Yuanhao Pan Yamamoto 1

Yamamoto 1

By following the accounts of Techgnosis and The Stories of Ibis closely, the narratives are seen to reveal certain correlations, similarities and contrasts. Seemingly, the two correlate in the aspect that fictional aspects tend to spill over into reality. In both stories, the characters involved tend to be influenced by their experiences and fictional knowledge. However, the differences between the subjects are evident from the perspectives that were chosen in creating these aspects of fiction. Techgnosis integrates other elements such as myths and mysticism while The Stories of Ibis primarily embodies science fiction.

The aspect of blending magic and science fictions brings to mind such films as Jumanji by Jake Kadsan, the X-Files by Chris Carter, and Marvel’s Agents of Shield. To a considerable extent, these shows tend to incorporate a blend of fiction and other elements as mysticism or myths to support the science fictional aspect and uphold certain cultural traditions. Particularly, Jumanji incorporates science fictional elements such as multidimensional travelling blended with mysticism, which is portrayed through a magical book bringing animated things to life. The X-Files also qualifies, based on its exploration of paranormal phenomena and showing how these aspects are integrated within real-life happenings. Lastly, Marvel’s Agents of Shield is a show about superheroes with different heightened abilities. Such elements allow it to explore multiple aspects of fiction based on the special talents that the characters have.

Learning about digital cultures is not only insightful but also offers an opportunity to explore multiple cultures simultaneously. Seemingly, fictional subjects tend to explore cultural attributes and are not constrained within the realm of reality. The digital texts act as a framework from which to explore the phenomena, which widen the scope of cultural knowledge and other developments taking place across the globe. As an example, Techgnosis extrapolates on such fiction as Norse mythology, which enables an exploration of all that the Norwegian culture entails (Davis 8). Similarly, The Stories of Ibis, engages the reader with aspects linked to Japanese culture (Yamamoto 22). Consequently, learning about digital cultures through fictional text is a mind-opening process towards achieving wider knowledge.

Davis, Erik. TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. North Atlantic Books, 2015.

Yamamoto, Hiroshi. The Stories of Ibis. Translated by Takami Nieda, 2010.