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The Cyberpunk Evolution

Cyberpunk is a genre that explores the interactions between humans, technology, and corporations in a dystopian future where technology permeates every aspect of life. Cyberpunk characters try to maintain their freedoms by refusing to be part of the technological surveillance network, and some turn technology against its corporate creators through hacking and modifications to their bodies with cybernetic implants.

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122 views

The Cyberpunk Evolution

Cyberpunk is a genre that explores the interactions between humans, technology, and corporations in a dystopian future where technology permeates every aspect of life. Cyberpunk characters try to maintain their freedoms by refusing to be part of the technological surveillance network, and some turn technology against its corporate creators through hacking and modifications to their bodies with cybernetic implants.

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Xjrnqmrt Xie
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Since the term was coined in 1983 by Bruce Bethke cyberpunk has come to mean many things.

It is a
vast fictional genre, realised in books such as Neuromancer, movies like Blade Runner and RPGs like
Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun. But it is also an underground subculture and a social commentary.
And it is becoming increasingly reflected in the world around us. So what is cyberpunk?

The word comes from the fusion of cybernetics and punk. Punk reflects the rebellious, anarchistic
aspects of the 80’s movement, and cybernetics is ‘the theoretical study of communication and control
processes in biological, mechanical, and electronic systems.’ [link]

In cyberpunk this involves the interactions between individuals, machines, corporations (known as
megacorps due to the fact that their level of power far exceeds that of today’s corporations) and
society. The interactions include not only cybernetic implants – mechanical enhancements and
modifications of the human body, but also the monitoring and tracking of people and thus the
nullification of all privacy. Artificial intelligence is as common as human intelligence, and often the
lines blur to the point where they are indistinguishable. It is a merging of minds and machines
designed to control them both, and the fiction is very much an exploration of how people deal with
this.

Technology permeates every aspect of life and it is both embraced and rejected. Cyberpunk characters
try to protect themselves from the intrusions caused by technology – they either keep their
information out of the system, or failing that they feed the system false information. They maintain
their freedoms and rebel against society by refusing to be a visible part of the technological social
network.

Some go even further than this and turn the technology against its makers. Cybernetic enhancements
to the body are limited only by the biological and computer technologies available. Almost anything
that a machine can do, a human can also achieve.

The mind can be directly connected to the internet, so hackers have an intuitive and powerful way to
infiltrate systems. The body can be artificially enhanced so people are faster or stronger; limbs can be
replaced with machines - so that a gun could pop out of your arm, or you could have an inbuilt
emergency response system that injects you with life saving drugs. An eye could be replaced - so that
you can switch between different vision modes by
thought processes alone, or even your thought
processes can be enhanced - so you learn more
quickly or will be able to remember more
information. But a delicate balance must be
maintained between humanity and artificial
enhancements – both for morals reasons, and for
the body’s ability to keep up with the changes.

Despite the advanced technology and society’s


absolute immersion in it, cyberpunk is defined by
‘high tech, low life.’ All the power lies in the
hands of the megacorporations, and the world
itself is a post industrial dystopia made up of
bright lights, dark alleys, city sprawls and
rampant crime.

According to Lawrence Person, cyberpunk


characters tend to be ‘marginalized, alienated
loners who lived on the edge of society in
generally dystopic futures where daily life is
impacted by rapid technological change, an
ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information, and invasive modification of the human body.’
[link] Their actions are often morally ambiguous, involving hacking and other subversive tactics
designed to disrupt the workings of a corrupt society.

There is much more to cyberpunk – the genre cannot possibly be completely described in one short
article, but there is a wealth of information available if you search for it.

Once the basics are understood, it’s fairly easy to see how the subculture developed, at least in
certain incarnations. Different groups focus on different aspects. Some take the privacy issue very
seriously, avoiding leaving digital footprints behind them. You won’t find them on social networks or
in phone books, and you’ll probably have trouble tracing any of their activities at all. Others go even
further, such as hackers who put the cyberpunk ideology into practice. Rave culture is also closely
associated with cyberpunk fashion and an anarchistic lifestyle, though many people who look
cyberpunk don’t necessarily take it any further than that.

Social commentary based on cyberpunk concepts is becoming more common, and the parallels are
often fairly obvious. In a world of increasing technology and decreasing privacy, corporations have
more power than most are comfortable with, and the contrasts between the rich and the poor can
create social hierarchies very reminiscent of cyberpunk culture. Some say we are already there, but
this is taking our current freedoms a little too much for granted. Our world may be harsh, but in a true
cyberpunk society, things are much more extreme. We may show signs of evolving in that direction,
but we’re not there yet.

Article by Alanna Horgan

Originally posted on Shades of Sentience

Cyberpunk Review

The Cyberpunk Project

Shadowrun RPG Official Site

Cyberpunk 2020 RPG Fan Site

Wikipedia list of Cyberpunk movies, books etc.

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