THE MATRIX TRILOGY

The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded is a collection of critical essays on the massive phenomenon that is the three Matrix films, including the subsequent websites, computer games and the Animatrix films. Among the topics considered are the new cyberpunk, Baudrillardian simulacra, the politics of gender and race, the femme fatale, costume, cyberculture and the body, virtual realities and special effects. Discussing both the influences on the trilogy and the impact they have had since their release, the contributors to this collection provide critically innovative readings of the franchise. The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded is a long-awaited exploration of a modern film phenomenon and is the first academic publication to consider the films as a cultural event.

January 2005
240 pages

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Stacy Gillis is Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature at the University of Newcastle. She is the co-editor of Third Wave Feminism (2004) and has published widely on cybertheory, cyberpunk and feminist theory.

'This is the book for readers who want a survey of how the Matrix franchise is embedded in recent popular culture...All the essays are readable, applying theory without being jargon-riddled, despite the postmodern subject matter.'
- Stacie Hanes, Science Fiction Studies

‘This collection brings together an impressive international array of critics to direct their fearsome collective intelligence on The Matrix in its numerous guises ... In a crowded market for commentaries, this collection stakes a strong claim to be The One for the discerning critical reader.'
- Roger Luckhurst, Birkbeck College, University of London

'This book tops the elaborate conceit of the film trilogy by proving ... that the Matrix is not cinema but an infinite cultural construct, a virtual reality born of art, logic and the longing for unified being. Only the reader completely immune to argument will be deceived by the mere cinematic illusion.'
- Michael Heim, University of California at Irvine

‘The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded boasts an admirable slate of multi-disciplinary scholarship. Its range of essays, ultimately, is befitting the scope of this phenomenon and serves as an important addition to existing bodies of work on The Matrix and cyberpunk alike.'
- Mike Dillon, Film International