[Heretic]

I just read an entertainment story about an artist who is doing a dramatic, 6-hour reading (including props and additional readers) of William Gibson's Neuromancer at a museum in New York City. I am very hopeful some of our New York area members will have a chance to check out at least some of this.


- Heretic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brody Condon: Case

Sun, Nov 22, 2009
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

New Museum theater, New York City

An ambitious new work by Brody Condon, Case is a contemporary adaptation of the classic cyberpunk novel Neuromancer by William Gibson. Combining Gibson's1980s dystopian techno-fetishism with early twentieth-century abstraction, faux "virtual reality" scenes will unfold via moving Bauhaus-inspired sculptural props accompanied by the Gamelan ensemble Dharma Swara.

The event at the New Museum is the premiere of Case, which will also be performed at a small outdoor community theater in rural Missouri in summer 2010. The New York production of Case will feature many of the ten cast members from the upcoming Midwest event, such as political activist (and notorious local hell-raiser) Ray "Bad Rad" Radtke, who stars as the main character Henry Dorsett Case, a drug addict and computer hacker hired to execute an impossible cyber crime. Case will also feature Brooklyn-based performance artist Sto as Lupus Yonderboy, leader of the techno-anarchist gang the Panther Moderns, and the actress Sasha Grey as the street samurai Molly. The script has been prepared by the writer Brandon Stosuy, with sound design by Peter Segerstrom, and graphic props by Breanne Trammell.

[Lazurus]

This is the first I've heard of this Neruromancer. Can you recomend it Heretic? I'll need something to purify my brain soon. When I'm done here, I'm heading to libary to check out *sighs and bows head in shame* Twilight. I'll have to read something good afterward to make up for my sin.

[Heretic]

Lazurus, on 14 November 2009 - 08:12 AM, said:

This is the first I've heard of this Neruromancer. Can you recomend it Heretic?

You're having me on, aren't you? Really? You've never heard of Neuromancer or the author William Gibson?

Let me put it this way. Blade Runner? The Matrix? Ghost in the Shell? These and many other works of science fiction would never have existed were it not for the ideas explored in this book. There have been many authors who have written in this genre, now known as Cyberpunk, but Mr. Gibson actually defined it. You've hear the term "cyberspace"? Gibson coined that term in this book. The dawn of the internet was shaped by legions of geeks who read this book and worked to make the type of all-encompassing datastream detailed in this book a reality...because Gibson made it seem so freakin' cool. If you have any interest in technology or this sort of science fiction at all, this book is a must read.

Without a doubt, Neuromancer is one of the most influential books of the last 25 years.


- Heretic

[Lazurus]

Heretic, on 14 November 2009 - 04:09 PM, said:

You're having me on, aren't you? Really? You've never heard of Neuromancer or the author William Gibson?

Let me put it this way. Blade Runner? The Matrix? Ghost in the Shell? These and many other works of science fiction would never have existed were it not for the ideas explored in this book. There have been many authors who have written in this genre, now known as Cyberpunk, but Mr. Gibson actually defined it. You've hear the term "cyberspace"? Gibson coined that term in this book. The dawn of the internet was shaped by legions of geeks who read this book and worked to make the type of all-encompassing datastream detailed in this book a reality...because Gibson made it seem so freakin' cool. If you have any interest in technology or this sort of science fiction at all, this book is a must read.

Without a doubt, Neuromancer is one of the most influential books of the last 25 years.


- Heretic

*Jaw drops*

Now I feel like a complete hermit/backwater/primitive.

SOLD!

It shall be mine...right after I get paid. Bloody low wage...

[Heretic]

Lazurus, on 21 November 2009 - 11:54 AM, said:

*Jaw drops*

Now I feel like a complete hermit/backwater/primitive.

SOLD!

It shall be mine...right after I get paid. Bloody low wage...

Once you've read that trilogy (after Neuromancer, there's Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive; the three together are known as the Sprawl Trilogy), there are a number of other books in the cannon of Cyberpunk literary works. I'll make another recommendation, then open the floor for others to add in theirs.


Snowcrash - Neal Stephenson



Plot overview form Wikipedia:

At the beginning of the novel the main character, Hiro Protagonist, discovers the name of a new pseudo-narcotic, "Snow Crash", being offered at a posh Metaverse nightclub. Hiro's friends and fellow hackers fall victim to Snow Crash's effects, which are apparently unique in that they are experienced in the Metaverse and also in the physical world. Hiro uses his computer hacking, sharp cognitive skills, and sword-fighting skills to uncover the mystery of "Snow Crash"; his pursuit takes the reader on a tour of the Sumerian culture, a fully-instantiated laissez-faire society, and a virtual meta-society patronized by financial, social, and intellectual elites. As the nature of Snow Crash is uncovered, Hiro finds that self-replicating strings of information can affect objects in a uniform manner even though they may be broadcast via diverse media, a realization that reinforces his chosen path in life.

- Heretic

[cybele13]

I'm not a big fan of cyberpunk themes, so I will more than likely give this a pass. Now if it was a reading of The Difference Engine, I might consider it.

Yes, yes. Same author. Same concept. I know. BUT, I'm more of a steamy fan...so setting makes a big difference to me.