This presentation was originally prepared for the Wellesley College Science-Fiction/Fantasy Society in February 2004. It covers the sci-fi sub-genre of cyberpunk, which I would argue has had more influence on mainstream pop culture than any since the vision of opportunity presented in early space opera drove the US/Russian space race.

1. Presented on February the 16th, 2004 To the Wellesley College Science-Fiction/Fantasy Society By Jack Phelps All original content in this document is protected from bad people under a Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution/Noncommercial/Share-Alike license. All non-original content should be treated as illegal, copyright-infringing material Black Ice and Mirrorshades: An Intro to Cyberpunk Fiction

12. Cyberpunk in the Mainstream: Bad Nintendo Power Glove (1989) Time (Feb 1993) Aeon Flux (MTV 1995)

13. Cyberpunk in the Mainstream: Worse Johnny Mnemonic (1995) The Lawnmower Man (Stephen King’s Night Shift, 1992) Wild Palms (1991)

14. Cyberpunk in the Mainstream: Worst Billy Idol’s Cyberpunk (1993) X-Files First Person Shooter (2000) * VR 5 (1993) *Gibson wrote this episode—in all fairness, he also wrote the episode Kill Switch which was actually good

17. The Special Neal Stephenson Section Smartwheels Michelin’s answer to pneumatics, these tires have telescoping spokes that allow point-sensitive wheel flexibility for a smoother ride. YT’s Jacket Jackets that carry current strong enough to stun/disable attackers. One prototype has fur that bristles when activated as a warning system.