The Cyberpunk Mega Thread

[CrystalViolet]

Surprised it's taken this long for someone to mention the William Gibson novels of the cyberpunk genre. Very influential to the whole genre, and really good reads for the most part.

Might have to find them and read them again actually. I feel a slight tingly itch for some cyberpunk stuff.

Ditto. Can't believe no one mentioned Neuromancer. It's pretty much the most seminal cyberpunk work out there.

 

[DoPo]

Also there is CthulhuPunk [Bless you Oh Mighty Spoony One].
Combination of Cyberpunk with the Horrors of Lovecrafting Creatures.

So, CthulhuTech. And, I guess Evangelion. Probably some of WH40K. Can't think of others from the top of my head.

 

[SweetShark]

Also there is CthulhuPunk [Bless you Oh Mighty Spoony One].
Combination of Cyberpunk with the Horrors of Lovecrafting Creatures.

So, CthulhuTech. And, I guess Evangelion. Probably some of WH40K. Can't think of others from the top of my head.

I don't want Evangelion get near with my Cyberpunk wet dreams....
As for WH40K your answer is Necromunda.
I don't know a lot about the universe of WH40K [I only love the Grey Knights], but I am pretty sure Necromunda is VERY Cyberpunk. At least the feeling as I said.

 

[The Madman]

For books Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash can't be ignored as it's considered one of the founding pillars of the Cyberpunk genre.

For movies how has no one mentioned Blade Runner yet? That movie practically defined the genre in terms of visuals.

And for games, hmm, that's a bit tricky but the Longest Journey series has always had some pretty heavy cyberpunk themes. The games story and setting are basically divided between a futuristic cyberpunk reality and a Disney/Tolkien style fantasy world, so if you've ever wanted to explore a cyberpunkish world that series does a good job of letting you when you aren't in fantasy-land.

Screenshot from the newest game in the series, Dreamfall: Chapters.

There's an old Blade Runner game as well which is supposed to be surprisingly good, although I haven't played it myself so don't really know much beyond that I've heard it's good.

 

[SweetShark]

What about the anime Texhnolyze?

 

[bluepotatosack]

How about Ghost Rider 2099?

Spoiler

The main character (Kenshiro "Zero" Cochrane) was a data thief running with a hacker group called the Hotwire Martyrs until a job went wrong. Someone fingered them and a gang of thugs was hired to take them out and get the stolen data back. Zero was the lucky one with the info stashed in his mind implant. When he was cornered, rather than let them have the data back, he jacked into the web with everything turned up to 11, frying his wetware.

His consciousness was captured by a group of rogue artificial intelligence who uploaded him into a sickass cybernetic body. Then, they let him lose.

Probably Spiderman 2099 too, but I've never read it.

Definitely Transmetropolitan, as well. Spider Jerusalem is basically cyberpunk Hunter S. Thompson.

 

[Vault101]

Definitely Transmetropolitan, as well. Spider Jerusalem is basically cyberpunk Hunter S. Thompson.

oh hey! transmetropolitan

if what someone above said does something need to take an inherently negative view of technology to be cyberpunk? because Transmet is fairly neutral, if I recall its more about evil politicians

OT: cyberpunk to me seems like the "urban fantasy" of sci fi...take the fantastical elements and put them in the mundane world

that said it seems a bit like an outdated genre...or perhaps the word "cyber" has fallen out of vouge whereas in the 80's/90's it was probably a buzzword

there this bizarre series of books (the "in death" series) that might still be going, theyre crime novels (started mid 90's) and set in a cyberpunk future, except theyre hilariously outdated and are practically a mills and boons, the main character detective fucking her handsome irish billionare boyfriend is far more prominent than the technology ....their existence baffles me

actually the author WAS a romance/erotic writer....she thought she'd have her fun with the cyberpunk craze or something

 

[Vault101]

Technology in cyberpunk is fairly neutral too, if I recall correctly. It's just the usage of technology is odd and fightening because "the street finds its own uses for things".
An iPad is not bad by itself, but it can look quite scary when it is being used like this:

ehhh I don't know you could say the same about a spirit level... (now if he was using some app to [I/]guide[/I] the middile..) lol nah I get your point. Thankyou! that was very informative

And for games, hmm, that's a bit tricky but the Longest Journey series has always had some pretty heavy cyberpunk themes. The games story and setting are basically divided between a futuristic cyberpunk reality and a Disney/Tolkien style fantasy world, so if you've ever wanted to explore a cyberpunkish world that series does a good job of letting you when you aren't in fantasy-land.
.

that looks cool...except I don't like point and click games...its like trying to read a book but every ten minutes someone takes it away from you and hides it

 

[DoPo]

Also there is CthulhuPunk [Bless you Oh Mighty Spoony One].
Combination of Cyberpunk with the Horrors of Lovecrafting Creatures.

So, CthulhuTech. And, I guess Evangelion. Probably some of WH40K. Can't think of others from the top of my head.

I don't want Evangelion get near with my Cyberpunk wet dreams....
As for WH40K your answer is Necromunda.
I don't know a lot about the universe of WH40K [I only love the Grey Knights], but I am pretty sure Necromunda is VERY Cyberpunk. At least the feeling as I said.

I was talking about what could be called Cthulhupunk - I think Evangelion fits there.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Also there is CthulhuPunk [Bless you Oh Mighty Spoony One].
Combination of Cyberpunk with the Horrors of Lovecrafting Creatures.

So, CthulhuTech. And, I guess Evangelion. Probably some of WH40K. Can't think of others from the top of my head.

I don't want Evangelion get near with my Cyberpunk wet dreams....
As for WH40K your answer is Necromunda.
I don't know a lot about the universe of WH40K [I only love the Grey Knights], but I am pretty sure Necromunda is VERY Cyberpunk. At least the feeling as I said.

I'd disagree. Necromunda is inspired by a lot of different things, the cyberpunk element isn't very strong.

Yes, you've got various cyborgs and stuff, but they are mostly just there, they aren't a big part in the setting.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Now the big question I'm asking myself is, would bringing up my game be a form of advertising. Probably yes. so I shall let queries come before I dain bring the wrath of the ban hammer.

 

[briankoontz]

No, not really. It's a theme that is explored by relatively a lot of cyberpunk fiction, but it is not a requirement. It makes as much sense as saying "Fantasy is about elves". Elves are there because Tolkien had them, corporations are there because Gibson had them. Cyberpunk, by its very name, is about technology and how it leads to, or perhaps rather helps with, the breakdown of society. That's it "technology" and "breakdown", it's what "cyber" and "punk" refer to in the name.

That's not true in either case. "Cyber" refers to computerization and virtual (digital) reality, while "punk" refers to a humanist rebellion against the powers that be, which due to the power of the "cyber" is necessarily related to control over digital reality. All cyberpunk is about the dehumanizing and destructive effects of private crony control of computerization and digital reality (and sci-fi extensions of such) and a humanist counter-revolution (sometimes successful).

The term "cyberpunk" is related to computerization specifically, which became an unstoppable force in the 1990s.

The real background for cyberpunk, although it's often not noted in the works themselves, is the dying earth. That's the motivating factor for the destruction of humanity - since the earth won't be capable of supporting billions of humans during the 21st century (assuming current projections continue), human beings no longer have value as living entities, moreso as entirely exploited agents, corpses, or new types of beings transformed by the emerging digital reality. Since there's no future for humanity, there's no reason to maintain humans AS humans, so transgressive techno-spiritualism resulting in post-humanism is the result.

The Hacker movement combined with the dying earth which brought us computerization (and cyberpunk) seeks a solution by going to the deepest recesses of the system itself, just as the solution in Cabin in the Woods was to explore the very workings of the system. That's why William Gibson protagonists are always "leet techno agents" or "leet cultural agents" - they are "post-humans" always entirely embedded into the system itself, regardless of their motivations.

Cyberpunk and hacker culture itself is post-apocalyptic - the idea is that the human apocalypse has already happened, we live in the wreckage, and we seek a new way forward not through the old ideas of religion and community but through technology and post-humanism.

 

[Hoplon]

And of course we have the (currently vaporware) game 'Cyberpunk 2077' that's (supposed to be) coming from CD Projekt RED, based on a tabletop of the same name.


Never get sick of this teaser. I've been jonsing for this sort of shit since I finished Deus Ex: Human Revolution (which should also be on this list).

Vaporware would imply that it should have come out already but has repeatedly missed release dates. it was never coming out before the witcher 3 which isn't out till the beginning of next year.

Sorry i just think it's mean to call something still in progress vaporware.

 

[Loonyyy]

For books Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash can't be ignored as it's considered one of the founding pillars of the Cyberpunk genre.

For movies how has no one mentioned Blade Runner yet? That movie practically defined the genre in terms of visuals.

And for games, hmm, that's a bit tricky but the Longest Journey series has always had some pretty heavy cyberpunk themes. The games story and setting are basically divided between a futuristic cyberpunk reality and a Disney/Tolkien style fantasy world, so if you've ever wanted to explore a cyberpunkish world that series does a good job of letting you when you aren't in fantasy-land.

Screenshot from the newest game in the series, Dreamfall: Chapters.

There's an old Blade Runner game as well which is supposed to be surprisingly good, although I haven't played it myself so don't really know much beyond that I've heard it's good.

I saw that one on the steam store, it looked pretty good, didn't quite get what the gameplay style is, how does it play?

 

[SweetShark]

Just to be quick, cause real life calling back:

Is the Graphic Novel "Mute" a Cyberpunk?

 

[SweetShark]

No, not really. It's a theme that is explored by relatively a lot of cyberpunk fiction, but it is not a requirement. It makes as much sense as saying "Fantasy is about elves". Elves are there because Tolkien had them, corporations are there because Gibson had them. Cyberpunk, by its very name, is about technology and how it leads to, or perhaps rather helps with, the breakdown of society. That's it "technology" and "breakdown", it's what "cyber" and "punk" refer to in the name.

That's not true in either case. "Cyber" refers to computerization and virtual (digital) reality, while "punk" refers to a humanist rebellion against the powers that be, which due to the power of the "cyber" is necessarily related to control over digital reality. All cyberpunk is about the dehumanizing and destructive effects of private crony control of computerization and digital reality (and sci-fi extensions of such) and a humanist counter-revolution (sometimes successful).

The term "cyberpunk" is related to computerization specifically, which became an unstoppable force in the 1990s.

The real background for cyberpunk, although it's often not noted in the works themselves, is the dying earth. That's the motivating factor for the destruction of humanity - since the earth won't be capable of supporting billions of humans during the 21st century (assuming current projections continue), human beings no longer have value as living entities, moreso as entirely exploited agents, corpses, or new types of beings transformed by the emerging digital reality. Since there's no future for humanity, there's no reason to maintain humans AS humans, so transgressive techno-spiritualism resulting in post-humanism is the result.

The Hacker movement combined with the dying earth which brought us computerization (and cyberpunk) seeks a solution by going to the deepest recesses of the system itself, just as the solution in Cabin in the Woods was to explore the very workings of the system. That's why William Gibson protagonists are always "leet techno agents" or "leet cultural agents" - they are "post-humans" always entirely embedded into the system itself, regardless of their motivations.

Cyberpunk and hacker culture itself is post-apocalyptic - the idea is that the human apocalypse has already happened, we live in the wreckage, and we seek a new way forward not through the old ideas of religion and community but through technology and post-humanism.

This is the reason some people call the game "Watch Dogs" a Cyberpunk as well?
Because of the hacking?