Janet Murray: The Future of Narrative

in Cyberspace

MAT103 Fall 2010Sheila Fox Tanksley

Dystopian views of the future are often portrayed in books or movies.

Usually, this involves the abuse of technology resulting in the dominanceof one group over another. Machinesare often portrayed as instrumentsused in suppression.

This often results in the loss of one’s freedoms and identity.

The innocent are exploited and outcomes are often bleak for the masses.

Utopian versions are less common but can also be found in books, movies and TV.

Disneyland has often featured futuristic projections in its Tomorrowland setting. These are usually with emphasis on the positive outcomes in mind.

In the Utopian view technology is applied to more virtuous uses for the good of the majority.

This advances our ability to get along and tolerate each other’s species as well asother races of our own kind.

In the Future we can participate in stories,not simply read or view them, on a holodeck.

Stories, dreams and roll playing games give us tools to experience the “what if” scenarios. This in turn allows

us to work through our mental and emotional “baggage” on our way to learning about ourselves.