Give Me An Expanded Canon, or Give Me Literary Death

I think that blogger reschp2 makes a fantastic point by bringing up the destructive sex present in most of the cyberpunk literature we've been introduced to this week. I would agree with his analysis, and that the connection he draws between McLuhan and the presence of technology in cyberpunk literature, and that both McLuhan and the cyberpunk authors try to predict how technology will influence society through different genres (fiction and non-fiction).

However, I definitely agree with blogger realblueivy and her assertion that cyberpunk has given way to "alt lit" and other types of fiction that seem to have a broader definition, but still incorporate technology in a modern way.

After our readings for this week, and reading the responses from my classmates, I would argue that a lot of us don't see the point for cyberpunk literature. I mean, it's full of cliches, bad sex scenes, and writing that's hard to follow. So, what's the point? Why are we studying it?

I would assert that its value lies in its difference. Cyberpunk literature is, to me, like Beatnik poetry and prose. It's often misunderstood, thrown in a corner of 'only hipsters read this,' and never (or very rarely) taught in mainstream classrooms. However, I think teachers do a disservice to students by throwing out both of these genres.

I think that if they were incorporated into the canon, and taught side-by-side with the literature overlords we've come to know, love, and write terrible essays about, then we could create an entirely knew generation that produces writing that reflects a varied, global, and technologically influenced background. An argument could be made that alt lit is already doing this, but I think that alt lit is often seen as "teen lit" because of chat speak, and that there needs to be both an overhaul to how alt lit is written AND how it's perceived. All of this should be part of the same movement to expand the canon in a way that benefits EVERYONE.

Well, that's my opinion, anyway.

Here is a piece with an interview with William Gibson, and the last paragraph kind of encapsulates the point I'm trying to make. Everyone needs to read more of everything:

William Gibson Interview