Weird Studies Episode 53: Astral Jet Lag: On William Gibson's 'Pattern Recognition'
Aug 14, 2019
This podcast explores William Gibson's 'Pattern Recognition' as a reflection of our modern era, discussing themes such as the attention economy, postmodern culture, power, loss, grief, and art. They delve into the protagonist Casey Pollard's role as a cool hunter and her semiotic hypersensitivity. The podcast also examines the concept of attention as a key currency in capitalism, the symbolism and dark side of cultural objects, shiny surfaces hiding depths, and the themes of art, ghosts, and dreams in the book. Lastly, they explore the attention-intention dichotomy and agency in a dystopian world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Amplifying Present Trends Into Science Fiction
- William Gibson turns near-future internet culture into science fiction by amplifying existing trends rather than inventing new tech.
- Examples: cool-hunting as semiotic hypersensitivity and logo-phobia (Case Pollard) make plausible extrapolation feel uncanny and immediate.
Jet Lag As The Modern Soul Condition
- Gibson uses jet lag as a metaphor for modern dislocation where technology outpaces the human soul, producing a chronic 'presentless' condition.
- Case drifts across time zones and experiences 'soul retrieval' tied to fragmentation of attention and identity.
Fake Online Persona Becomes Real Lover
- JF recounts Parkaboy and friends fabricating a Japanese online persona to seduce an informant, prefiguring social media avatar construction.
- The fake persona later becomes a real woman who moves to Japan, showing online identities turning real.