Category: Media Critique

These blog posts analyze books, movies, and other media in the cyberpunk genre.

Sacrificing Privacy for Connection: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Anthony J.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

There’s a common belief that you can’t have everything without giving something up. When it comes to privacy in our tech-driven world, that “something” is often a piece of ourselves. But the reality is, true privacy is almost impossible to achieve. Between GPS tracking, card transactions, public surveillance cameras, and our constant online presence, maintaining total privacy would mean giving up nearly everything that makes life convenient.

To achieve true privacy today, you’d have to disappear entirely—ditch your smartphone, move to an off-grid cabin, avoid any form of technology. But at what cost? Personally, I’m not willing to sacrifice connection for total privacy. I’d rather live in the world as it is, knowing there are trade-offs. Whether it’s Google Maps helping me navigate, or keeping my iPhone to stay in touch with people, I accept that certain privacy is lost for the sake of convenience.

But, like most people, I’m still cautious about how much of my privacy I’m willing to trade. Social media, for example, is one area where I feel like I can control the narrative. Using it as a personal photo album, I’m consciously choosing what I share. Sure, there’s a risk, but the payoff—having my memories preserved and easily accessible—makes the trade feel worth it. I think that’s where the line gets drawn for me: if I’m in control of what’s shared, it feels like a reasonable exchange.

What makes me uneasy, though, is when that sense of control slips away. Dystopian scenarios, like the ones we see in films, where every action is monitored and privacy is nonexistent, hit a little too close to home. And as much as we like to think we still have some privacy, the reality is, the more connected we are, the more we give away. There’s this unsettling feeling that we’re slowly moving toward a world where privacy is just an illusion, and when that balance tips too far, it becomes a real problem.

For those of us who grew up in the post-9/11 era, the idea of having less privacy is almost second nature. We barely question it. It’s baked into our everyday lives—surveillance, tracking, monitoring. It’s hard to imagine a world where this wasn’t normal. But if we’re sacrificing privacy for the promise of safety, we have to ask ourselves: is that safety real, or just another illusion?

The Neon Dreams and Dark Realities of Blade Runner and Neuromancer

Jacob S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The cyberpunk genre was founded on the works of Blade Runner (1982) and Neuromancer (1984), whose descriptions of vast, dystopian cities have come to symbolize the genre stands for. These cities are characterized by a blend of low-life existence and high-tech innovations. The environment is filled with tall skyscrapers towering over the crumbling urban sprawl and neon lights reflecting off rain-soaked streets. In both works, the contrast between wealth and poverty, futuristic technology, and urban decay emphasizes the cyberpunk theme of society collapsing when there is major technological advancement.

Hyper realistic cyberpunk skyscraper in the rain on Craiyon

In Blade Runner, Ridley Scott depicts a chaotic, overcrowded Los Angeles in 2019. The city is full of tall skyscrapers, dimly lit alleys, and nonstop rain, all illuminated by neon signs. The wealthy elite lives in the city’s upper classes, while the poor and marginalized people all belong the lower classes. The divide creates a striking contrast between the rich and the poor. By bringing together advanced technologies—such as flying cars and replicants—with the existence of urban poverty and street markets, the visual landscape highlights the chasm between those who have gained from technological advancements and those who have fallen behind.

Similarly, William Gibson’s Neuromancer imagines a dystopian future in which urban decay and technological advancement characterize cities like Chiba City. Chiba City is said to be a place where “the sky was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” The low-life element is always present in the form of criminal organizations, street vendors, and hackers like Case. Still, the neon lights of its streets, with their vibrant and artificial glow, reflect the technological influence that permeates the city. It again creates another stark contrast with the decaying urban landscape. Soaring megacorporations dominate the huge cityscapes, but beneath their control is a world where underprivileged people struggle to make ends meet while being in the shadows of these powerful companies.

Conclusion

Technology is expected to be more advanced in the future, as shown in Blade Runner and Neuromancer, but people will be more disengaged with each other than ever because of technology. The cities depict by these works within the cyberpunk genre are brimming with life, but it’s a life that’s often dehumanized because of the emphasis on technological advancement. People at the bottom of society struggle to survive in an environment dominated by corporations and machines. The characteristic neon-lit cityscapes and the ‘high-tech, low-life’ dynamic have consolodated these works as essential foundations of the cyberpunk genre, influencing its thematic and visual display over the years.

Inside and Outside of your body

Kenadi C.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Neuromancer and Blade runner both explore the theme of what it means to be human, however, they see it through different lenses. It is like two opposite best friends stating their opinions on something. Blade runner approaches the theme through replicants and artificial intelligence, while Neuromancer takes an artificial intelligence and cyberspace approach.  

Blade Runner proposes that the conscious is deeper than what we have made it up to be through the replicants of Roy Batty and Rachael. With both of the characters having an artificial memory, it poses the question to the audience whether they have real world experiences or if their emotions structured. Roy Batt confronts his creator about why his lifespan is so short. This shows the emotional depth within the film. This suggests that humanity is more than biological makeup. It displays Roy Batty’s self-determination and natural human desire to accomplish more in life. 

Neuromancer explores the cyberspace approach by extending the reality of human life. Because Case physically operates effortlessly in cyberspace as a disembodied conscience, he is challenged when it comes to realistically operating with his physical body. He cannot experience the freedom he experiences in cyberspace which leads to him ultimately questioning his real identity.  

The themes of the two works are similar. The replicants of Blade Runner come to their own sense of humanity and identity. The characters of Neuromancer must deal with their identity, self-awareness and overcome mental challenges because their cyberspace blurs physical existence and virtual realities.  

The works are different because Blade Runner questions what it means to be human. Neuromancer focuses on the impact cyberspace could have on a human, like one going as far as questioning his identity. The replicants of Blade Runner struggle with their as well but they gather a sense of self on their own, however, Neuromancer’s character seem to be reliant upon AI for self-discovery.  

Blade Runner vs Neuromancer

Mya J.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Blade Runner describes a dystopian future Los Angeles in 2019. The story follows Rick Deckard, a “blade runner” who is tasked with hunting down and killing rogue bioengineered beings known as replicants. These replicants, are designed to be virtually indistinguishable from humans, that have escaped to Earth seeking to extend their limited lifespans. The film is filled with rain and darkness. Neon signs illuminate the cityscape, casting a colorful, otherworldly glow that contrasts starkly with the dark reality of its people. The towering skyscrapers, like the Tyrell Corporation’s headquarters, symbolize the dominance of oppressive powerful corporations in this future world, while the streets below highlight the socioeconomic disparity. This contrast of high-tech advancements with urban decay illustrates the message the film is creating showing the impact of technology on society and human experience.

Neuromancer, written by William Gibson, is a seminal cyberpunk novel that follows Case, a washed-up computer hacker who is hired by a mysterious employer, to pull off the ultimate hack. After being double-crossed, Case is given a new lease on life with cybernetic enhancements and a chance to avenge himself. He partners with a street-samurai named Molly and navigates a high-tech world filled with artificial intelligences, corporate power, and cyberspace. The novel explores the blurred lines between human and machine. Specifically in the book, Chiba City, Japan is a chaotic and vibrant city. Chiba City is described as a place where “neon and chrome” dominate, with streets abundant in both advanced technology and societal decline. For example, Case, navigates a world filled with cutting-edge technology, yet he lives in a rundown apartment, reflecting his lower socio-economic status, while coming in contact with high-tech systems in his cybernetic escapades.

Both works use these urban settings to explore themes of technological advancement, corporate control, and social decay. The neon lights and towering skyscrapers in Blade Runner and Neuromancer not only create a visually striking contrast but also symbolize the great influence of technology and corporate power. Both Blade Runner and Neuromancer depict expansive dystopian cities characterized by neon lights, towering skyscrapers, and a mix of advanced technology and impoverished elements, reflecting the core elements of the cyberpunk genre.

Neon Lights and Gritty Realities: A Cyberpunk Aesthetic

Makeda M.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In the realm of cyberpunk, few pairings are as iconic as Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) and William Gibson’s Neuromancer(1984). Both works are seminal in their portrayal of sprawling, dystopian cities where neon lights and towering skyscrapers coexist with a gritty, low-life underbelly. They offer a vision of urban futures that are as visually striking as they are thematically complex. Let’s delve into how these works use their cityscapes to explore themes of technology, societal decay, and human experience.

Drones flying through a dystopian Los Angeles in Blade Runner(1982).

Blade Runner and Neuromancer share a distinctive visual and thematic aesthetic that underscores their portrayal of dystopian futures. The cities in both works are characterized by an overwhelming sense of artificiality and decay, creating an atmosphere of both wonder and despair.

Both Blade Runner and Neuromancer utilize their cityscapes to explore the dichotomy between high technology and social decay. In Blade Runner, the advanced technology of the replicants and the omnipresent advertisements represent the pinnacle of human achievement, yet they exist in a world marked by environmental degradation and societal fragmentation. The elite live in luxurious, isolated high-rises, while the majority of the population struggles in the polluted, crime-ridden streets below. This disparity is vividly illustrated in the contrast between the opulent Tyrell Corporation building and the grimy, neon-soaked streets of the city’s lower levels.

An interpretation of Chiba City based on the novel Nueromancer by William Gibson(1984).

In Neuromancer, the juxtaposition of high-tech advancements with urban decay is even more pronounced. Chiba City’s neon glow and technological marvels are set against a backdrop of poverty and crime. The city’s various districts, such as the corporate-controlled sectors and the more impoverished areas, reflect the socio-economic divides that are central to the narrative.

Humanity through AI

Jaylyn J.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

What it means to be human is a theme in science fiction, often examined through the lens of advanced technology and artificial beings. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and William Gibson’s Neuromancer both address this theme, through different technological frameworks. Blade Runner examines humanity through the lens of bioengineered replicants, while Neuromancer delves into the nature of human identity by its depiction of cyberspace and artificial intelligence. Although they have differing settings and approaches, both works raise questions about identity, consciousness, and the depths of emotion.

In Blade Runner, the question of humanity is explored through replicants—biologically engineered beings who are almost identical to humans. The film gets deep into what it means to be alive by showing us how these replicants experience emotions and desires. Take Roy Batty, for instance. He’s a replicant who knows he’s running out of time, and his famous line, “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain”. It’s a powerful moment that makes us question if being human is about more than just our biology. If these artificial beings can feel such intense emotions, don’t they deserve to be considered human in some way? Another key point is empathy. The replicants’ emotional struggles are contrasted with the often cold and detached behavior of human characters like Deckard. Initially, Deckard views the replicants as mere machines, but as he gets to know them better, he starts to feel more empathy. This shift highlights the idea that empathy and the ability to connect with others are crucial to understanding what makes us human. Deckard’s journey suggests that maybe being human is less about what we’re made of and more about how we relate to one another.

On the other hand, Neuromancer, by William Gibson, explores the concept of humanity through its portrayal of cyberspace and AIs. In this world, characters like Case get to plug into a digital realm, which raises interesting questions about identity. The AIs in the novel, Wintermute and Neuromancer, have their own forms of awareness and goals. Wintermute drive to merge with Neuromancer to become something greater mirrors the replicants’ desire for a longer life. It makes us wonder if artificial beings can have their own kind of consciousness and self-awareness that might even surpass ours. Cyberspace itself adds another layer to the discussion. Case’s ability to escape his physical body and live within the digital world challenges the idea that identity is tied to our physical form. The novel suggests that maybe consciousness and identity aren’t just about our bodies but can exist in a digital space too. However, while cyberspace offers new possibilities, it also makes Case feel isolated and fragmented. This highlights a key point: while technology can offer amazing new ways to experience life, it can also complicate our sense of self and our connections with others.

Both Blade Runner and Neuromancer give us unique takes on what it means to be human. Blade Runner uses the emotional depth and existential struggles of its replicants to challenge our ideas about humanity. The film makes us think that empathy and self-awareness might be what really define us, even if those traits appear in artificial beings. Neuromancer, on the other hand, plays with the idea of identity in a digital age. It asks whether our consciousness and sense of self can exist outside of our physical bodies and how that might change our understanding of what it means to be human. In the end, both stories push us to think beyond the simple definitions of humanity. They make us consider that being human might be more about our emotions, our connections with others, and our sense of self, whether we’re talking about people or advanced artificial entities.

Feeling loneliness in a city of lights

Khalil F.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In both the book Neuromancer and the movie Blade Runner, the setting where all of the story takes place are very similar in ways. They are both very monumental works in the Cyberpunk genre, and so have very similar themes. In both works, the story takes place in a big dystopian city. In one of the first iconic shots in the movie Blade Runner, the futuristic city of 2019 Los Angeles is shown. There are huge towers and lights everywhere, giant screens with ads and flying cars. The streets are filled with people who are not as high tech as the towers around them, and everything is not as beautiful and bright as it seems.

In Neuromancer’s Chiba, it is a very similar place. Chiba and its sub city called Night City, is a huge place in Japan filled with new technology and many people from different cultures. Again, it is described with a lot of flashing lights and colors, but the people itself are trying their hardest to make a name for themselves. In Neuromancer’s world of technological innovation, the people living in it are modifying themselves or choosing to live in the shadows.

No Matter the Cost, No Matter the Loss

Elaina R.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The future of technology in media and writing such as Blade Runner and Neuromancer has shown that powerful corporations and companies that disregard morality and focus on technology may be in our future. As we look into fields and technology such as Artificial wombs or Clone technology, how much could we trust the companies who create and use this technology on humans? In the 2nd prompt provided, I support that with technology being made and started by these companies, we may lose out on our freedom and identity in order to use this technology. If we were able to use clone technology in the future in order to maybe replace one’s limb or for possible other uses, doesn’t it sound immoral in the sense that there’s another one of a person out there being harvested along with what happens to the clone after? Would the person getting the procedure have to sign a binding contract such as an NDA or would there be more included in a contract such as that? In that I believe that many corporations would not only make this technology expensive but also private so that they can make as much money as they can along with making it so that they can monopolize a product that many would want to take part in. In Blade Runner, we see that the technology that Tyrell made with the Replicants was only made by his company which shows how he monopolized the market regardless of how moral or immoral his work was at the end of the day. Although much of his work wasn’t moral, many people bought into it because they say more benefits rather than losses and they allowed certain freedoms go but in that, some identity was lost because people iddn’t have to do as much as they needed to anymore because they had replicants to do it for them which showed how far it can go.

quick references:

clone tech : Nabavizadeh SL, Mehrabani D, Vahedi Z, Manafi F. Cloning: A Review on Bioethics, Legal, Jurisprudence and Regenerative Issues in Iran. World J Plast Surg. 2016 Sep;5(3):213-225. PMID: 27853684; PMCID: PMC5109382.

artificial wombs: Romanis EC. Artificial womb technology and clinical translation: Innovative treatment or medical research? Bioethics. 2020 May;34(4):392-402. doi: 10.1111/bioe.12701. Epub 2019 Nov 29. PMID: 31782820; PMCID: PMC7216961.

Blog Post #2: Do you like our Owl?

Simone H.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

The issue of what it means to be human is explored in both Blade Runner and Neuromancer, although they take distinct approaches to it. In Scott Scott’s Blade Runner, the replicants—bioengineered beings who are nearly indistinguishable from humans—are the main subject. The replicants have feelings, desires, and memories, which raises the issue of what really makes a human? Is it a person’s biological make-up or their ability to feel, think, and suffer? The distinction separating human and non-human behavior becomes fuzzy by characters such as Roy, who demonstrates greater emotional complexity and empathy than many human characters. Blade Runner raises the possibility that mind and emotional experience, rather than biology, are what make humans human through these replicants.

On the other hand, William Gibson’s Neuromancer digs into similar subjects by means of the characters’ interactions with cyberspace and artificial intelligences. In this book, a combination of the technology and the organic shatters human identity. The main character, Case, is a “cowboy” who travels around cyberspace, a virtual environment where the distinction between truth and illusion is hazy. Traditional ideas of human autonomy and intellect are questioned by the AIs in the book, such as Wintermute, who raises the possibility that consciousness and agency can exist outside of the human body. The way that technology blurs the lines between human identity is further illustrated the character Molly, who has cybernetic modifications.

In a world of advanced technology, both pieces explore the fundamental questions about mankind. While Blade Runner explores the existential and emotional struggle of the replicants, Neuromancer explores the ramifications of human contact with AI and virtual realities. Concurrently, they contemplate how technology transforms our perceptions of awareness, identity, and the essence of being a true human.

#BP02

 Exploring Dystopian Urban Landscapes in Blade Runner and Neuromancer

Rudy W.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The movie The Blade Runner and the novel The Neuromancer both heavily explore the cyberpunk theme of neon-lit cityscapes while featuring a technologically advanced civilization that has a low quality of life for its inhabitants. Within this theme, the film and novel were able to highlight the social decay that was ever present in society. 

The Blade Runner was set in Los Angeles which was turned into a neon city with large illuminated billboards and glowing advertisements that were constantly displayed throughout the city to reinforce the theme of consumer culture. Advertisements such as the “Kara Dolls”, were small details that called attention to the high-tech society that existed. In addition to the constant and virtually inescapable advertisements that were plasted throughout the city in the film, there were skyscrapers that dominated the skies. 

 The skyscrapers belonged to big cooperations such as the Tyrell Cooperation’s building. The buildings would be extremely clean and futuristic appearing on the inside while on the outside they had a gritty appearance due to the environment they were surrounded by. The streets would be cluttered and dilapidated while the “spinners”, also known as the flying cars would be clean and fly above them. In The Neuromancer, the city is a largely neon-lit metropolitan area while centering a huge monolithic building. This novel heavily leans into the cyberpunk theme of high tech-low life. In the city, there is a clear divide between the society. There are those who are considered to be apart of the technological elite and there are those who live in the shadows of those considered to be technologically elite. Case is an example of a character who live in a dangerous, dark, polluted environment in which is a clear difference between the lives of the elite who live in comfortable cooperate environments. This creates not only a divide but highlights the difference in the worlds of those living in these environments, it adds depth to the characters in the story and gives the reader the ability to understand their character even more.