Cyber Reader: Critical Writings for the Digital Era Hardcover – Illustrated, 19 March 2002

by Neil Spiller (Author)

4

Cyber Reader is an anthology of extracts from key texts relating to the theme of cyberspace, the virtual communicative space created by digital technologies. Approaching the subject from a variety of angles, including science fiction, this book reflects the multidisciplinary basis of cyberspace and illustrates how different disciplines can inform one another.

Over 40 texts are presented in chronological order, beginning with key precursors to cyberspace theory as we know it today. Writings by early theoreticians such as Charles Babbage and Alan Turing, and authors such as E M Forster, help to give a historical perspective to the subject, while texts on theoretical developments show the parallels between real and imagined worlds. Each extract is prefaced by a short introduction by editor Neil Spiller, explaining crucial themes and terms, and providing cross references to related texts.

An extensive bibliography enables the reader to pursue particular strands of study that strike their interest. Cyber Reader is an essential source book, introducing students and researchers to cyberspatial theory and practice. It will help the reader understand the wealth of opportunities, both practical and theoretical, that cyberspace engenders and enable them to chart its impact on many disciplines.

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'Serves as an excellent introduction to the potentially alienating and over-mystified world of virtual reality…this book presents what may be considered as the emerging classic texts that offer the reader a grounding in this ungrounded subject. The work is not aimed at a purely architectural audience. In drawing from familiar texts such as William Gibson's Neuroamancer, and more surprising contributions such as the EM Forster extract from The Machine Stops, it approaches the subject from a variety of fields and introduces more weighty non-fiction themes such as scientific discovery, philosophy, metaphysics and gender politics. It is a very easy book to read; each of the extracts are accompanied by a preface by Spiller that provides helpful cross-references between the chronological extracts.'(Building Design)

'Spiller says: 'This book introduces the principal characters and concepts, providing a framework into which to place further ideas and discoveries.' It is exactly that.' (Architects' Journal)

'Spiller's compilation of contemporary and historical texts plots the emergence of the cyber-imagination in literature and fiction. The book could easily have fallen into the minefield of obfuscation that so often dogs attempts to encapsulate hip critical concepts, but happily it does the exact opposite, delineating its surprisingly extended lineage in the history of ideas, while throwing helpful light on to its inner complexities…After reading this excellent anthology, you will either ditch your PC - gateway to the infinity that is cyberspace - or buy a hundred more and disappear up your own hard drive.' (Modern Painters)

‘even wearing cybernetician’s hat I find Spiller’s Cyber Reader fascinating…[his] commentary is one of the most interesting aspects of this book…Spiller’s selection is quite wonderful. His book is remarkable: for the individual items in it, and for their articulated collection together.’ (Ranulph Glanville, Architectural Design)

'This is a very good source book for researchers of cyberspatial theory and practice.' (EFX Art & Design, Sweden)

From the Publisher

Neil Spiller is Reader in Architecture and Digital Theory at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. He has written widely on cyberspace and is also author of Digital Dreams: Architecture and the New Alchemic Technologies (1998).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Phaidon Press; 1st edition (19 March 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0714840718
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0714840710
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 18.42 x 3.81 x 25.4 cm

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Cyber Reader: Critical Writings for the Digital Era Hardcover – Illustrated, 19 March 2002

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