The Gibsonian Institute

Social Dead Zone: "Better than a frozen head": The Social Uncanny

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:55:55 -0500

Social Dead Zone: "Better than a frozen head": The Social Uncanny:

The Social Uncanny describes the narcissistic void of social technology that reflects us back to ourselves, familiar yet strange. It is the rush we feel at the sight of ourselves in recursion throughout the eternal reflected worlds of social media. Like mirrors facing each other in perfect parallel, each online profile generates a new subset, a new reflection, more distorted than the last, until our faces are shapeless blurs spiralling off into the Nth dimension.

The Social Uncanny is also our disgust at the sight of those multiplying nested images which we are now unable to control or cull. We delete one profile only to find another that has slipped the noose, gone missing in the wild before returning to public life with wildly inappropriate personal information broadcast to the world at the times we never want it to. The return of the repressed: everything you say or do online archived forever, even the ultra embarrassing stuff from your early digital life, stored somewhere where you’ll never get to it even if you wanted to hide it from someone. Backups, caches and archives working silently in the background to ensure you can never hunt down and kill the original (a term now meaningless), never completely eliminate your shame.

The Social Uncanny infests a new Twitter app, LivesOn. This app, which is really a bot automagically “powered by algorithims”, analyses your online habits and learns your tweeting “voice”. Assign it certain rights and when you die it keeps tweeting for you – as you – forever.

From Neuromancer:

“Had me this buddy in the Russian camp, Siberia, his thumb was frostbit. Medics came by and they cut it off. Month later he’s tossin; all night. Elroy, I said, what’s eatin’ you? Goddam thumb’s itchin’, he says. So I told him, scratch it. McCoy, he says, it’s the other goddam thumb.” When the construct laughed, it came through as something else, not laughter, but a stab of cold down Case’s spine. “Do me a favor, boy.”

“What’s that, Dix?”

“This scam of yours, when it’s over, you erase this goddam thing.”

@GreatDismal vs @AuthenticWmGibs

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:15:13 -0500

RT @shadowbottle @authenticwmgibs @greatdismal Is this based off a Gibson Ipsum generator? [I certainly hope so]
— William Gibson (@GreatDismal) November 2, 2012

@greatdismal dork embarrasses himself in front of author, but his tweed Norfolk jacket’s fractal check pattern induces a temporary amnesia.
— Authentic Wm. Gibson (@AuthenticWmGibs) November 2, 2012

From Zero History:

“How about a Twitter account?”

“A what?”

“Sign up for one,” she said. “As Gay Dolphin Two, all caps, no spaces. Numeral two. From the laptop in the lobby. As soon as you finish your drink. Make your updates private. I’ll ask to follow you. I’ll be Gay Dolphin One. Allow me to follow you, refuse anybody else. It’ll mostly be porn bots anyway.”

“Porn bots? What is it?”

“It’s how I talk to my kids. You’ll register. That will be how we keep in touch. Let’s try to keep you out of trouble.”

Milgrim winced.

thecomposites: Hubertus Bigend, Pattern Recognition and Zero...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:31:40 -0500

thecomposites:

Hubertus Bigend, Pattern Recognition and Zero History, William Gibson

The smooth and ironic brow of Hubertus Bigend, a nominal Belgian who looks like Tom Cruise on a diet of virgins’ blood and truffled chocolates. … He looks as though he’s … been infused with live extract of hot beef. He’s florid, glossy, bright−eyed, very likely bushy−tailed as well…His dark forelock falls across his eyes; he tosses his head to throw it back, entirely too coltish for anyone’s good. (Suggested by Chris from Tumblr)

Welcome!

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:35:00 -0600

Hello and welcome to the Gibsonian Institute’s newest followers. I’m assuming you got here by way of my piece at Tor.com; thanks, and it’s nice to have you aboard.

As you can probably see, activity here is a bit sluggish of late. (Okay, a lot sluggish.) I plan on getting into a more regular posting pattern in the next month or so (“weekly” at least should be attainable, surely?), so hang in there, and I hope you enjoy this collection of stuff.

rocketsandrayguns: pureaesthetic: retro: video: cybrpnk:...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:56:58 -0600

rocketsandrayguns:

pureaesthetic:

retro: video: cybrpnk: promotional video for the ill fated 1986 neuromancer film adaptation.

What the?

This is a deeply odd little cultural artifact, but the thing that struck me at 1:20 in is Deborah Rosenberg’s comment about how “when one reads between the lines, it’s a panacea … you can see [Gibson’s] own very personal rainbow.” Which is echoed in this excerpt from the Paris Review interview:

INTERVIEWER: Why did you set the novel in the aftermath of a war?

GIBSON: In 1981, it was pretty much every intelligent person’s assumption that on any given day the world could end horribly and pretty well permanently. There was this vast, all-consuming, taken-for-granted, even boring end-of-the-world anxiety that had been around since I was a little kid. So one of the things I wanted to do with Neuromancer was to write a novel in which the world didn’t end in a nuclear war. In Neuromancer, the war starts, they lose a few cities, then it stops when multinational corporations essentially take the United States apart so that can never happen again. There’s deliberately no textual evidence that the United States exists as a political entity in Neuromancer. On the evidence of the text America seems to be a sort of federation of city-states connected to a military-industrial complex that may not have any government controlling it. That was my wanting to get away from the future-is-America thing. The irony, of course, is how the world actually went. If somebody had been able to sit me down in 1981 and say, You know how you wrote that the United States is gone and the Soviet Union is looming in the background like a huge piece of immobile slag? Well, you got it kind of backward.

(Also, that’s one hell of a jacket Gibson is wearing.)

transceiverfreq: themagicstarship: I think that Lucky Magazine...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:38:09 -0600

transceiverfreq:

themagicstarship:

I think that Lucky Magazine might be a little confused on cyberpunk

What the living fuck? I don’t even.

William Gibson, interviewed in the Paris Review:

INTERVIEWER: What’s wrong with cyberpunk?

GIBSON: A snappy label and a manifesto would have been two of the very last things on my own career want list. That label enabled mainstream science fiction to safely assimilate our dissident influence, such as it was. Cyberpunk could then be embraced and given prizes and patted on the head, and genre science fiction could continue unchanged.

Wired: Why Is This Cargo Container Emitting So Much Radiation?

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:21:00 -0500

Wired: Why Is This Cargo Container Emitting So Much Radiation?:

The tale of shipping container TGHU 307703 0 22G1, which showed up at a Genoa port emitting six chest x-rays’ worth of radiation per minute. And interesting information about the mysteries of shipping containers in general, and the security around them (or terrifying lack thereof).

So after 10 years and more than $1 billion spent on scanners, radiation detectors, and beefed-up intelligence, most US ports are still scanning containers onshore, after unloading. Unfortunately, the detectors are easily foiled. Lots of harmless things are slightly radioactive—kitty litter, ceramic tiles, even bananas. So most detectors are set to ignore low radiation levels. Basic shielding would be enough to mask all but the strongest sources. “The radiation portals that were deployed in the aftermath of 9/11 are essentially fine, except for three problems: They won’t find a nuclear bomb, they won’t find highly enriched uranium, and they won’t find a shielded dirty bomb,” says Stephen Flynn, a terrorism expert and president of the Center for National Policy. “Other than that, they’re great pieces of equipment.”

From Spook Country:

“You said they put it on a truck today,” she said.

“Yes.”

“And they’re taking it into the United States, through Idaho?”

“We think Idaho. The unit inside is still functioning, though, and Bobby is keeping track of that for us. We should be able to anticipate where they’re going to cross.”

“If we fail to do that,” the old man said, “and they enter the country undetected, we do have other options.”

“Though we prefer the radiation be detected at the crossing.”

The Guardian — William Gibson: beyond cyberspace

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:33:00 -0500

The Guardian — William Gibson: beyond cyberspace:

Quotes extensively from Mr Gibson’s recent excellent interview in The Paris Review, and is proof positive that still, no one can write about Mr Gibson without invoking the word “cyberspace”. At least they didn’t bring up the computer story again.

Conversation on Twitter, 7/18/2011

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:50:29 -0500

@GreatDismal: If hackgate were a screenplay, this would be the point where the writers need a firm guiding hand. Laptop in bin feels phoned in
@Nadif: @GreatDismal Almost mandatory question then: how would *you* write the next page?
@GreatDismal: Helium-filled robot penguins

mckelvie: Cayce Pollard, the protagonist of Pattern Recognition...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:10:00 -0500

mckelvie:

Cayce Pollard, the protagonist of Pattern Recognition (by William Gibson), after she’s had her hair cut in Japan. Hairstyle is, of course, modelled on Major Kusanagi.

Click to make it bigger.

If you like this, be sure to check out Jamie McKelvie’s marvelous work in the comics world, especially Phonogram, co-created with Kieron Gillen.

From Pattern Recognition:

Walking back out into Shibuya sunlight, she feels simultaneously lighter and less intelligent, as though she’s left more than a few brain cells back there with the other scruff. She’s wearing more makeup than she’d usually apply in a month, but it’s been brushed on by Zen-calm professionals, swaying to some kind of Japanese Enya-equivalent.

The first mirror she sees herself in stops her. Her hair, she has to admit, is really something, some paradoxical state between sleek and tousled. Anime hair, rendered hi-rez.

The rest of the image isn’t working, though. The standard CPUs can’t stand up to this sushi-chef level of cosmetic presentation.

What with the holidays and all, plus my own travels in London,...

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:09:00 -0600

What with the holidays and all, plus my own travels in London, the Institute ended up on an extended hiatus, and I apologise for that. Starting in February (by which time I should have finished the Bridge Trilogy), I plan to be back on track. In the meantime, here’s a photo of the Caffè Nero in Seven Dials where Milgrim is photographed by Winnie Tung Whitaker. Photograph taken by me, 12/24/2010. I considered tracing Milgrim’s route out of the coffee shop, as Mr Gibson’s description is so detailed that you could do so easily … but there are limits even to my nerdiness. (Also, the Vidal Sassoon is just out of frame to the left.)

From Zero History:

He went into Caffè Nero, a tastier alternate-reality Starbucks, crowded now. He ordered a latte and a croissant, the latter shipped frozen from France, baked here. He approved of that. Saw a small round table being vacated by a woman in a pinstriped suit and swiftly occupied it, looking out at the Vidal Sassoon, across the little roundabout, where young hairdressers were going in to work.

The trailer for Miracle Mile, a slightly campy film that is as...

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:48:00 -0600

The trailer for Miracle Mile, a slightly campy film that is as fine a distillation of Reagan-era Cold War fear as any, I think, especially in the final act. This is the film that Rydell and Sublett are discussing in an early scene of Virtual Light.

Hint to Sublett: it doesn’t end well.

From Virtual Light:

“Well,” Rydell said, trying to pick up his end, “I was watching this one old movie last night—”

Sublett perked up. “Which one?”

“Dunno,” Rydell said. “This guy’s in L.A. and he’s just met this girl. Then he picks up a pay phone, ‘cause it’s ringing. Late at night. It’s some guy in a missile silo somewhere who knows they’ve just launched theirs at the Russians. He’s trying to phone his dad, or his brother, or something. Says the world’s gonna end in short order. Then the guy who answered the phone hears these soldiers come in and shoot the guy. The guy on the phone, I mean.”

Sublett closed his eyes, scanning his inner trivia-banks. “Yeah? How’s it end?”

“Dunno,” Rydell said. “I went to sleep.”

Sublett opened his eyes. “Who was in it?”

“Got me.”

Sublett’s blank silver eyes widened in disbelief. “Jesus, Berry, you shouldn’t oughta watch tv, not unless you’re gonna pay it attention.”

Screengrab of an actual notification email that I received from...

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:40:00 -0600

Screengrab of an actual notification email that I received from LinkedIn yesterday. Other people in the notif are either friends-of-friends or people I actually know and used to work with. How Mr. Bigend got in there, I haven’t got the foggiest.

Well, of course I sent a “connect” invite to Mr. Bigend. Just to see what would happen, if nothing else.

From Spook Country:

She tried the link for his Wikipedia entry.

Hubertus Hendrik Bigend, born June 7, 1967, in Antwerp, is the founder of the innovative advertising agency Blue Ant. He is the only child of Belgian industrialist Benoît Bigend and Belgian sculptor Phaedra Senyhaev. Much has been made, by Bigend’s admirers and detractors alike, of his mother’s early years with the Situationalist International (Charles Saatchi was famously but falsely reported to have described him as “a jumped up Situationist spiv”) but Bigend himself has declared that the success of Blue Ant has entirely to do with his own gifts, one of which, he claims, is the ability to find precisely the right person for a given project. He is very much a hands-on micromanager, in spite of the firms’s remarkable growth in the past five years.

Stem Cells Take Root in Koreatown

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:29:00 -0600

Stem Cells Take Root in Koreatown:

One step closer to the clinics of Chiba City and the underground doctors of the Sprawl? From the LA Business Journal:

Patients seeking one of the most complicated and experimental therapies in medicine have been descending not on UCLA or Cedars-Sinai but on a small corner storefront in the Koreatown Galleria.

There, upstairs from a grocery and alongside stores selling handbags and Hello Kitty dolls, sufferers of arthritis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other hard-to-treat diseases have been seeking relief.

In this most unlikely place, one of the world’s largest stem cell clinics, a South Korean company called RNL Bio Co. Ltd., has established its American headquarters. Looking to attract a foothold in the U.S. market, it is tapping into L.A.’s sizable Korean community – even as two patient deaths in Asia have incited criticism of the company back home.

From Neuromancer:

The medical team Molly employed occupied two floors of an anonymous condo-rack near the old hub of Baltimore. The building was modular, like some giant version of Cheap Hotel, each coffin forty meters long. Case met Molly as she emerged from one that wore the elaborately worked logo of one GERALD CHIN, DENTIST. She was limping.

“He says if I kick anything, it’ll fall off.”

Dean Potter’s record-breaking wingsuit BASE jump off the...

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:32:39 -0600

Dean Potter’s record-breaking wingsuit BASE jump off the Eiger.

From Zero History:

“Look at you. Motherfucker’s on YouTube, jumping off skyscrapers in a flying-squirrel suit.”

The Institute is taking a skip week while we get caught up on our re-reading action. Thanks to...

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:18:45 -0500

The Institute is taking a skip week while we get caught up on our re-reading action. Thanks to everyone who has sent in tips and kind comments; we really appreciate it. We’ll be back next week.

When Mr. Gibson was in Austin in September to sign Zero History,...

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:06:00 -0500

When Mr. Gibson was in Austin in September to sign Zero History, I brought him my Buzz Ricksons M-65 field jacket and a laundry marker. This was the result. Today was the first morning of the fall where it was cold enough for me to finally start wearing it again.

The inside of the field jacket has a big black patch with seemingly cryptic text (the meaning of which will be clear to any sufficiently retentive reader of Pattern Recognition). Mr Gibson told me that he’d devised the text for the people at Buzz, and it was developed with a conscious attempt to channel the sort of oddball English you find on a lot of Japanese clothing:

Soul-Delay

Cayce Pollard Unit

F.F.F.

“Secure the Perimeter”

Index F:F:F

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:03:06 -0500

Index F:F:F:

This is excellent: the locations of Pattern Recognition, compiled by Gil Williamson of Amazon Systems. Hat tip to Institute reader euicho for the link.

From Pattern Recognition:

Once they are out of Camden Town she has little idea of where they are. She has no internalized surface map of this city, only of the underground and assorted personal footpaths spreading out from its stations.

Chris B. (spida1a) on YouTube gives a guided tour of his Johnny...

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:14:49 -0500

Chris B. (spida1a) on YouTube gives a guided tour of his Johnny Mnemonic pinball game—yes, there was a pinball game based on that unfortunate movie, and Mr. Gibson says he’s got one in his basement. This fellow is some sort of pinball otaku—everything you want to know about these things, he probably does. You can find a ton of technical data on the machine here.

From “Johnny Mnemonic”:

If they think you’re crude, go technical; if they think you’re technical, go crude. I’m a very technical boy. So I decided to get as crude as possible. These days, though, you have to be pretty technical before you can even aspire to crudeness.

Jalopnik: A Vehicular Appendix To "Zero History"

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:41:00 -0500

Jalopnik: A Vehicular Appendix To "Zero History":

Nicely done, Jalopnik: a gallery of all the vehicles that are namechecked in Zero History. The ekranoplan, the Hilux, even Fiona’s motorcycle are all documented here.

From Zero History:

In Shaftsbury Avenue, on the way back to Milgrim’s hotel, through light rain, a dispatch rider on a dirty gray motorcycle caught up with the Hilux at a pedestrian crossing. Aldous powered down the window on the passenger side, squeegeeing raindrops from the bulletproof glass, as the helmeted rider took an envelope from his jacket and passed it to Milgrim, his glove like a Kevlar-armored robot hand.