m1b@rayssd.UUCP (09/24/87)
Since everyone seems to be using the term "cyberpunk" in a retroactive
(and cavalier) fashion, a friend and I (hi, Doug@raploc.ray.com!)
decided to find the earliest reference of something that could be
considered cyberpunk. We came up with Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings".
The watchgate at Cirith Ungol seemed to have a orc-machine interface
that wasn't magical in nature. Also, the ring bearer's senses were
always heightened similar to the heightened awareness of "Peace War".
(BTW, Doug and I still disagree over the outcome of the War of the
Rings if Saruman had attacked Rohan 4 days earlier. Comments, anyone?)
Can anyone think of something older than Tolkien with cyberpunk
references in it?
On a different note, a few years ago, ABC had a TRON ripoff that lasted
about 3 months. Can anyone remember the name of this show? Is this
cyberpunk?
Joe Barone ---------------------------> m1b@rayssd.RAY.COM
{cbosgd, gatech, ihnp4, linus, mirror, uiucdcs}!rayssd!m1bmasticol@steppenwolf.rutgers.edu.UUCP (10/02/87)
M. Joseph Barone writes: > > Can anyone think of something older than Tolkien with cyberpunk > references in it? > Sure. "Metropolis," directed by Fritz Lang in the late 1920's. Can anyone come up with an older movie? - Steve
mwtilden@orchid.UUCP (10/04/87)
In article <1450@steppenwolf.rutgers.edu> masticol@steppenwolf.rutgers.edu.UUCP writes: >M. Joseph Barone writes: >> >> Can anyone think of something older than Tolkien with cyberpunk >> references in it? >> >Sure. "Metropolis," directed by Fritz Lang in the late 1920's. >Can anyone come up with an older movie? Sure. "R.U.R" (Rutherfords' Universal Robots) 1917, but like Metropolis, it doesn't count as cyberpunk, just visionary science fiction. The short story "The Machine Stops" (1909) by E. M. Forester has definite cyberpunk overtones (although, I'll grant, some rather niave ones). Good story for those of you who might want to really delve into cyberpunk roots... -- Mark Tilden: _-_-_-__--__--_ /(glitch!) M.F.C.F Hardware Design Lab. -_-___ | \ /\/ U of Waterloo. Ont. Can, N2L-3G1 |__-_-_-| \/ (519) - 885 - 1211 ext.2454, "MY OPINIONS, YOU HEAR!? MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"