„VÉGTELEN FÉNY-, HANG- ÉS KAPCSOLATÓCEÁN”
“AN ENDLESS OCEAN OF IMAGES, SOUNDS, AND LINKS”

Literary archetypes of digital knowledge acquisition and forgetting

Summary/Abstract: William Gibson’s cyberpunk novel Neuromancer was published in 1984, which places it, in the current sense, in the pre-Internet period. This work was revolutionary in terms of directing the readers’ focus on the communication revolution and networks defined by computers. The novelist provided a representation of cyberspace that is still considered as definitive due to its credibility and visual style. The method of conveying the post-alphabetic images, live speech, audio material and other sound effects plays a crucial role in the cyberspace as seen in Gibson, as well as continuing along the same line of thought, the descriptions in the Hyperion cycle by Dan Simmons. While these elements are an integral part of the plot’s background story, they also serve the purpose of digital knowledge acquisition due mainly to their huge potential for conveying information. Conversely, they also contribute to the process of forgetting.

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