Dystopian science-fiction novels and films are immensely popular – this raises the question if dystopian fiction can be regarded as a social barometer which envisions a future we fear. Together we will explore the various dystopias that are created in three contemporary American Science-Fiction novels, namely Dave Eggers’ The Circle (2013), Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story (2010) and Margaret Atwood’s The Heart Goes Last (2016) and analyze the close connection between cyber- and surveillance technology. We will examine what ethics the novels negotiate and what role they assign to democratic state institutions in light of full automation. Furthermore, we will analyze the representation of ethical boundaries that come with the emergence of new technologies as well as issues concerning identity, privacy and corporate surveillance. Is sharing really caring or is it merely a slogan used and spread by powerful corporations to deceive people in order to gather more valuable data and accumulate capital? What then is the status of the individual citizen within a surveillance society?
- Dozent/in: Isabella Karlsson