A Scholarly Webtext and Genre Analysis
https://disquietsolstice.my.canva.site/theartfuldeclineofreality
NOTE: The link above is the genre analysis. Viewed best through desktop.
Memo of Transmittal
The Artful Decline of Reality: The Cyberpunk Genre and Cyberspace as the New World is a genre analysis that begins by exploring the origins of the cyberpunk subgenre and ends with what it has become. It is impossible to ignore such a strong contender of media representation. Its emergence has become a household staple, filling slots in all forms of media, such as television, video games, and literature. This is a genre I have always been personally captivated and intrigued by, both for its intrinsic visuals both aesthetically and culturally. While the cyberpunk world is envisioned through the foundations of a futuristic dystopia where humans have succumbed as slaves to technology, there is a presence which lingers for me: representations and inquires directly linked to nostalgia. The past, present, and future all collide together chaotically. The almighty presence of the internet and technology become one with this genre. This movement reminds me of the inescapable merger between writing and digital media, worlds which must dance together in unison within the modern age for survival.
The platform I used to showcase this genre analysis was Canva, which is a tool that allows me to start off scratch and go a little crazy with my creativity. Although I provided a lot of information, I still wanted to maintain an ambiguous nature to the project. To aid in this, I showcased the multimedia as an interactive experience. The objective was to make the reader feel as though they have come face to face with a cyberpunk world advertisement, perhaps through their computer. I wanted to make the writing become possessed by a robotic yet inviting tone, one which actively promotes a stay within the world. The voice can be stripped of its humanity through the chosen font, or can have feelings and morals when speaking about controversies like Orientalism. Yet, the host’s true identity is never really known, especially since the half-human half-cyborg species are the emphasized commoner here. I also didn’t want the end of the analysis to feel like the reader closed the physical device (computer), but that they remained, allowing the final question to consume its eyes and debilitating thoughts. To be frank, the world of cyberpunk and cyberspace has no end- and neither should this visual component have a definite close.
Are you joining the world of cyberpunk and cyberspace or intending to defy it- directly opposing it? There is a tug and pull which looms over the analysis that is left open-ended–is the ad you are consuming from the internet or from the government? Is it a new form of colonialism or is it defying the usual formulas of control? Is it death to individuality or a rebirth of life? A predicament of the future’s fate or an indefinite hoax? The questions may multiply but the answers remain stagnant. It is truly up for interpretation, just like the subgenre itself. The genre is clearly more than pretty colors and a showcase of tech advancements; it is a foundation that helps challenge one’s own ethics, morals, and overall humanity and further finds itself intertwined as a defining characteristic of the newer generations.