Call for book chapters for the edited volume: Cyberpunk and digital rebellion of AI

As a literary genre and a form of cultural aesthetic cyberpunk narratives depict dark visions of the future in which technology, society, and human existence merge. A major element of this setting is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is often portrayed as a powerful, autonomous entity in cyberpunk universes. In cyberpunk genres, AI typically symbolizes both the zenith of human advancement and a looming existential danger for human beings. The dynamic between humans and AI in these narratives not only raises ethical dilemmas but also highlights the potential conflicts and challenges associated with the development of advanced AI technologies.

With this CfP we address all colleagues who devote their research to various literary, cultural, and filmic, linguistic and semiotic manifestations of Cyberpunk and AI in narratives. We particularly encourage proposals relating to reception and impact of this genre and individual works, but proposals on any other aspect of the contrastive cyberpunk studies are also welcome. 
We encourage submissions in German and English that engage with the following topics:
  • Artificial Intelligence in cyberpunk universes
  • AI-Representations in cyberpunk-literature, movies, and games
  • Ethics and morality related to AI-Development in cyberpunk narratives
  • Interactions between AI and Cyberpunk and dystopian scenarios
  • Impacts of AI on social structures and individual freedoms in the context of Cyberpunk
  • Artistic depictions of AI in cyberpunk aesthetics
  • Utilization of AI technologies in the creation of cyberpunk artworks
  • Security, risks, and challenges in cyberpunk narratives
  • The influence of cyberpunk on visual culture
  • Cyberpunk literature as an expression of postmodernism
  • The influence of cyberpunk on the evolution of AI
  • Representations of humans, AI, animals, plants, and machines in the cyberpunk universe
  • Transformations of cyberpunk literature: Post-Cyberpunk
  • Visual aesthetics of cyberpunk
  • Media representations of AI-Revolution und AI-Fear
  • Gender dynamics in cyberpunk universes
  • Virtual reality and cyberpunk
  • Depictions of cybernetic landscapes and bodies in cyberpunk narratives
  • Anti-humanist worldview in the cyberpunk universes
  • Cyberpunk literature and its influence on media und films
  • Literary and visual visions of cyberpunk-rebellion
Publication: Selected papers will be published in an open access book.

Publication Series: Interdisciplinary Studies on German Philology

Book Title: Cyberpunk and digital rebellion of AI

Publisher: Istanbul University Press

Indexing: This book will be indexed in Web of Science – Book Citation Index.

Submitting your paper: Please send your paper proposals (max. 1 DIN-A-Size, Times New Roman 12, 2000 characters including spaces) and a 100-word author biography till July 19, 2024 to the editors of the volume listed below:
  • Assoc. Prof. Irem Atasoy, Istanbul University, Department of German Language and Literature
  • Assoc. Prof. Habib Tekin, Marmara University, Department of German Language and Literature