William Gibson's ‘Cyberpunk’ X-Files

Abstract

Central to both William Gibson's The X-Files episodes is the dramatisation of embodied connections with technology and virtuality. These episodes may be seen as a simple transfer of elements of cyberpunk fiction to a television format. However, the emphasis on virtual realities and on explorations of gender destabilisation allows Gibson's use of cyberpunk tropes to resonate with the X-Files' narrative space and invigorate some of its overarching themes