The Social Network and Science Fiction

Posted byJason W. Ellis

Y and I finally saw The Social Network (2010) for the first time thanks to a recent free rental from Family Video. I thought it was a very fine movie about the troubles of creating a big company that monetizes identity and “privacy” (with big quotes).

I am interested in the way that the film corresponds with the cyberpunk theme of being wired-in and its relationship to real autism (regardless if the real Mark Zuckerberg has autism or not).

Also, I got a good laugh at the Winklevoss posthuman joke: “I’m 6-5, 220 pounds, and there are two of me.”

Published by Jason W. Ellis

I am an Associate Professor of English at the New York City College of Technology, CUNY whose teaching includes composition and technical communication, and research focuses on science fiction, neuroscience, and digital technology. Also, I direct the B.S. in Professional and Technical Writing Program and coordinate the City Tech Science Fiction Collection, which holds more than 600 linear feet of magazines, anthologies, novels, and research publications.