Just a note that I will be joined by Ling in blogging on shadowrunning.com. Ling and I go way back (30 years or so) and have to say that of the two of us he is better “read” than I and far more articulate. While I stumble along with my posts, Ling will be churning well thought out and well written posts, hopefully on a frequent basis ( I hope ). He is also quite the writer so I am hoping that he will post some short stories as well. Just an FYI both Ling and I have 60 + years of science fiction reading under our belts (now much bigger than they were when we were kids) so hopefully we will have something me to say on this blog. We be going to a signing of William Gibson for his new book Spook Country shortly and will report to you on how that went.
Monthly Archives: July 2007
What is Cyberpunk?
Well, far be it from me to offer a definitive definition, but I know it when I read it. It’s usually near-future distopian literature with some cybernetics and some punks (ie hackers). Virtual Reality, the net, feature large in most cyberpunk.
To put it in movie terms, Blade Runner, not Star Wars. Brasil, in which I’d contend DeNiro plays one of the first cool hackers ever featured. Even 5th Element has some cyberpunk elements. Star Trek does not.
The wikipedia article has a lot of great background and author shout-outs, but even though Bruce Sterling is mentioned, one of my perennial favorties is glossed over, Mirrorshades. Everytime I’ve got spare time in a bookstore, I search out a copy of this 1988 classic to remind myself who that first wave of cyberpunks was: Sterling, Gibson, Bear, Cadigan, Rucker, Shiner and others. Then I start tracking down their recent work.
My favorite cyberpunk novel? Oh please, how can I not say Neuromancer. But really I enjoyed Idora and All Tomorrow’s Party just as much. Sterling’s Heavy Weather, Bear’s Slant. I’ll have to sit longer than a few minutes at lunch to post that!
My next potential post: Can Space Opera be Cyberpunk? There’s a lot of distopian sf out there and, to me, cyberpunk is usually more immediate or just-around-the-corner than most space opera is. I agree with Enok’s first post, it’s usually “earthly.” But elements are definitely showing up in the larger scifi genre.
But for now I’ll have to work on beefing up this post!
iPhone? You Phone?
Well along with my interest in Cyberpunk is an unhealthy interest in “gadgets” (just an extension of cyberpunk lust). In particular I am a appleophile ( all you MS lovers run for the hills ) and I guess in gadgets in general. I was not one of those people that ran out and bought an iPod ( ok everyone in my family has one ) but I did wait in line for an hour with my 7 year old son to get an iPhone when it was released to the world last month. Up until that time I had been using a Treo 650 and fairly happy with it. I will have to say that the iPhone really is a huge leap from my Treo in what it does and how it functions. At this point the only thing that is frustrating to me, is that they need to release more iPhone based applications and open up the iPhone to developers. The concept of having all iPhone applications delivered via the Web is too limiting. There are plenty of times when I would like to play a game for instance and I am either out of wifi/cell range (like on BART). If I had to say what do I miss from my Treo I would say scrabble and yahtzee. Nothing else 😀
What is Shadowrunning?
I shouldn’t have to explain myself here but Shadowrunning might just be obscure enough of a term to warrant a little defining. ” A Shadowrun, by definition, is an illegal covert operation performed by independent operators (Shadowrunners) at the behest of a third party. ” So what the hell does it have to do with the site. I was not trying to think incredibly deep when I came up with the name for this blog but what I like about the concept of blogs and shadowrunning is that they are in their very essence covert and essentially separate from anything corporate (ok maybe I am selling ad space but hey if I can make a little money thats a good thing right?). It is opportunity as an individual to perhaps stake your own ground and to have your voice heard but with the masking of your true identity. I don’t know where this blog will go but I am sure looking forward to the ride.
Enough Said…
Whats on my nightstand…
Ok well I should say on top of my headboard because there are no books on my nightstand just a lamp and a cpap machine. But on my headboard I have a dearth of new books that I am working my way through (ok I took a short break on the cyberpunk to read the last Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows , but I am back to cyberpunk).
I just cracked open book #3 of George Alec Effinger’s series about Marid Audran – The Exile Kiss. This book takes place in a Muslim city somewhere I am assuming in North Africa and has an interesting spin on Cyberpunk with the addition of the Islamic religion and how they deal with those that are electronically enhanced. The book has a hard boiled detective novel feel where you are never quite sure that you like the main character Madrid or not. When I finish the complete series I will come back and give a more detailed analysis of the book.
– Enoc
Welcome to Shadowrunning…
Just a quick welcome to Shadowrunning, a blog devoted to all things cyberpunk. What is Cyberpunk? I define it as near future science fiction. The focus of cyberpunk books is usually “Earthly” and not on “Outer Space” and most books are less concerned with Space Travel and more with human/computer interaction.
The title of my blog is a homage to the Shadowrun novels of which I lovingly refer to as my “romance novel” reading. Shadowrun takes cyberpunk one step further (back?) by the inclusion of magic into its world, and if you have not read any of the books 45 books in the series and want something light and fun to read I highly recommend them. Should keep you busy for a couple of weeks.
Well stay tuned and I will have lots to share with you.
– Enoc