Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction which incorporates elements of punk, film noir, and crime fiction. Cyberpunk is usually set in a near post-industrialized future rather than a distant future, and, while major technological advancements have been made, they're typically used to control people rather than solve global problems. The dystopic stories tend to focus on how individuals are affected by the technology rather than galactic battles. Common themes in cyberpunk fiction include anti-establishment politics, cybernetic implants, the metaverse, computer hacking and cryptography, artificial intelligence, and the use of futuristic drugs. Cyberpunk also adds a more complex fashion and style the the characters compared with the stuffy uniforms seen in classic sci-fi.
The term "cyberpunk" wasn't used until 1983, but the genre got it start in the late-1960s and early-1970s as authors wrote novels which would later be described as the New Wave of science fiction. These stories found an audience with people who couldn't relate to the earlier sterile sci-fi and preferred the grittiness of the new style. When these books were converted into movies they reached a larger audience and the genre expanded in popularity.
Personal
Although the word had been around since before I was forming memories, I didn't hear the term cyberpunk until I was an adult. However, I still grew up liking cyberpunk movies. As I got older and began reading more adult fiction, I read through much of the seminal cyberpunk titles and appreciated it even more.
Works
These are the works of cyberpunk that are important to me. For all works, see the category.
| Title | Released | Media Type |
|---|---|---|
| Blade Runner | 1982-06-25 | Movie |
| The Diamond Age | 1995-02-?? | Book |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | 1968-??-?? | Book |
| Kung Fury | 2015-05-22 | Movie |
| The Matrix | 1999-03-24 | Movie |
| Neuromancer | 1984-07-01 | Book |
| The Running Man | 1987-11-13 | Movie |
| Snow Crash | 1992-06-?? | Book |
Links
