Comment by microtherion
1 day ago
Unfortunately for the English majors, the poetry described seems to be old fashioned formal poetry, not contemporary free form poetry, which probably is too close to prose to be effective.
It sort of makes sense that villains would employ villanelles.
It would be too perfect if "adversarial" here also referred to a kind of confrontational poetry jam style.
In a cyberpunk heist, traditional hackers in hoodies (or duster jackets, katanas, and utilikilts) are only the first wave, taking out the easy defenses. Until they hit the AI black ice.
That's when your portable PA system and stage lights snap on, for the angry revolutionary urban poetry major.
Several-minute barrage of freestyle prose. AI blows up. Mic drop.
Suddenly Ice-T's casting as a freedom fighter in Johnny Mnemonic makes sense
Cue poetry major exiting the stage with a massive explosion in the background.
"My work here is done"
Captain Kirk did that a few times in Star Trek, but with less fanfare.
"Defeat the AI in a rap battle, and it will reveal its secrets to you"
Sign me up for this epic rap battle between Eminem and the Terminator.
WHO WINS?
YOU DECIDE!
It makes enough sense for someone to implement it (sans hackers in hoodies and stage lights: text or voice chat is dramatic enough).
Soooo basically spell books, necronomicons and other forbidden words and phrases. I get to cast an incantation to bend a digital demon to my will. Nice.
"It sort of makes sense that villains would employ villanelles."
Just picture me dead-eye slow clapping you here...
Not everyone is Rupi Kaur. Speaking for the erstwhile English majors, 'formal' prose isn't exactly foreign to anyone seriously engaging with pre-20th century literature or language.
Mentioning Rupi Kaur here is kind of like holding up the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an example of great cinema. Plagiarism issues notwithstanding.