Discuss
the influence of science fiction narratives on the development of our own
virtual identities. Would it be true to say we are living inside a book?
To
determine the effect that science fiction has on the development to virtual
identities we have to look at the development of the characters within science
fiction novels and how they have evolved into society.
To
understand this evolution you have to look at the history of science fiction’s
involvement with virtual reality. Here the concepts of ‘cyberspace’ and
‘cyberpunk’ are identified and analysed to explain the development of virtual
identities on the web. The final process is to determine how these people
operate and how much influence science fiction has on their life style.
The
convergence of science fiction and the concept of virtual cyber identity can be
attributed to authors such as William Gibson and Gardner Dozois.
William
Gibson developed the concept of cyberspace (‘BURNING and NEUROMANCER’).
Cyberspace is, according to the Gibsonian principle, a place where all
information from around the world is collected and stored. This place is an
intangible location that can be accessed by electronic computer like devices to
retrieve this information. His outlook is that who ever can manipulate this
information is control and are all-powerful. The development of the Internet
has introduced a more complex concept of cyberspace. The Barlovian cyberspace,
like Gibson’s space, is intangible but is created by computers and their
interconnecting networks. It is constantly growing and evolving as more and
more individuals join and access the information therein.
Gardner
Dozois (‘ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE. first put the concept of cyberpunk
forward. Cribbed from the title of BRUCE BETHKE’S novel ‘CYBERPUNK’). In the
1980’s cyberpunk became a literary movement. A group of writers such as Bruce
Sterling and John Shirley developed “The Movement” to promote certain types of
science fiction novels. They were anti establishment and put down all the
mainstream science fiction novelists.
The
literary concept of the cyberpunk genre is to manipulate the effect that current
technology has on society to certain extremes. It is an amalgamation of human
and machine. They enter cyberspace through “jacking in” to the system. The
individual can enter cyberspace as a virtual reality identicate of them or as
an avatar that they create and manipulate externally to achieve their aims. Sex
also usually has a strong influence on the story due to it being pervasive in
society. The central character is a hero or anti-hero that operates within a
marginalized community. He operates on the fringes of the society. The
characters aim is to battle against a centralised dominating force, either
political, religious or a large corporation, to right the imbalance caused by
their existence. These organisations have advanced technologies that enhance
their power and control. They are often able to manipulate the society through
the amalgamation of machine and body. The central character usually has an
advanced knowledge of this technology and uses it to their own ends against the
powerful authority. The settings are usually urban and usually force the
technology onto the reader to simulate how new technology is implemented in the
real world (Examples are Gibson’s Neuromancer, Sterling’s Mirrorshades,
Stephenson’s Snow Crash and William’s Hardwired.).
The
development of the Internet and the World Wide Web and the fading of the
literary cyberpunk organisation caused the cyberpunk mantle to be passed to
another group of individuals. The introduction of the Internet brought Gibson’s
dream into reality and cyberspace became synonymous with this new technology.
Literary became reality. Due to their abilities a group within the online
community began to adopt the characteristics of the individuals within the
cyberpunk genre and the word became synonymous with them. These individuals are
known as “hackers”, “crackers”, “phreaks” and “ravers”.
Hackers
are people who have and intimate knowledge of computers and are able to perform
almost impossible feats with them. They use cripting systems to create private
areas that cannot be accessed by anyone that they don’t want to access them.
Crackers
are individuals whose goals are to crack security codes and break into guarded
and sensitive companies and agencies. They do this to access the information
for their own use or to sell it on.
Phreaks
use their knowledge and abilities to access the telephone networks, allowing
them to surf the net and enter any areas without paying and being detected.
Raver’s
use downloaded or synthesized sounds and images to generate music and art for
parties and raves.
Today
there are also individuals that not only become the characters but also
subscribe to the philosophy that the fiction sets out. They believe that the
idea that an all-powerful controlling force exists that controls all our
actions (similar to the “matrix” philosophy). These individuals or groups set
themselves up on the net to combat these forces, inform everyone and to recruit
members to assist in their actions.
An
example of the science fiction genre being employed on the net is the
“TRANSHUMANISM” movement. Transhumanists believe in developing humans mentally,
physically and socially through the use of technology. They wish to eliminate
the restrictions of body, mind, environment, culture, history and society, which
prevent humans from reaching their full potential. They divide the process of
achieving their goals into various fazes. Today they use mental techniques,
neurochemicals such as nootropics that
are cognition enhancing drugs, computers and diet. The near future they believe
that the use of life extension methods, genetic improvements, bionic implants
and AI introduction will extend life. In the midterm future Nanotechnology,
which is the technology of precisely- constructed molecular-scale machines and
exoselves, which is the partial uploading of your personality onto the computer
will be used. The long-term methods such as total upload of a person’s
intelligence and personality will increase life span. (http://www.aleph.se/Trans/I)
Today
you are also able to download software that will create a person online. The virtual
identity idea has been transplanted from cyberpunk fiction to the Internet to
developing an online personality. Here anyone can download a program to create
a virtual representation of themselves. These avatars can be given a great deal
of individuality with full artificial intelligence,
you can chose their ethnic type, personality, location, digital DNA, voice and
clothing. (See “Snow Crash” by Neal
Stephenson and virtual women at http://members.aol.com/cyberpsoft/cyberps.htm)
There
are websites devoted to online gaming. The online game has brought the fiction
that is set out in the books onto a digital format. Here individuals can chose
a personality from a list and enter a virtual world and interact with other
virtual identities to achieve a scenario. Unlike computer games you are
interacting with other online players, which gives the game a sense of reality
because of the unpredictability of your opponent. Most of the characters are based
on the cyberpunk format, the settings are similar and the story is based on
science fiction. (see “Cyber Generation” on http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/7134/)
The
set-up of the Internet does emulate the science fiction genre established by
the cyberpunk authors. The net is a store of information in an unidentifiable
space that is accessible by a growing amount of people through the World Wide
Web. It is controlled by large corporations and regulated by governments. There
are individuals who rebel against the establishment and use their experties to
undermine and bypass all the barriers that are established by the people in
power. There are also others that are creating online identities and
personalities that simulate cyberpunk fiction. There are also others that are
using ideas that were developed by science fiction to change their worlds
through research. As more people have access to the Internet the more they will
be influenced by the ideas and philosophies that are developing within it.
These ideas are in turn largely influenced by the science fiction genre. It can
be said to a large extent that we are living in a science fiction fantasy.
BOOKS:
TIM
JORDAN: CYBERSPACE AND THE MATIRX
WILLIAM
GIBSON: NEUROMANCER(Berkley, (New York) US, 1984,,, Victor
Gollancz Ltd, (London)
UK, 1984,,, Berkley,
(New York) US, 1994
pbk: Ace,
(New York) US, 1984,,, Grafton, (London) UK, 1986)
WILLIAM
GIBSON: BURNING CHROME (Arbor House, (New York) US, 1986,,, Victor Gollancz,
(London) UK, 1986
pbk: Ace,
(New York) US, October 1987,,, Grafton, (London) UK, 1988)
BRUCE STERLING: MIRRORSHADES
(hbk: Arbor House, (New York) US, December 1986
pbk: Ace,
(New York) US, July 1988,,, Paladin, (London) UK, 1986, 1988)
NEAL
STEPHENSON: SNOW CRASH (hbk: Bantam Spectra, (New York) US, 1991
pbk: Bantam
Spectra, (New York) US, June 1992)
WALTER
JON WILLIAMS: HARDWIRED (hbk: Macdonald, (London) UK, 1987
pbk: Tor,
(New York) US, 1986,,, Orbit, (London) UK, 198?)
WEBSITES
http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~nhughes/cyber/
http://members.aol.com/cyberpsoft/cyberps.htm