Cyberpunk (a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk) is a sub-genre of science fiction and dystopian fiction, focusing on advanced technology such as computers or information technology coupled with some degree of breakdown in the social order. "Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized, alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change, an ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information, and invasive modification of the human body."Lawrence Person, "Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto", first published in Nova Express issue 16 (1998), later posted to Slashdot. The plot of cyberpunk writing often centres on a conflict among hackers, artificial intelligences, and mega corporations, tending to be set within a near-future Earth, rather than the "outer space" locales prevalent in science fiction at the time of cyberpunk's inception. The cities of this future typically have dystopian characteristics, but are also marked by extraordinary energy and diversity. Much of the genre's "atmosphere" echoes film noir, and written works in the genre often use techniques from detective fiction. Primary exponents of the cyberpunk field include William Gibson, Rudy Rucker, John Shirley and Bruce Sterling. The term became widespread in the 1980s and remains current today.
During the early and mid-1980s, cyberpunk became a fashionable topic in academic circles, where it began to be the subject of postmodernist investigation. In the same period, the genre penetrated Hollywood and became one of cinema's staple science-fiction styles. Many popular, high-grossing films such as Blade Runner and the Matrix trilogy can be seen as prominent developments of the genre's visual styles and themes. Computer games, board games and role-playing games often feature storylines that are heavily influenced by cyberpunk writing and movies. Beginning in the early 1990s, trends in fashion and music were labeled as cyberpunk.
As a wider variety of writers began to work with cyberpunk concepts, new sub-genres emerged, each of which focuses on technology and its social effects in a different way. Examples include steampunk, pioneered by Tim Powers, K. W. Jeter and James Blaylock, and biopunk or alternatively ribofunk, in which Paul Di Filippo is prominent. In addition, some people say that works such as Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash define a postcyberpunk category, whereas others consider postcyberpunk a distinction without meaning. Whether this category is distinct may be only a matter of definition.
More on [ Cyberpunk ]
Science Fiction and Fantasy :: Genres
Blade Runner :: B
Matrix, The :: Matrix Series
Organizations :: Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hacking :: Computers
Culture :: Cyberspace
Information Retrieval :: Software
Cyberpunk 2020 :: Science Fiction

Inklings - Little texts penned on this topic, which do not quite make the topic of journalism.
Boing Boing - Magazine about media and popular culture.
Meta Description: [ A weblog about pop culture ]
Boing Boing - Recent entries from a magazine about media and popular culture.
English 309K - Cyberpunk Fiction - Class description, student works, reading list, and links.
HotWired - Award-winning site about web technology and culture.
The Cyberpunk Foundation - Reviews of cyber and steampunk books and films, forums on aspects of the genre, and new, short, speculative fiction.
The Tea Bowl - Archive from alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo. Cooperative and solo stories, FAQ, character list, history, and links.
| Cyberpunk (analysis) | |
| Next Video | |