CyberLondon: A Virtual City for the Posthuman? Literary Reflections on the Changing Patterns of our Relationship with the Metropolis in the Information Era.

Abstract

This paper explores the changing patterns of our relationship with the metropolis from the perspective of London-based writers that have shown an interest for cyberculture (Matt Whyman, Stella Duffy, Pat Cadigan, China Miéville). Taking as point of departure the collection of Internet stories edited by Maxim Jakubowski with authors from a variety of fields, including crime, mystery, science-fiction, fantasy, and even erotica, this paper will analyze how popular literature has understood the role of the city of London and its social networks in the new informational society. The theoretical approach used to read these short stories is indebted to the ideas of urban theorist and sociologist Manuel Castells and cyberculture theorist Donna Haraway.

Keywords

• cadigan
• castells
• cyberculture
• duffy
• haraway
• metropolis
• miéville
• popular literature
• posthuman
• virtual city
• whyman