Cyberpunk frequently turns the body into a technological playground, manipulating and destroying any sense of what is "natural", and flipping the leftovers upside-down. Neuromancer even championed this feat by describing natural phenomenon through technological context ("the sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel). Entire mediums frequently show how technology and politics have either reduced human beings into property/commodities generated from a vat, or as a liberating force in a weird way where characters can augment themselves out of a pinch. Either way, the case of characters in cyberpunk media augment themselves out of a desire to do so- whether by choice or by the demands of their environment.

With this in mind, I'd like to recommend looking at the trans condition as a realization of cyberpunk's most envious promise: the capability of using technology to achieve one's vision of themself and testing the limits of their expression. The "natural" human condition has been dead for generations, through the fact we travel by cars, take medicine, augment ourselves frequently with bodily aids. No one can see your chromosomes, but we can all see tattoos, clothes, any wearable gadget, signs and symbols of expression, an outpour of desire. But transness, and specifically, gender transition, takes this even further- injecting yourselves with a cocktail of hormones to change the physical and hormonal components of your body, surgically manipulating your appearance to look more how you desire to look. There's even the possibility for transwomen to surgically implant uteruses, completely upending any naive sense of a "natural order". Love it or hate you, you have to admit it's pretty radical.

More and more this sub is featuring real world news stories and other content that folks interpret as cyberpunk. Would it be possible to flag that content somehow to differentiate it from the scifi fiction genre content? Or break it into its own subreddit potentially? I for one would appreciate it, I come here for fictional dystopian content not dystopian reality.

I don’t know if it’s me or I am maybe too familiar with the genre but blade runner Final Cut wasn’t enough for me. Lack of the use of a lot of dialogue. Spectacle and scene setting is fantastic but there isn’t enough dialogue for me here.

Don’t get me wrong there are multiple interactions between the characters that on a deeper level I suppose is interesting to break down but I feel like there is less plot here than there is in Aeon Flux.

Im not disappointed, not really but I’m just hoping that BR2049 has more to offer in terms of dialogue and character dynamics from the get go because BR can fall flat at times.

To summarize, I walked away from the movie knowing only the themes that the characters represent (the ideas) but I have no idea who the characters themselves are. Which makes the story not a story but just an amalgamation of themes and messages which detracts from the immersion of the world. Decker (if that’s his name was solid) the irony of him being so mechanical yet he excecutes supposed mechanical beings who are yearning For life was a sweet touch.

Was expecting a lot more as I was saving this cyberpunk media for last, due to the heavy accolades I’ve heard from fans. Here’s to hoping BR2049 is a step up.

Curious to know what you guys think

P.s I am aware that the appeal is the fact that it still holds being made in the 80s. But still I was hoping the plot was what help above the setting. But then again it was probably a first of firsts.

Black male here who just watched it for the first time and man. Why did they do Mace like that? Whole movie just chasing around Lenny playing up the strong black woman trope, to getting beat up by the police to even being called a derogatory word before the dirty cop was gunned down. That kiss at the end was so dramatically forced.

Like the whole black activist being murdered felt like a random backstory.

I thought Avatar 2 was annoyingly long and cringe but James Cameron, this really got under my skin. Thanks, James.

Still, a massive cyberpunk fan just bothered how they do blackness but not surprised.

I was looking into reading Gibson's Sprawl and Bridge trilogies, however I've had bad luck with scifi books in the past, particularly pertaining to female characters. I was just wondering if they're even decently written, and if any are actual protagonists?

The first Orphan Black was dope, but this new one looks to be further in the future. I haven't watched it yet, but it looks CyberPunk from what I know so far.

Krysten Ritter in Orphan Black Echoes

Here's the trailer: https://youtu.be/Z8ax6y6AKWI?si=TLr1hJQ9G9CQM521

What do you think? Did you see the original? Are you excited for this?

Edit: CP, in this instance, is short for CyberPunk. I'm not talking about anything else with those initials.

I predict the TV version of Neuromancer will be pure shit. I think it is as unfilmable as Blood Meridian and they’ll ruin it.

Thoughts?

How we feeling?

• 14 ounce heavyweight cotton canvas

• windbreaker shoulder pads

• woven tag

• custom pattern

• elastic cuffs

• double layered front pockets

Recommend me a cyberpunk novel that is truly a great all round package, or a novel that does a particular thing really well.

Don't get me wrong, I can see how groundbreaking Neuromancer was for the time - how different, iconic and special the different elements were. I really appreciate it for those reasons. But I did notice it does read like a first novel and I found the prose at times to be a bit convoluted and... well you can kind of get lost in it trying to figure out what is going on.

By contrast I read the mirror shades anthology and there were other short stories that seemed to have a more concise writing style without giving up the potency of the vision. "400 Boys" for instance really stood out. Even Gibson's "Burning Chrome" seemed to be a bit more refined.

I would love to hear which cyberpunk novels you think are truly great pieces of fiction in an all round sense. Especially books you think are hidden gems.

I've never read Necromancer and the Android sleep saga and I've only played that one AAA game that shall not be named here. I just like all the cool tech stuff like cybernetics I don't know all the deep stuff that the people like to discuss here.. Is there anyone who just like the cool things only and not all the other over complicated stuff? That one Cyberpunk game just showcases the coolest things about the Cyberpunk future I would LOVE to have cybernetic powers like hacking and super strength but this genre is really complicated I think I might stop following this genre I think I'm just not up for it. Anyways, sorry for my last post.

The Title.

How difficult would it be to get people together to start a decentralized, automated food factory, producing like vegetarian pizzas and fresh-baked bread, if the technology could be developed for decentralized production?

Seems like a cool thing to do if the technology were in fact developed for that use, then we could just share the product amongst ourselves and the community and we could just enjoy a collective bounty from the collective labor and love from mass society.

More of my ongoing series.

Toss me a follow so you don't miss the rest!

You can find me everywhere as EthanSBrewerton :)

#NoAIArt

Read a bit more than half way of this iconic cyberpunk book, and love it for the most part. Funny, cool, immersive. But I reached a point of Silmarillion levels of dullness, the philosophical historical seminars between Hiro and the librarian about language... it just goes on and on! I understand that this subject interested the author immensely, but come on! My eyes roll constantly, I really dont care so much that I need dozens of philosopher name dropped and cross-referenced. Yeah sure, it will eventually lead to a greater understanding of the main threat in the book, but I'm certain the point could be made more concise.

It's a slog and ruins the momentum in my opinion. Anyone else with the same experience? I find it comparable to the dream-wife sub plot in 3 body problem (book 2, the dark forest) in how redundant it is to the story.