This dissertation explores the emergence of the complexity paradigm in our technoscience culture and proposes "scientific fiction" as a genre of cultural studies based on that paradigm. Throughout this dissertation, I use the terms and concepts of complexity theory developed by new science, which revises the reductionism and linearity of classic science. The complexity paradigm signifies a system of all knowledge that conceives the productivity and creativity of the complexity created by interconnective and interactive dynamics among and within systems. As a literary response to the complexity paradigm, scientific fiction emphasizes the productivity and creativity of the complexity, offering the possibility of the human‘s co-evolution with technoscience. These characteristics of scientific fiction help articulate new ontological, ethical, and aesthetic visions for the posthuman. This dissertation ultimately highlights the strong feedback loops of technoscience, literature, and culture, which promote the complexity paradigm. By comparing Pat Cadigan‘s Synners as a scientific fiction novel and William Gibson‘s Neuromancer as a representative postmodern science fiction novel, Chapter II presents the defining characteristics of scientific fiction, reconfiguring humanity in relation to the technoscience environment. Furthermore, analyzing Greg Bear‘s Blood Music, the chapter claims that the human subject is an adaptive, self-organizing, interconnective system. Grounded in such understandings of humanity and subjectivity, the next chapter examines Marge Piercy‘s He, She and It to offer a new ethical perspective, or the complexity ethics, which establishes the interconnective and interactive relationship between the human and the technological as an evolutionary partner. The complexity ethics describes human behaviors and thoughts in our technoscience culture rather than prescribing a moral guideline. Next, in investigating Shelley Jackson‘s Patchwork Girl, a hypertext novel that rewrites Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein, Chapter IV explores a new aesthetics appreciating the creativity of the complexity produced by interconnective and interactive dynamics. Finally, through the analyses of the scientific fiction novels, this dissertation suggests that scientific fiction is a transdisciplinary field that can offer new cultural visions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:16:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Teresa Tavares Costa.pdf: 8371940 bytes, checksum: c5b7d46b730f1b5eb97dc72ae4084cc0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-07-30 / Ctrl+C Authorship on the Net studies the new formats of creation that emerged from the Internet. By aiming beyond the discussions around a legal point of view, this work focusses on asthetic and critical parameters of online art experiences, which point towards the redefinition of the concept of authorship in the realm of digital media e the very context of contemporary culture. In order to cruise this itinerary, the text starts from an understanding of the technical particularities of the network, related to the symbolic exchanges established in its environment. In a first phase, the research investigates the concept of Network Culture through the social-technical relations which are its components. On the discussion proposed by Alexander Galloway concerning the protocols that rule the communication flux on the Internet, the concepts of code and interface are articulated, aiming to define a language digital objects. The theories of Lev Manovich, Margot Lovejoy, Florian Cramer and Jay David Bolter & Richard Grusin are utilized in order to further develop these discussions. After defining the specifities of the Network Culture, it became possible, in a second instance, to analyze de development of what Lawrence Lessig denominates as Remix Culture, in other words, a social configuration marked by semiotic appropriation and recontextualization typical of those new digital technologies. About Lessig s concept are discussed the aesthetic parameters of the remix cultures on the terrain of network culture through Eduardo Nava s analysis in parallel with the concepts of modularity and remixability by Lev Manovich, digital aura in Michael Betancourt and remix as consumption from Nicolas Bourriard. From the methodological perspective, a mapping and analysis of Internet projects that discuss the concepts above referred and contribute for the reconfiguration of the contemporary notion of authorship is accomplished. Among them: AfterSherrieLevine.com/AfterWalkerEvans.com , by Michael Mandiberg, 2001, and Society of the Spectacle (A Digital Remix) by Mark Amerika, Trace Reddell and Rick Silva, 2004. Such an empirical corpus was split into two categories proposed by Eduardo Navas: Selective and Reflexive Remix. The typologies of agency suggested by these works bring up questions such as the production and consumption relations, interactivity, property, control and micropolitics, as well as pointing towards the definition of both to the very own aesthetics and politics of the intercrossing between network culture and remix culture / Ctrl+C - autoria na rede estuda os novos formatos de criação que emergiram na Internet. Para além das discussões do ponto de vista jurídico, o trabalho concentrase em parâmetros estéticos e críticos de experiências de arte em rede que apontam para a redefinição do conceito de autoria no âmbito das mídias digitais e no próprio contexto da cultura contemporânea. Para dar conta deste percurso, o texto parte de um entendimento das particularidades técnicas da rede relacionadas às trocas simbólicas que nela se estabelecem. Em uma primeira etapa, a pesquisa investiga o conceito de Cultura de Rede através das relações sócio-técnicas que a compõem. Sobre a discussão de Alexander Galloway em relação aos protocolos que governam o fluxo de comunicação na Internet, os conceitos de código e interface são articulados com o objetivo de definir uma linguagem própria dos objetos digitais. Para estas discussões são utilizadas as teorias de Lev Manovich, Margot Lovejoy, Florian Cramer e Jay David Bolter & Richard Grusin. Após a definição das especificidades da Cultura de Rede, tornou-se possível, em um segundo momento, analisar o desenvolvimento do que Lawrence Lessig denomina Cultura Remix, ou seja, uma configuração social marcada pela apropriação e recontextualização semiótica típica das novas tecnologias digitais. Sobre o conceito de Lessig, são discutidos os parâmetros estéticos das práticas de remix no âmbito da cultura de rede através da análise de Eduardo Navas em paralelo com os conceitos de modularidade e remixabilidade de Lev Manovich, aura digital em Michael Betancourt e remix como consumo a partir de Nicolas Bourriaud. Do ponto de vista metodológico, realizou-se um mapeamento e análise de projetos concebidos para a Internet que discutem os conceitos tratados acima e contribuem para a reconfiguração da noção de autoria na contemporaneidade. São eles: AfterSherrieLevine.com/AfterWalkerEvans.com , de Michael Mandiberg, 2001 e Society of the Spectacle (A Digital Remix) de Mark Amerika, Trace Reddell e Rick Silva, 2004. Tal corpus empírico dividiu-se entre duas categorias propostas por Eduardo Navas Remix: Seletivo e Remix Reflexivo. As tipologias de agenciamentos que estes trabalhos sugerem colocam em pauta questões como as relações de produção e consumo, interatividade, propriedade, controle e micropolítica das redes digitais, além de apontar para a definição de uma estética e política próprias do entrecruzamento entre cultura de rede e cultura remix