How Gibson's Stories Reflect the Realities of the Contemporary World
Uploaded by doge123 on Mar 26, 2021
William Gibson is known for his fascinating science fiction stories that anticipate the development in science, technology, and society. For decades, Gibson's fiction work which is referred to as cyberpunk has continued to dominate the world of science fiction. He uses factional characters and worlds to imagine the future more convincingly than anyone else. To make his works appear more real, Gibson invents words to describe the space behind the screen, initially coming up with words such as "Infospace" and "dataspace" before inventing another word, "cyberspace." Although he did not know the meaning of the term cyberspace when he came up with it, he says that it sounded more scientific, like something someone might be mesmerized to explore even if it would lead to some danger (Gibson 169). Although most of Gibson's works were written in the mid-1980s, many remain relevant and reflect the realities of the contemporary world. By analyzing the Burning Chrome and New Rose Hotel, this study will examine how Gibson keeps his fictional science real.
People are often motivated by different things to achieve their goals in life. In Burning Chrome, Gibson uses three main characters, Bobby, Rikki, and Jack to illustrate how people are motivated by different things to achieve what they want. Three are regular characters who are contented in making money but not more than the amount for which they will get caught. "Congratulations," I heard Bobby say. "We just became Eastern Seaboard Fission Authority inspection probe. . ." proclaims Jack, an indication that they have succeeded in hacking the system (Gibson 169). Their efforts have paid off and are ready to start enjoying their “hard-earned money” However, the desire to get rich quickly before getting older and slower makes them go for a bigger heist. "...I knew he used women as counters in a game, Bobby Quine versus time and the night of cities," (Gibson 171). This is an indication that the moment Bobby and his friends got the money; they started partying, living a carefree life. It also shows that besides racing against time, Bobby also finds his motivation in women. “But Bobby had this thing for girls, like they were his private tarot or something,” (Gibson 171). This portrays Bobby as someone who uses girls as a symbol and motivation to achieve what he desires.
In the New Rose Hotel, Gibson demonstrates how people are determined to make ends meet...