Friday, November 11, 2011

An Idea for Mapping Neuromancer

   The map displays an overlap of geo and ageo places into one single layer. It shows the characters and the crowd they are with, and the technologies that were included in. It would look like a subway map with different color coded lanes. On the geographic map of different cities would be shown very close to each other since the physical distance does not matter much for the characters, and the cities would be connected with the lanes. The lanes include technology and real physical transportations. Technology includes the electrodes (the gateway to matrix), rider skill, hologram, artificial vision, and ROM or memory construct of another person. Physical transportation includes walking/running, getting on the plane, and alternative of technology-drug. We could have intersecting and alternative routes when the characters switch their mode of technology or switch from cyberspace to geo space. So for instance, the map can show Case getting off of blue lane that represents matrix after his mission is finished, and switching the lane to yellow lane that represents him walking, then taking another route when he is on drug. For scenes where more than two technology are involved, like when Case rides on Molly on cyberspace or Molly using her night vision while walking, two lanes will fuse into one.  The length of the lane would be in accordance with the time specified in the book or the amount of pages between it. Each stop would have the chapter and page number to show the composite view of our map. It could also be seen as a time graph incorporated with a map. In this way, we know where to find certain scenes and get a glimpse of the story of the book in wholesome just by looking at the map. 

1 comment:

  1. As usual, you've offered an incredibly insightful response to this assignment. Your suggestion of specific fields and delimitations for this speculative map (which you extract from specific details of the book) makes this one of the more developed proposals in the class. The layering you propose of geographical and ageographical space in the map and the noted "thickness" which such a layering would create is very suggestive for thinking about how technology transforms topography (in the world of the book, but in ours as well). As we discussed in class, the notion of networks and temporality that Corner discusses seems implicit in your proposal. However it might be worth considering further how these notions could be used in the map explicitly to further frame or advance your reading. Ditto on the idea of potential and emergence as a feature of creative mapping. Your work here is excellent.

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