Hi everyone -- I'm currently beginning research on cyberpunk dystopias that take up the interface between technology and the body. I'm considering books such as Doctorow's _Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom_ and Richard Morgan's _Altered Carbon_.

Does anyone have any good books to recommend in this genre by current women writers (and even other male writers)? I would like to take up a novel that's been published after 2000 if possible and received some amount of critical attention.

So many good books, so little time . . .

Thanks for the help!

Gah... this is one of those things, right? Where we go, "Where are the women SF writers?" Off the top of my head, though, check out Nalo Hopkinson (her first book, published in 1998, "Brown Girl in the Ring" blends cyberpunk tropes with voudou, and since she's a West Indian living in Toronto, you get the impression that she knows something about voudou), the "Dark Matter" series of anthologies. For older stuff, check out Octavia Butler and Pat Cadigan...

But, yeah, I can't think of any from the current decade, much less any that get academic attention. Try searching the databases for the journal Extrapolation... that might help...

As for current male authors, check out Ian McDonald's "Brasyl"-- but that's too new to have gotten much academic attention, too...

You might try project.cyberpunk.ru.

Margeret Atwoods "Oryx and Crake" springs to mind.

Heh. You just reminded me that some SF writers slipped off into the "legit literature" field some time ago. Atwood, Ballard...

Thanks Justy, I already considered Octavia Butler and Pat Cardigan, but again, they aren't quite the fit I'm looking for. I know that Cardigan put out _Dervish is Digital_ in 2001 (and that's a sequel to her earlier work, Tea from an Empty Cup).

I'll definitely check out Nalo Hopkinson.

It's the "critical attention" thing that's tough, though. We academics are slow, and our publishing apparatus is even slower, usually meaning 6 months to a year of turnaround time before an article gets accepted/published in a journal.

What level are you at? What sort of research project are you pursuing?

Try "Outlaw School" by Rebecca Ore.

It was nominated for the 2000 James Tiptree award, so at least someone was paying attention.

I've read it three times, myself.

"Hi everyone -- I'm currently beginning research on cyberpunk dystopias..."
You are so lucky. In the past we used to run request like yours out of town pronto.
Why? Because it seemed opportunistic to pop up with such a request as your first post.
So lucky you.

the difference is that they are looking for suggestions of things to read. which is one of our favourite subjects. rather than asking us to do their paper for them, which just plain pisses folk off.

Thanks for all of the help so far. I'm not a newbie to literature, just to forum boards. I apologize if I asked for help in the wrong way. A good friend of mine who is a member of the board suggested I pick all of your minds a bit.

I certainly am not expecting anyone for paper ideas or how to write one! I'm a third year PhD student in Literature. For the past two weeks I have been rethinking my project that I had conceived as reading novels that take up cyberpunk themes or the integrated use of technology in the human body, but are not classified as such. For example, Jeanette Winterson's The Powerbook and M.T. Anderson's Feed (a young adult novel).

Needless to say, I'm not too excited about that project. After reading Gibson and Stephenson again (and watching way too much of Star Trek), I want to shift my focus to look at sci-fi/cyberpunk/dystopia stuff specifically. I like the idea of looking at Canadian writers solely, but I'm really just exploring what my options are at this point.

I have been looking around for women writers to check out for the past couple of weeks, and have had more luck in finding writers of young adult lit.(like Lois Lowry, Nancy Farmer) who fit the bill.

Anyways, since science-fiction has not been my primary area of study, I thought I'd get some help from people in the know (i.e. all of you) before I go and change up my entire project.

As to having academic criticism published on the works already, it doesn't matter if that's absent. I'm just want to be reading writers who are respected in the field.

Thanks for all of the advice so far -- I really appreciate it.

I would recommend myself but I have no novels published.

Plus I'm not even a woman. ._.

quote:

Cyberpunk dystopias by women?

The World's End.

quote:

Originally posted by violet:
Thanks for all of the help so far. I'm not a newbie to literature, just to forum boards. I apologize if I asked for help in the wrong way. A good friend of mine who is a member of the board suggested I pick all of your minds a bit.

What? Where? Who? You don't have to answer that, of course.

quote:

I certainly am not expecting anyone for paper ideas or how to write one! I'm a third year PhD student in Literature.

Welcome to the club! I'll have obtained my Ph.D. at the end of the month. May you finish your diss quicker than I did!

quote:

I have been looking around for women writers to check out for the past couple of weeks, and have had more luck in finding writers of young adult lit.(like Lois Lowry, Nancy Farmer) who fit the bill.

That's an interesting angle. I wonder if the "Children's Lit" subspecialty is still somewhat academically popular? At any rate, considering that many mainstream lit. folks still consider SF "juvenile" in some way, young adult lit. might be a good place to start. See also: Andre Norton (African American woman SF writer, 1960s), Victoria Hamilton (similar).

quote:

Anyways, since science-fiction has not been my primary area of study, I thought I'd get some help from people in the know (i.e. all of you) before I go and change up my entire project.

As to having academic criticism published on the works already, it doesn't matter if that's absent. I'm just want to be reading writers who are respected in the field.

Thanks for all of the advice so far -- I really appreciate it.

In a way, the open field in some areas is a good thing. You get to break new ground, really. I would really suggest not limiting yourself to the 2000s--looking into perhaps a history of women-in-SF v. the history of men-in-SF, and differences in attitude toward body modification could be an interesting project!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Justy,

Gawd I love the title of this thread. Sounds like the title of a do-it-yourself book.

I'm guessing Pat Cadigan won't count as a current writer. Well, she would, but the relevant works (Mindplayers, Synners, Fools) wouldn't.

Mindplayers is *very* good.

i'd bet money you're looking for Proxies by Laura J. Mixon.



she takes a nice run with Heinlein's waldo concepts in an updated cyberpunkish environment.

i've not read her other works, but have it on pretty good authoritah that they are as good or better than Proxies, which i liked immensely.

Are cyberpunk books still being written? I think we discussed this a while back, and decided that cyberpunk was a "movement". I think cyberpunk ended with the publication of Snowcrash, which was really a pastiche of the genre.

quote:

Originally posted by TwiliteMinotaur:
I would recommend myself but I have no novels published.

Plus I'm not even a woman. ._.

but you like to ambiguous enough that you might get away with it :P

and violet, it would amaze you the amount of people who come on looking for papers to be written for them. as had been said, you are ok, and are being treated reasonably. the other kind tend to get doused in petrol quick style.

anyway. i guess its not really about cyberpunk as such. after all down and out in the magic kingdom doesn't really come into that category.

though an obvious example i always give, once we get passed the obvious example of cadigan, is kathleen ann goonan. though not aware of anything recent from her at all. but i enjoyed her crescent city rhapshody, queen city jazz (?). and for twilite, she did one set in hawaii as well -you are of that one? "bones of time", off the top of my head.

possible other examples. justina robson? not read any of her stuff, though i have a couple. she might be of use. or tricia sullivan? who i have read and enjoyed. her novel maul might cover what you are after violet. or the older dreaming of smoke (?)(gosh my brain seems to be half on the blink today when it comes to titles).