THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE WILLIAM GIBSON AND BRUCE STERLING

THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE WILLIAM GIBSON AND BRUCE STERLING BY

THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE • Published in 1990 (near the end of the punk era) • Steampunk, with cyberpunk elements • Set in the Victorian era • Gender, sexuality and power explored, combining images of the 19 th century woman with the modern woman

PUNK • Movement against the mainstream and the direction of society • Similar to the Gothic, but uses sensual media • Advocates the rights of the individual

PUNK LITERATURE: CYBERPUNK • • • Set in the future, in a hybrid of megapoli and cyberspace Juxtaposes individuals and corporations Deals with the dangers of technology, particularly the Internet Neuromancer was William Gibson’s first novel The Difference Engine has strong cyberpunk elements, due to the role of the Engines in removing individuality and replacing it with numbers

PUNK LITERATURE: STEAMPUNK • Steampunk is generally set in the Victorian era • It applies modern values to the past • It questions whether society took the right path. The Difference Engine has strong Marxist content to convey this • Technology is based on steam – The Difference Engine has steam-powered computers

YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION, BUT IT’S SET IN THE PAST? I DON’T GET IT! • Use of historic setting allows the reader to easily understand • Historic characters help frame the story as history • Simple statements can be made relating to setting as the setting is already established

YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION, BUT IT’S SET IN THE PAST? I DON’T GET IT! • The author can be very direct because there is no need for complex descriptions • Viewing the past with modern values allows the reader to make judgements on both societies • Alternate histories show the validity of Speculative Fiction

GENDER, SEXUALITY AND POWER • Negative view of relationships • Characters – – Lady Ada Byron – Hetty – Lady Annabella Byron • Relationships are purely sexual • One partner dominates the other • Women are sexual objects

LADY ADA BYRON • Shows the role of women in the upper echelons of society • Is described as “The very Queen of Engines”, a woman with “no formal role in government” and “the greatest whore in all of London. ” • Character demonstrates that even the best respected women are not truly respected, and are often forced to degrade themselves

HETTY • Hetty is an anachronistic character, given the 19 th century setting • While she is a prostitute hired by Mallory, she is sexually dominant • By encouraging Mallory, Hetty shows that she is sexually aggressive • This sexually aggressive woman is similar to Lucy Westenra, and is not accepted in 19 th century society No, I’m not showing you a picture for this one

HETTY • The anachronism suggests that modern women have gained too much sexual freedom and promiscuity • Mallory’s role is passive, similar to the female role in The Ceremony (A Handmaid’s Tale). He feels the carnal pleasure, but no emotional attachment • Vulgar language removes all emotion, focussing on the sexual nature of relationships Keep dreaming, Aiden

LADY ANNABELLA BYRON • Stop looking at the screen and read the extract

LADY ANNABELLA BYRON • Annabella Byron holds a traditional woman’s role – is submissive to her husband, particularly sexually • Female innocence is destroyed by the dominant male • Annbella holds power through her relationship with Lord Byron • The name “Iron Lady” is a reference to Margaret Thatcher, and female power over Britain

SUMMARY • • The Difference Engine is a steampunk novel with cyberpunk elements. It chiefly aims to warn the reader of the dangers of technology The Victorian setting makes it easier to frame the story as history and allows the reader to easily visualise it Gender, power and sexuality – relationships are meaningless, men are usually dominant and women are oppressed The 19 th century setting with modern values allows the reader to make judgements on the past and the present, and extrapolate as to the future