Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
English
Date of Award
5-2022
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Mark Baumgartner
Committee Members
Chelsea Wessels, Matthew Holtmeier
Abstract
Cyberpunk science fiction is often set in dystopian futures where capitalism and rapid technological growth have rendered the planet ecologically devastated. The people of these worlds are host to numerous mental illnesses that many attempt to cure with drugs, entertainment, or other aspects of their fast-paced existences, but these solutions are rarely successful. When characters come to embrace the remnants of the natural world, however, they typically show signs of mental healing as the result of exposure to nature. This thesis analyzes William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, and Jeanette Winterson’s The Stone Gods alongside research from the fields of ecopsychology and ecotherapy to better understand the relationship between mental health and nature within the cyberpunk genre.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Castle, Zackery, "Cyberspace vs Green Space: Nature’s Psychological Influence in Neuromancer, Blade Runner 2049, and The Stone Gods" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4036. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4036
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.