THE SHORT ANSWER
Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction. It features high-tech gadgets, weapons, and computers in the hands of anti-authoritarian heroes. The story setting usually takes you through the bowels of futuristic cities to highlight the seedy underbelly of society. A popular gotcha phrase for describing cyberpunk is "hi-tech. low life."
MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION
Cyberpunk is more popular than ever before. It's not just a sub-genre of fiction anymore. It's now a sub-culture. There's cyberpunk clothing, cyberpunk groups on Facebook, and even cyberpunk art. With hit movies like Blade Runner and the upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077, people are hearing the term cyberpunk more and more these days. The genre is expanding rapidly to include bio-hacking, virtual reality, and nanotechnology. That's the cyber element, but you also have the punk element which refers to the attitude and people.
Cyberpunks are anti-establishment and anti-corporate. They are usually portrayed as anti-heroes and criminals who also happen to be tech geniuses. These aren't hard and fast rules though. Cyberpunk protagonists can also be detectives, special agents, policemen or just regular people.
But where did it come from?
Bruce Bethke wrote a short story entitled "Cyberpunk" that was published by Amazing Stories magazine in 1983. That was probably the first time the term was used in print. William Gibson is widely-seen as the father of cyberpunk. He's an author who wrote famous cyberpunk books Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Override - all considered must-read cyberpunk novels from the 1980's. Gibson is also the creator of Johnny Mnemonic. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Phillip K. Dick was considered an important pre-cursor to cyberpunk fiction, as it laid out some underlying themes that would later come to typify the sub-genre of cyberpunk. Popular film, anime and manga titles from the 1980's also helped to establish cyberpunk. The original Blade Runner, Akira and Snow Crash are three of the best visual representations of what cyberpunk feels like. Almost everything since has largely been derivative.
SERANDES: CORPORATION CITY
My own book "Serandes: Corporation City" reached #30 on the Amazon cyberpunk science fiction genre category over the Christmas holiday. When I first created Serandes, I never thought of it as a cyberpunk story, but I was definitely influenced by Akira and Ghost in the Shell. In my story, corporations rule the world and the only way to fight them is by joining an underground rebellion known as the Black Star. For me, cyberpunk means creating your own relationship with technology on your own terms. You can find out more about Serandes by visiting the Solari book page or checking out the listing on Amazon.
“The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.” – William Gibson
This quote from William Gibson helps to sum up the cyberpunk genre. In a cyberpunk future, technology doesn't always fall in the hands of the common man. Even now, there are many technological innovations that exist outside of the price range of the average citizen. Cyberpunk characters often find unique ways to challenge this societal norm. They might scavenge parts and create their own weapons or hack into computer systems to subvert the rule of their overlords.
Cyberpunk was once solely the domain of speculative fiction, but it's become relevant to our present day lives. People are getting microchips inserted beneath their skin. Governments are monitoring their citizens with CCTV and artificial intelligence. Medicine is getting more expensive and wealthy people have more access to high-quality healthcare. These were once futuristic concepts of cyberpunk fiction, but now we are living in our worst nightmares.
If you like cyberpunk fiction, then be sure to share this article with your friends. You can also check out the Solari Facebook page for more stories like this.
- Written by Frederick S. Blackmon
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