Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Cyberpunk literature explores the effects that developments in technology will have on
the lives of individuals in the future. Technology is seen as having the potential to be of
benefit to society, but it is also seen as a dangerous tool that can be used to severely limit
humanity's freedom. Most of the characters in the texts I examine wish to perpetuate the
boundaries that contain them in a desperate search for stability. Only a few individuals
manage to move beyond the boundaries created by multinational corporations that use
technology, drugs or religion for their own benefit.
This thesis will provide a definition of cyberpunk and explore its development from
science fiction and postmodern writing. The influence of postmodern thinking on
cyberpunk literature can be seen in its move from stability to fluidity, and in its insistence
on the impossibility of creating fixed boundaries. Cyberpunk does not see the future of
humanity as stable, and argues that it will be necessary for humanity to move beyond the
boundaries that contain it. The novels I discuss present different views concerning the
nature of humanity's merging with technology. One view is that humanity is moving
towards a posthuman future, while some argue that humanity is not discarded, but that
these characters have merely evolved to the next step in the natural development of
humankind. Both these views deal with constant change, a notion advocated by both
postmodernism and cyberpunk. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "Cyberpunk" literatuur ondersoek die uitwerking wat tegnologiese ontwikkeling in die
toekoms op die lewens van individue sal hê. Tegnologie word gesien as tot moontlike
voordeel vir die samelewing, maar dit kan ook 'n gevaarlike wapen wees wat gebruik kan
word om die mens se vryheid in te perk. Die meerderheid van die karakters in die romans
wat ek bespreek verkies om die grense wat hulle inperk te handhaaf in 'n desperate
strewe na stabiliteit. Slegs 'n paar individue kry dit wel reg om verby die grense te breek
wat deur multinasionale organisasies geskep word vir hul eie gewin.
In hierdie tesis kyk ek na 'n definisie van "cyberpunk" en ek ondersoek die invloed van
wetenskapsfiksie en postmodernisme op die ontwikkeling van die beweging. Die invloed
van postmodernistiese denke kan gesien word in "cyberpunk" se fokus op
veranderlikheid eerder as stabiliteit. "Cyberpunk" sien nie die toekoms van die mens as
stabiel nie, en die argument is dat dit nodig is vir die mens om verby die grense te
beweeg wat vryheid inperk. Die romans wat ek bespreek bevat verskillende sieninge oor
die tipe samesmelting wat die mens en tegnologie sal hê. Sommige voel dat die kategorie
"mens" permanent agterlaat gaan word, terwyl ander argumenteer dat individue slegs sal
ontwikkel tot die volgende stap in die natuurlike ontwikkeling van die mens.
Voortdurende verandering is die fokus van beide hierdie standpunte, en dit is ook die
belangrikste fokus van beide "cyberpunk" en postmodernisme.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51639 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Toerien, Michelle |
| Contributors | Goodman, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 47 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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