Neelam and Zaidi on a Postmodern Study of Environmental Conversion from Natural to Technological in Neuromancer Through the Lens of Ecocide @GreatDismal

Asma Neelam, National University of Modern Languages, and Saba Zaidi, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University, Department of English, have published A Postmodernist Study of Environmental Conversion from Natural to Technological in Neuromancer Through the Lens of Ecocide. Here is the abstract.

The pervasive urbanization and technology advancement has almost destroyed the natural order that has caused Ecocide. Humanity is facing a hard time of climatic change and habitat destruction. Although the level of public awareness related to environmental issues has been increased yet this is not sufficient enough to regenerate the old balance of nature. Deterioration in the ecosystem is depicted in most of the Postmodern literature as a constant shift from natural to technological. The cities of today that boast of steel and glass skyscrapers, flyovers, signal towers and elevated freeways (that have greatly influenced nature and humanity) are in an artificial state of make-believe, chaos and doubt. Gibson’s Cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (1984) is an apt example of such kind of chaos, fragmentation, doubt and artificiality that pervades in our society. Neuromancer is a depiction of reality/artifice and natural/unnatural. It is a prophetic discourse of our own not too distant future. This study aims to depict that how Neuromancer represents the artificial and synthetic world of our times. The study is based upon a Postmodernist stance of Ecocide that aspires to signify the depiction of today’s world in the Cyberpunk literature through the novel Neuromancer. Thereof, it equally aims to highlight the significance of Cyberpunk as a Postmodernist genre of literature that is representative of the contemporary society.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.