By this I mean that traditional science fiction worlds are often built around an author's conception of the human condition, both moral and genetic. Then, appropriate technology is added to suit the world that human beings of such a conception would live in. The details of this fiction is often a bit fuzzy, as unlike the computers and networks of Cyberpunk, it has no grounding in present-day technology.

A good example of this is everbody's favorite science fiction show, Star Trek. Star Trek consciously presents a version of the future in which humanity has evolved into a utopian society. Racism, poverty, and even money have been eliminated, and we are now free to pursue whatever interests we might have. The technology of this world is a conscious reflection and extension of these moral views. For instance, there are "replicators" that can produce almost any object instantaneously. Obviously, a culture with such a device has no need for a manufacturing economy - indeed they have no need for an economy of any sort as money could be replicated and is thus instantly devalued! Thus the replicator is an example of a technology that serves as a justification of a moral stance, a convenient explanation for the author's views. In Cyberpunk, by contrast, technology often serves as force which shapes human society and morality, and not always for the better.

Return to the cyberpunk technophilia discussion.


  authored by mip@netspace.org