Cyberpunk - What is it All About?
submitted: Aug 25th 2008 |
by: DomenLombergar |
Total views: 1 |
Word Count: 493 |
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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.
Blade Runner, Matrix Trilogy and hackers a cult film are the films that really boosted cyberpunk and brought into spotlight. With its growing popularity among the people, it has sub genres namely biopunk, ,ribopunk, steampunk and postcyberpunk. These types can be found in cyberpunk literature. It is also a type of modern surrealism as its idea about fantasy and reality is very unclear.
Currently Cyberpunk is growing prosperously in the world of anime and manga. It is generally an accepted genre in Japan where it is somewhat outcasted in the United States. Normally the part of cyberpunk which is strangely accepted is that which comes from Japan for its more futuristic setting and its international feel since it is written and spoken in Japanese. Some classic anime and manga which is based on cyberpunk include the Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Bubblegum Crisis, Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain, Appleseed and Metropolis.
In the American culture, cyberpunk can be seen in Television that includes: 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.
However, Cyberpunk was originally created in literature and was brought to cult status by the editor Gardner Dozis while the actual coining of Cyberpunk is attributed to the author Bruce Bethke in 1980. Famous Cyberpunk authors include the following people: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, John Shirley, Rudy Rucker, Michael Swanwick, Pat Cadigan, Lewis Shiner, Richard Kadrey. Cyberpunk novels include: Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, When Gravity Fails, The Diamond Age and Accelerando. An interesting part about cyberpunk in literature is that writers are acknowledging novels that have cyberpunk influences or envisioned cyberpunk before its tentative creation in the 80s. Such books that demonstrate this thought include 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 is also apparent in music, computer games, board games and videogames. It is a futuristic style but has a touch of reality. Most people cannot envision the world to be as futuristic as the Jetsons but there is certainly the possibility of these events occurring in the near future that cyberpunk lays out.
About the Author
Domen Lombergar is a surreal artist obsessed with giving away winamp skins and boot skins for windows xp.
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