Neon and corporate dystopias: why does cyberpunk refuse to move on?

[Tom]

This is a great analysis:

https://www.theguardian.com/games/201...

[Gary]

I think it's because Cyberpunk has always been a genre focused on near-future (even when the timelines are stretched), so the world's are always "right around the corner." In addition, a lot of the engineers, software coders, and marketers have grown up with cyberpunk and their art in life imitates the art of cyberpunk. If Star Trek tech was "right around the corner," I imagine a lot of design would imitate it pretty closely.

[Tom]

That sounds right. Plus it's a 'look' that's hard to beat. I read an article about the neon lights craftspeople in Asia who are going out of business because of the LED equivalents. Ironic.

The one thing I'd like to see is a clear triumphant win by the heroes every now and then.

[Roman]

The author of the piece puts forward the notion that cyberpunk, by staying beholden to the genre’s cliche of an urbanized world under the thumb of corporate domination where the same technology that enslaves the masses also offers the potential for their liberation, is losing its political power. Well, I don’t think cyberpunk has, or ever had, much political power to begin with. None of the books and movies I am familiar with are overtly, or even covertly, ideological.

First and foremost cyberpunk is about entertainment. What makes the genre particularly interesting to me and, I suspect, many other readers is the fact that our present day world is careening into the kind of post-democratic, dystopian world it portrays. If cyberpunk moves too far out of that world it would no longer be cyberpunk.

That said, there is room for more creativity within its loose boundaries. Does it always have to be dark and raining? Does the setting always have be S.E. Asia, North America or western Europe? Personally, I would love to read or see a cyberpunk drama/action thriller set in Western Asia (aka the Middle East). It has teeming urban centres like Cairo, Tehran and Baghdad (not to mention the very ‘cyberpunk’ city of Dubai) contrasted by barren, wide open deserts (with sandstorms that can turn day into night) that offer endless possibilities for world building. There are repressive states beholden to corporate power, family dynasties, absolute monarchies, countless rebel militias, armed religious zealots, foreign invaders (and their unmanned aerial vehicles) and proxy forces all battling each other with civilians caught in the middle. Technology plays a huge role in all this. It is the perfect setting for an updated 21st century cyberpunk. And the region has a young, technology savvy population that can artistically pull it all together. Last, but not least, Arabic script looks pretty cool in neon ;-)

Just writing that got me all excited. I get the sense that the developers of Cyberpunk 2077 are playing it safe and sticking to the tried and true ‘dark rainy nights’ formula and I haven’t read a really exciting cyberpunk work in a long time. People have to eat so the adversity to risk is understandable, but it also results in very predictable and, dare I say, boring offerings. So here’s hoping present and future purveyors of the cyberpunk genre find the wherewithal and creativity to expand its horizons.

[Neil]

I think Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk literature is full of different ideas beyond neon towers etc, the imagery is overused in films and television, and games because its something we can relate to, it’s an easy sell.

[Tom]

Roman wrote: "The author of the piece puts forward the notion that cyberpunk, by staying beholden to the genre’s cliche of an urbanized world under the thumb of corporate domination where the same technology tha..."

Yeah! Your description of the alternate possibilities is wonderful!

[Cyber]

There's a great analysis, of what and why cyberpunk is, in Guardians' of Order p&p RPG "Ex Machina". In a nutshell it's not about neon & chrome, cause biopunk and other variations are as much cyberpunk as Neuromancer (they even include a wonderful "tomorrow" type setting in the game with the only new kind of tech there is, is a small chip that everyone has embedded, which is used as identification, wallet, some automatic customization of other machinery when it detects you near, etc, plus it tracks you... sound familiar?). On the contrary, technology is only the background, cyberpunk really is about overcoming human limitations and whether humanity can become something better that it is though tech. The typical answer usually is "no", but that is up to the author of a specific work to decide.

I highly recommend getting "Ex Machina" and going through the introduction chapter, even for people not into RPGs. It's no longer sold anywhere, but if you're willing to get a bit cyberpunk'y, you should find it :-).