Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines the idea of apocalypse through the lens of science fiction (sf) written during the
current fin de siècle period. I have dated this epoch, known as the information era, as starting in 1980 with the
advent of personal computing and ending in approximately 2020 when the functional limits of silicon-based
digital manufacturing and production are expected to be reached. By surveying the field of contemporary sf, I
identify certain trends and subgenres that relate to particular aspects of apocalyptic thought, namely,
conceptions of the ‘terror of history,’ the sublimity of accelerated techno-scientific advance, the ‘affective turn’
in media-culture and posthuman philosophy. My principal method of inquiry into how the apocalypse is
imagined or ‘figured’ in sf is the concept of hyperstition – a neologism (combining the words ‘hyper’ and
‘superstition’) coined by the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit (CCRU). Hyperstition describes an aesthetic
response whereby cultural fictions – principally, ideas relating to apocalypse – are imagined as transmuting into
material realities. I begin by scrutinizing two posthumanist works of theory-fiction (theory written in the mode
of sf) by the CCRU and 0rphan Drift which anticipate immanent human extinction and imagine the inception of
a new evolutionary cycle of machine-augmented evolution This sensibility is premised on the sociallydestabilising
cycles of exponential growth that characterise information-era technological developments,
particularly in the digital industries, as well as the accelerated human impact on the natural environment. Central
to my argument is the romantic materialist philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari and their concepts of
accelerationism, schizoanalysis and Bodies without Organs (BwO’s). Their ontology is constructed around the
idea that exponential rates of development necessitate a new aesthetic paradigm that ventures beyond
philosophies of human access. The narrative of apocalypse, approached from this perspective, can be interpreted
in catastrophic or anastrophic terms; either as a permanent ending or as the beginning of something radically
new. Using hyperstition, I also investigate the sf of Russell Hoban, Michael Swanwick, Brian Stableford,
Charles Stross, Dan Simmons, M. John Harrison and Paul McAuley to see not only how these authors interpret
the concept of cultural acceleration, but also to identify common threads. Countering the catastrophic ‘death of
affect’ postulated by theorists such as Jean Baudrillard and Paul Virilio with the anastrophic rejoinder of
cyberdelic information-era countercultures, I conclude by investigating the new ‘affective turn’ in contemporary
media theory. The works of theoretical fiction and sf that I investigate are informed, as I demonstrate, by the
Situationist techniques of psychogeography, dérive and detournement, as well as by the literary tropes of 18th
and 19th century fin de siècle Gothic and dark Romantic fiction. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die idee van apokalips deur die oogpunt van wetenskap fiksie (wf) soos geskryf
gedurende die huidige ‘fin de siècle’ tydperk. Ek dateer hierdie epog, bekend as die inligtings-era, as die
tydperk wat in 1980 begin met die koms van persoonlike rekenaars en nagenoeg eindig in 2020, wanneer die
funksionele limiete van silikon gebaseerde digitale vervaardiging en produksie na verwagting bereik sal word.
Deur die veld van kontemporêre wf in oënskou te neem, identifiseer ek sekere neigings en sub-genres wat
vergelyk met sekere kenmerke van apokaliptiese denke, naamlik: begrippe soos die ‘verskrikking van
geskiedenis’, die verhewendheid van versnelde tegno-wetenskaplike vooruitgang, die ‘emosionele omkeer’ in
media-kultuur en post-humanistiese filosofie. My primêre metode van ondersoek van hoe die apokalips
voorgestel of ‘beskryf’ kan word in wf, is die begrip van hiper-bygelowigheid - ‘n neologisme (samevoeging
van die woorde ‘hiper’ en ‘bygeloof’) soos geskep deur die Kubernetiese Kultuur Navorsings-Eenheid (KKNE)
en Nick Land, medestigter van die KKNE. Hiper-bygelowigheid beskryf die proses waarvolgens kulturele
versinsels - hoofsaaklik opvattings met betrekking tot apokalips – in materiële realiteite omgeskakel kan word.
Ek ondersoek ek twee post-humanistiese werke van teorie-fiksie (teorie geskryf volgens die wf metode) deur
KKNE en 0rphan Drift, wat inherente menslike uitwissing verwag en die ontstaan van ‘n nuwe evolusionêre
siklus van masjien-toename voorstel. Hierdie proses is gebaseer op die sosiaal-destabiliserende siklus van
eksponensiële groei wat kenmerkend is van die inligtings-era se tegnologiese ontwikkelinge, veral in die digitale
industrie, sowel as versnelde menslike impak op die natuurlike omgewing. Die kern van my beredenering is die
goties-materialisties-teoriese standpunt soos deur Land ingeneem, sowel as die romanties-materialistiese
filosofie van Deleuze en Guattari. Hierdie gevalle van neo-materialistiese (of objek-georiënteerde) filosofië
word toegelig deur ‘n apokalipties-teoretiese basis bekend as akseleerasionisme. Hierdie uitgangspunt is
ontwikkel rondom die idee dat die eksponensiële tempo van ontwikkeling ‘n klimaks sal bereik in ‘n
evolusionêre ‘wipplank punt’ en dat ‘n nuwe estetiese paradigma nodig is wat dit bokant die filosofie van
menslike vermoë kan waag sodat daar oor hierdie waarskynlikheid geteoretiseer kan word. Die beskrywing van
apokalips, soos vanuit hierdie oogpunt beskou, kan vertolk word in beide katastrofiese of anastrofiese terme of
as ‘n permanente einde of as die begin van iets wat radikaal nuut sal wees. Deur gebruik te maak van die
hiperbygelowigheidsteorie, wat ‘n onderafdeling is van akseleerasionisme, ondersoek ek WF van Russell
Hoban, Michael Swanwick, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Dan Simmons, M. John Harrison and Paul
McAuley ten einde vas te stel hoe hierdie skrywers die konsep van kulturele akseleerasie interpreteer, maar ook
om gemeenskaplike leidrade te identifiseer. Met teenargumentering ten opsigte van die katastrofiese ‘dood van affek’ gepostuleer deur teoretici soos Jean Baudrillard en Paul Virillio met die anastrofiese samevoeging van
kuberdeliese inligtings-era-kontra-kulture, ondersoek ek die nuwe ‘gemoedsomkeer’ in kontemporêre mediateorie.
Die werke van teoretiese fiksie, sowel as baie van die ander gevalle van wf wat ek ondersoek en soos
deur my gedemonstreer, word toegelig deur Situasienistiese tegnieke van psigo-geografie, dérive en
detournement, sowel as deur die literêre menigtes van die 19de eeu ‘fin de siècle’ donker Romantiese en Gotiese fiksie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85700 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Carstens, Johannes Petrus (Delphi) |
| Contributors | Green, Louise, Goodman, Ralph, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 217 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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