The Digital Dystopias of Black Mirror and Electric Dreams

Download or read book The Digital Dystopias of Black Mirror and Electric Dreams written by Steven Keslowitz and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2020-01-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This critical examination of two dystopian television series--Black Mirror and Electric Dreams--focuses on pop culture depictions of technology and its impact on human existence. Representations of a wide range of modern and futuristic technologies are explored, from early portrayals of artificial intelligence (Rossum's Universal Robots, 1921) to digital consciousness transference as envisioned in Black Mirror's "San Junipero." These representations reflect societal anxieties about unfettered technological development and how a world infused with invasive artificial intelligence might redefine life and death, power and control. The impact of social media platforms is considered in the contexts of modern-day communication and political manipulation.