Artificial Unicorns

The Cyberpunk readings and movies of this module revolve around adventures in an alternate reality. Whether the reality be in the past, the future, an alter ego or the psychology of the mind, a prevalent theme of self-discovery and the human condition is evident in each work.

Tim Powers’ book The Anabus Gate, is one of the first novels to be coined as steampunk. In traditional science fiction way, Powers uses time travel through holes created by magic and even lost love in a battle between good and evil. Doyle, the protagonist, is haunted by the death of his wife, Rebecca. He is deceitfully enticed to travel into the past with a scholarly ruse by an ill millionaire Darrow. Darrow, in reality, is attempting to find eternal life by taking on the persona of a werewolf located in 1800 in England. While in the past, Doyle is kidnapped by a gang of evil itinerants/magicians/followers of the ancient Egyptian gods. He remains truly human with ethics despite his changing identity and changing environment. He becomes the man who he was researching, Ashbless. His adventures lead him to bargain with the ancient Egyptian, declining to give the location of the Anabus gate even though his prize would have been the return of his wife. For the reader, Doyle remains true to himself and does not sacrifice his morals despite evil that tempts him. Magic is also dominant in the novel with a subtle undertone of its connection to science.

            In Ghost In the Shell II, a living cyborg is the protagonist. The alternate reality is in the future when the only thing human about a person is his brain and his memories. Cyborgs are turning away from their programming, slaughtering humans and then killing themselves.

Blade Runner is another movie that questions human worth versus technology in a future world. In this movie, the cops seek out replicants, artificial intelligence in human form, from off world colonies that come to earth. The movie causes its audience to consider technology and artificial intelligence. The viewer can empathize with a man who questions what is truly human after he encounters an android with emotion.

Paprika is an anime in the surrealist style of Dada or Lynch. The disturbing images that revolve around the human soul are displayed on the screen in an attempt to provoke an audience to discover what is beneath the surface of the human psyche.  Paprika is the psychologist’s alter ego as Dr. Chiba delves in the dream state of her patients and solve their problems. In this film, the alternate universe is the dream world, an exploration of the subconscious. Good versus evil is also a theme in this film with the misuse of stolen technology. The DC mini is the device used by Dr. Chiba but it is stolen to invade the dreams of others and allow them to escape into the real world. The dichotomy of science is also at the forefront in the battle of technology created to help humanity that can be turned against them.