Cyberpunk – What is it All About?
Cyberpunk is twofold as it is a subgenre of science fiction and of rock or punk music. The name is a convergence of the words cybernetics and punk. Cyberpunk, especially in the science fiction world, is a funky mix of advanced technology with a message about society and its treatment of its members. In terms of setting, cyberpunk atmosphere is normally situated around a more technologically dependent world and futuristic but not quite as futuristic as the Jetsons. Usual themes that are explored include artificial intelligence, hackers and mega corporations.
Films like matrix trilogy, blade runner and hackers has spotted cyberpunk in such a way that it gained more popularity among the people. Its growth increased to a great extent that many of its subtypes like biopunk, steampunk, ribopunk, postcyberpunk came into existence and can be found in the literature of cyberpunk. Cyberpunk can also be looked as a form of modern surrealism as it will not give a clear idea about what fantasy is and what reality is.
Cyberpunk has developed greatly in the world of manga and anime. It is accepted in Japan but not in United States. The part of the cyberpunk that is mostly accepted is the one that comes from Japan due to its International feel and Futuristic setting and is being written and spoken in Japanese. Some cyberpunk based classic anime and manga are Ghost in the Shell, Texhnolyze ,Akira, Serial Experiments Lain, Bubblegum Crisis, Apple seed and Metropolis.
Cyber punk can also be seen in Movies or Television. Some of them are Blade Runner, War of the Worlds, Max Headroom, Screamers, Paycheck, The Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, New Rose Hotel, Johnny Mnemonic, Robocop, Gattaca, the 13th Floor, Until the End of the World, Harsh Realm, Strange Days and The Matrix trilogy and series.
Cyberpunk was formed in literature and Gardener Dozis an editor, gave the cult status. The coining of the cyberpunk was done by the author Bruce Bethke in the year 1980. Some of the cyberpunk authors are : William Gibson, John Shirley, Bruce Sterling, Rudy Rucker, Richard Kadrey, Pat Cadigan, Lewis Shiner and Michael Swanwick. Cyberpunk novels are namely Neuromancer, Mona Lisa Overdrive ,Count Zero, Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, When Gravity Fails, The Diamond Age and Accelerando. Cyberpunk novels having cyberpunk influence are acknowledged very well by the writers when it was created tentatively in the 80s. The books that contain the thoughts are The Big Sleep (1939), Wolfbane (1959), Creatures of Light and Darkness (1968), Gravity’s Rainbow (1973), The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination and True Names..
Cyberpunk has entered the entertainment world that includes lot of computer games, music, video games and board games. Cyberpunk can be a futuristic style that has a feel of reality in it. One cannot imagine the world to be as futuristic as Jetsons. But there is every possibility that these events will occur in the future with the help of cyberpunk.
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