section explores how Cartesian influences and the concept of the "possessed individual" are manifest in virtual environments like simstim and the matrix.

CYBORGS AS POSSESSED OR POSSESSIVE INDIVIDUALS?: The final chapter investigates the body as a commodity and the hybrid nature of the cyborg as both a subversion of and a submission to technological power structures.

CONCLUSION: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, arguing that Gibson’s narrative structure embodies an unresolved oxymoronic tension between the rational genre of science fiction and the irrationality of horror.

Keywords

William Gibson, Sprawl Trilogy, Cyberpunk, Cyborg, Matrix, Virtual Reality, Subjectivity, Possessed Individualism, Possessive Individualism, Lacan, Baudrillard, Technology, Mythology, Simulacra, Posthumanism

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this dissertation?

The work explores how William Gibson’s novels articulate the tension between human identity and technological encroachment by analyzing the figures of the cyborg and the matrix.

Which central thematic concepts are discussed?

The dissertation centers on the opposition between "possessed" and "possessive" individualism, highlighting the conflict between autonomous human agency and control by technological and corporate forces.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to demonstrate how Gibson uses the literary construction of high-tech myths to navigate the shift from modern to postmodern subjectivity.

Which scientific methods are employed?

The author uses critical literary theory, specifically incorporating psychoanalytic readings (Slavoj Žižek) and postmodern cultural critiques (Jean Baudrillard) to interpret literary texts.

What topics are covered in the main body?

The main body treats specific technologies—holography, simstim, and the matrix—as narrative tools that reconfigure the human body and consciousness within the symbolic order.

How would you characterize the work’s keywords?

The keywords reflect a blend of literary analysis, technological discourse, and psychoanalytic terminology, emphasizing the intersection of "cyberspace," "the posthuman," and "mythology."

How does the author define the "possessed individual"?

The "possessed individual" is defined as a person who has lost agency to technological systems and the symbolic order, contrasting with the "possessive individual" who maintains a sense of mastery.

How does Gibson’s use of the "pov" (point of view) function as a technology?

The "pov" is analyzed as a narrative technology that detaches the observer from the body, transforming human consciousness into a temporal entity within an interactive datascape.

Why are AIs in the Sprawl Trilogy described as "mythical"?

Artificial Intelligences in the trilogy act as god-like figures that operate beyond human understanding, tapping into ancient fears of demons and entities that exert power over their creators.