J-Pop Embraces The Posthuman (And Has Been Doing So For Decades)
You may have seen this mind-boggling concert footage of Hatsune Miku, the first 100% CGI Japanese pop idol. But she’s been around since 2007, and is only one of many virtual J-pop idols. Here are some more of the best. Hatsune Miku is a product of Crypton Future Media (and how awesome is that corporate…
It’s J.G. Ballard’s future. We’re just living in it.
The good news is, we’re living in a science fiction novel. The bad news is, it was written by J. G. Ballard. When people complain that the Golden Age of science fiction never came true, they usually mean that the space programme has devolved to a series of uncrewed robot missions, or that we don’t…
Are openly gay generals the new signifiers of The Future?
The presence of a black US president in a summer blockbuster used to mean that the film occurred in The Future. But in 2010, we need a new signifier. I think I know the one: the openly gay general. With the recent repeal-that-wasn’t of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the gay military commander has replaced a…