In William Gibson’s Cyberpunk story Johnny Mnemonic, he completes
a problematic task for most science fiction writers:
he is able to connect the world of the reader with the world of Molly Millions and Johnny Mnemonic. To build this bridge from the
twentieth century to Gibson’s world is not an easy task, especially considering that Gibson’s world contains cybernetic dolphins and organized crime groups with names like the Sons of the Neon Chrysanthemum. In actuality, these technological advances and bizarre terminology is made easier because of the first person narrative and Johnny’s familiarity with his surroundings. Gibson frequently mixes the unfamiliar futuristic terms with language from the twentieth century. In fact, to connect the bridge from the reader’s world to the world in Johnny Mnemonic, William Gibson uses ties in terminology and constructs a connection between the
technology advances of the future and life, while using a first person narrative to build familiarity.
The primary way William Gibson unites the two differing worlds in Johnny Mnemonic is by uniting terminology and brand names from the twentieth century with vocabulary from the world of Johnny and Molly. In fact, brand name products frequently appear throughout Johnny Mnemonic to familiarize the reader with the bizarre new world. Gibson writes about Mercedes and Styrofoam, so we can bridge the time gap between the two time periods. In fact, in Johnny Mnemonic, Gibson’s first sentence specifically names items that gained popularity in the twentieth century: a shotgun, an Adidas bag, tennis socks. Later in the story, Gibson mentions Volkswagen and ITT. By doing so, Gibson proves unafraid to use corporate symbols if it means a better understanding for his readers.
Along with brand names, Gibson makes a habit of using twentieth century vocabulary mixed with lingo from Johnny’s time in order to catch the reader up to speed with Johnny’s world. For example, when Gibson writes about the Volkswagen, he calls it a Volks Module, which leads the reader to believe that while Volkswagen has continued to make a product, it is no longer safely called a car. Similarly, Gibson mixes the term for a white person, Caucasian and the futuristic term android to develop Caucasoid, a white android.
However, perhaps the best example of Gibson mixing twentieth century speech with futuristic lingo is when he writes of Johnny going into Idiot-Savant mode. The chintzy doddering birds inside the bland office building, dipping mechanically into a foam cup compel the reader to visualize the familiarity of a dull office, until Johnny switches into Idiot Savant mode. Gibson draws the reader in with his familiarity of language and then surprises them with the colors of the bird’s tails. We, as readers, see this through Johnny’s eyes and accept it as another action merely done by ourselves, due to the familiar surroundings.
Despite the connections in language from the two time periods, Johnny Mnemonic could still easily confuse some readers were it not for Gibson’s ability to connect the advances in technology from his created world to the basic and animalistic qualities of life. From his description of Ralfi’s bodyguard as Blond California Beef to relating Molly’s pants to a leather resembling dried blood, Gibson forces the thoughts of decaying life and manufactured humanity into the reader’s mind. Both the use of leather and beef, bring to mind animal qualities, which the genetically altered have reduced themselves to the level too. Johnny, along with the rest of his computer-enhanced brethren have sacrificed their humanity for technological advancement, which is an important them in Gibson’s work. Gibson writes of Jones upon Johnny’s first encounter with him that although he was a dolphin, he could have been something more or something less. Gibson’s comparison shows how by getting artificial advancement, the qualities that make animals alive are reduced drastically.
Aside from cconnecting technology to the animalistic qualities of humanity, Gibson also makes a connection with the technology of his world, to the emotions of humanity. When Gibson refers to the Killing Floor, the Floor itself becomes a character in the story, not just a piece of futuristic technology. Not only does the Floor scream after being hit by Molly, but the drum beat that accompanies it is described as an amplified heart. This characterization of technology by Gibson shows, once again, the important relation between technology and life. The killing floor is a good example of the fragility within life and technology and through Johnny’s eyes, we can see the humanity of technology.
Similarly, because of the first person narrative in Johnny Mnemonic, we feel significantly more comfortable with the world Gibson has created. The familiarization of Johnny with his own surroundings and technology make the reader feel as though not only is the world Johnny lives in is the same as the readers, but that the reader is Johnny Mnemonic. The actions are not happening to a character in the story but they seem to be happening to the reader. The first person-narrative then, enhances the connection between Johnny’s world and the world of the reader and creates an artificial feeling of unity.