Cyberpunk Forum // what is cyberpunk ??

The exact essence of cyberpunk is often difficult to capture in words. Rather, it seems to be an attitude that transgresses all probable boundaries.

Courtesy of sfam from cyberpunkreview.com, here is one of the best definitions I have read.

My personal view of cyberpunk follows closely to sfam's, although I do have a few personal preferences:

• I like my cyberpunk to be very visceral. Cyberpunk is not sublime; it deals with the nitty-gritty real world. If I can't feel that in your work, it loses a lot for me.
• I like my cyberpunk to be plausible. For me, that means no aliens, no FTL drive, and very limited space travel. My favourite cyberpunk setting could viably be a reality in fifteen years.
• I like my cyberpunk to be brutal. Sentimentality is for fantasy. If something's going to go wrong, it probably will. And it'll be bloody.

I was first introduced to the world of cyberpunk through a CCG branded on this role-playing game by R Talsorian. It is considered by many to be a great setting for one man's vision of cyberpunk, and is a great way to get a feel for the genre.

Want to read more? Gibson's Sprawl trilogy is where it started. Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash is another great place to go.