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Sophia Michelle Andren
Editor-in-Chief
21 Feb 2012
http://cyberpunkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=361
What exactly is cyberpunk? The question seems to have been continuously resurrected in online discussion forums without having ever come to any conclusion as to a definition. What is the point of this article then? While it is true that cyberpunk may mean different things to different people, there is certainly a common thread. That then is what this article is after.
The very word cyberpunk is itself a portmanteau of cybernetics, the science and technology of the system, and punk, the philosophy of rebellion against the system. As a movement, it seeks to break down the black and white and paint the world in shades of grey, blurring the lines between natural and artificial, organic and mechanical, real and virtual.
There seems to be a common attitude or philosophy among those attracted to cyberpunk. They often find themselves caught in the romantic struggle between themselves and the system. For some this manifests in an interest—sometimes even an obsession—with privacy and security, both online and offline. The cyberpunk also notices that the world might be heading in the wrong direction: the wealthy are becoming more powerful while the poor are becoming helpless, working more and earning less. As disparities grow wider, their tactics become more desperate: using the tools of the system against the system. When pushed they feel free to use anything and everything at their disposal: including hacking, deception, and intrusion. Do not fuck with us.
In a world saturated with violently accelerating change, the cyberpunk finds herself especially well aware of what is going on around her. Most people are apathetic about the philosophical implications of the uncanny technologies of the near future as the issues invoked by artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the technological singularity seem to evade our collective consciousness. Advances in biological and information technologies are already radically changing our lives, but will likely only become more coercive and invasive in the future, especially with the birth of the cybernetic organism and brain–computer interface. While these technologies are not inherently malign, we would rather not see what happens when they are exclusively in the hands of the corporate elite.
The most clandestine aspect of cyberpunk is the ethereal subculture of hackers, phreaks, netrunners, ravers, and razor girls. It is androgynous, sophisticated, and futuristic. It is also impossible to restrain as it has slipped through the cracks; it is now lost in the delicate balance between the analogue and digital worlds, avoiding both the attention and oppression of the system. With the rise of a ubiquitous internet, cyberculture has begun to permeate throughout the popular culture of modern society, but the cyberpunk subculture remains underground, though where one ends and the other begins is often difficult to discern.
The most accessible aspect of cyberpunk is the literary subgenre of science fiction that features a dark and gritty, yet painfully realistic vision of the near future. It essentially takes active social trends and pushes them to the extremes. The megacorporation now dominates as the primary influence of society, which brings about an aggregation of wealth, acceleration of environmental decay, and expansion of Asian popular culture. Urbanization sprawls as people flock to the cities, drugs and crime offer most one’s only hope of achieving happiness, and the line between human and machine continues to fade away. This culminates in the “city lights at night” aesthetic present in much of cyberpunk art. While some may enjoy—perhaps even fetish—the dystopian world presented in cyberpunk literature, most are anticipating the resistance against it. For some this fight has already begun.
The truth is that a word with such an elusive definition will continue to be discussed. We invite you to continue the dialogue and express your thoughts and feelings about cyberpunk in the discussion forums, Diaspora tag, and internet relay chat.