The Sprawl
Encyclopedia
In William Gibson
's fiction
, the Sprawl is a colloquial name for the Boston
-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis (BAMA), an urban sprawl
environment on a massive scale, and a fictional extension of the real Northeast Megalopolis
.
The novels Neuromancer
(1984), Count Zero
(1986), and Mona Lisa Overdrive
(1988) (collectively known as the Sprawl trilogy) take place in this environment, as do the short stories "Johnny Mnemonic," "New Rose Hotel
," "Burning Chrome
," and "Fragments of a Hologram Rose
."
, from Boston to Atlanta, has melded into a single mass of urban sprawl
. It has been enclosed in several geodesic dome
s and merged into one megacity
. The city has become a separate world with its own climate, no real night/day cycle, and an artificial sky that is always grey. It is said of the Sprawl that "the actors change but the play remains the same."
Although there are areas of rich people in the Sprawl, a vast majority of the people struggle to survive from day to day. However, advanced technology is ubiquitous and accessible to all, regardless of financial standing. People spend much of their time in the "matrix
" for work or recreational purposes. A common addiction for Sprawl inhabitants are "simstims" (simulated stimuli), a form of virtual reality
that allows people to experience a television program, typically soap opera
s, from the point of view of a fictitious media personality.
setting. Related places visited in Gibson's fiction include Chiba City
, a high-tech district near Tokyo
, and Freeside, an orbital complex which includes the family estate of the rich Tessier-Ashpool
clan, as well as the Rastafarian colony New Zion. A notable non-fictional precursor to The Sprawl is the Northeast Megalopolis
, the present-day group of metropolitan areas extending from Boston to Washington, DC.
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, the Sprawl is a colloquial name for the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis (BAMA), an urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
environment on a massive scale, and a fictional extension of the real Northeast Megalopolis
Northeast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
.
The novels Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
(1984), Count Zero
Count Zero
Count Zero is a science fiction novel written by William Gibson, originally published 1986. It is the second volume of the Sprawl trilogy, which begins with Neuromancer and concludes with Mona Lisa Overdrive, and is a canonical example of the cyberpunk sub-genre.Count Zero was serialized by Isaac...
(1986), and Mona Lisa Overdrive
Mona Lisa Overdrive
Mona Lisa Overdrive is a cyberpunk novel by William Gibson published in 1988 and the final novel of the Sprawl trilogy, following Neuromancer and Count Zero. It takes place eight years after the events of Count Zero and is set, as were its predecessors, in The Sprawl...
(1988) (collectively known as the Sprawl trilogy) take place in this environment, as do the short stories "Johnny Mnemonic," "New Rose Hotel
New Rose Hotel
"New Rose Hotel" is a short story by William Gibson, first published in 1984 in Omni and later included in his 1986 collection Burning Chrome.-Plot:...
," "Burning Chrome
Burning Chrome
Burning Chrome is a collection of short stories written by William Gibson. Most of the stories take place in Gibson's Sprawl, an anonymous, shared setting for most of his cyberpunk work...
," and "Fragments of a Hologram Rose
Fragments of a Hologram Rose
"Fragments of a Hologram Rose" is a science fiction short story by William Gibson. It was Gibson's first published work, originally appearing in 1977 in Unearth 3, a short-lived science fiction collection magazine which retailed for $1.00; Gibson was paid $27 for the story...
."
Characteristics
The Sprawl is a visualization of a future where virtually the entire East Coast of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from Boston to Atlanta, has melded into a single mass of urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. It has been enclosed in several geodesic dome
Geodesic dome
A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the structure. When...
s and merged into one megacity
Megacity
A megacity is usually defined as a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people. Some definitions also set a minimum level for population density . A megacity can be a single metropolitan area or two or more metropolitan areas that converge. The terms conurbation,...
. The city has become a separate world with its own climate, no real night/day cycle, and an artificial sky that is always grey. It is said of the Sprawl that "the actors change but the play remains the same."
Although there are areas of rich people in the Sprawl, a vast majority of the people struggle to survive from day to day. However, advanced technology is ubiquitous and accessible to all, regardless of financial standing. People spend much of their time in the "matrix
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
" for work or recreational purposes. A common addiction for Sprawl inhabitants are "simstims" (simulated stimuli), a form of virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
that allows people to experience a television program, typically soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s, from the point of view of a fictitious media personality.
Comparative setting
The Sprawl is a typical (perhaps archetypal) example of a cyberpunkCyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
setting. Related places visited in Gibson's fiction include Chiba City
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, a high-tech district near Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and Freeside, an orbital complex which includes the family estate of the rich Tessier-Ashpool
Tessier-Ashpool
Tessier-Ashpool is a fictional family appearing in William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy novels. The family owns Freeside, a space station shaped like a spindle Bernal sphere constructed in high orbit. The family resides in the Villa Straylight, which occupies one end of the spindle.The family is...
clan, as well as the Rastafarian colony New Zion. A notable non-fictional precursor to The Sprawl is the Northeast Megalopolis
Northeast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
, the present-day group of metropolitan areas extending from Boston to Washington, DC.
Cultural allusions
- "The Sprawl" is a song recorded by Sonic YouthSonic YouthSonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
for their album Daydream NationDaydream NationDaydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in October 1988 by Enigma Records in the United States, and by Blast First in the United Kingdom....
and inspired by Gibson's creation.
See also
- Mega-City OneMega-City OneMega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of what is now the Eastern United States in the Judge Dredd comic book series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist has drawn the story...
in the Judge DreddJudge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic, a megalopolis covering the entire eastern seaboard of the United States