PAT[RICIA] CADIGAN (1953-)

Charlton ‘Charlie’ Brooker, known internationally for his anthology series Black Mirror (2011-), occupies a paradoxical position of using the system of globalized media and taking advantage of technological advancements to critique contemporary, developed societies’ reliance on mass media and technology. His work crystallizes around two major (and often interrelated) thematic interests: the corruptive yet addictive relationship contemporary societies have developed with media, and the inescapable appeal of the technological novum, which exercises detrimental influence on the characters’ fates, often despite their realization that something is terribly wrong. As this chapter shows, Brooker, particularly in Black Mirror, focuses on both media and technological innovations that are produced and imposed on consumers by multinational corporate capitalism, and in so doing Brooker’s critiques often introduce a political context. Thus, in exploring our technocultural fears and anxieties, Brooker provides opportunities for all of us to explore the less comfortable corners of cyberpunk culture.