Essence Of Cyberpunk
by Benjamin Coleman
Abstract: I love cyberpunk, I love it so much that I want
to figure out what defines the genre. I want to figure out
the essential qualities that can be found in the vast
majority of cyber punk works. This will be needed in the
immediate future as our technology is quickly mirroring
the fiction we previously created- the creation of
mechanized limbs, and bionic eyes being some recent
examples. So then, how do we as academics define the
genre- is it just a different flavor of hard sci-fi? Is it
deserving of it’s own category by itself? I am going to
attempt to answer this question. I plan on doing this by
creating a work of fiction in the genre, informed by both
experiencing other works in the genre in many forms, and
scholarly research about the structure and devices used
in and around cyber punk. Whether its reading the works
of William Gibson, watching classic films of the genre. It
will be a comprehensive overview of the genre. The novel
itself is a noire-ish tale set in a dystopian city on the
brink of anarchy, with a madman on the loose with plans
to bring it all down in flames. Hopefully, the work and
after its creation subsequent analysis will find what is the
neon essence of cyberpunk.
Plot Summary: Set in a dystopian city, Mannix Degrada is
a police detective hunting a metal-armed psycho as the
city descends into an explosion of frustration and fire.
How I Define Cyberpunk: I began my descent into
finding the neon soul of cyberpunk by figuring out
what we are talking about when people say
cyberpunk. Istavan Csicery-Romay wrote in the
Misissipi Review that, “As A Label, “cyberpunk” is
perfection. It suggests the apotheosis of
postmodernism.” Whereas Neil Easterbrook wrote in
Science Fiction Studies, “Cyberpunk is dead. Or at
least, most of its early proponents and practitioners
have jumped ship, swimming back toward the
mainstream. Those writers still aboard appear
blocked”
With such a wide variety my definition is what I
came up with to sort out this mess for myself.
Cyberpunk, in my opinion, is a science fiction genre
that at its core is about betrayl in awifde variety of
forms.
Work Cited for Images:
Andrade, Filipe. Cyberpunk. Digital image. Brand New Nostalgia. Tumblr.com, 5 July 2012.
Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Ansin, Martin. Eylisium Mondo Poster. Digital image. Badassdigest.com. Almo Draft House
Cinemas, 20 July 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Cover of Neuromancer. Digital image. Amazon. Amazon, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Judge Dredd Megazine 345 Cover. Digital image. 2000 AD. Rebellion, 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 20
Apr. 2015.
Otomo, Katsuhiro. The Cover of the Akira Omnibus Volume 3. Digital image. Dark Horse.com.
Dark Horse Publishing, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Pluncket, Luke. Concept Art of Adam Jensen from Deus Ex Human Revolution. Digital
image. Kotaku.com. Kotaku.com, 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Works Cited
Akira. Dir. Katsuhiro Otomo. Manga Entertainment, 1988. DVD.
Diggle, Andy, Jock, Wagner, Flint, Dillion, Morrison, Coleby, and Grant. Lenny Zero & the
Perps of Mega-city One. Osney Mead: Rebellion, 2011. Print.
Elysium. Dir. Niell Blomkamp. Perf. Matt Damon, Jody Foster, Sharlto Copely. Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment, 2013. DVD.
Ghost in the Shell. Dir. Mamoru Oshii. Manga Entertainment Ltd., 1995. DVD.
Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York: Berkley Group, 1995. Print.
Johnny Mnemonic. Dir. Robert Longo. Perf. Keanu Reaves, Ice-T, Dolph Lundgren, Takeshi
Kitano. Tristar Pictures, 1995. DVD.
Robocop. Dir. Paul Verhoeven. Perf. Peter Weller. Orion Pictures Corporation, 1987. DVD.
What materials I used for research: I started with
reading significant passages of Gibson’s Neuromancer.
This began a natural progression of on site research
matrerials for me to find and experience: from
Neuromancer I found the film Johnny Mnemonic,
Which led me to Robocop, which branched off too
both Judge Dredd and Ghost in the Shell. Ghostin The
Shell led me To Akira. Judge Dredd led me to Elysium.
Stylistically: I tried for a heavy atmosphere, lots of
strenuous word in order for the reader to feel
pressure. Used as many words that had to do with
bursting, “the after mark of the graffiti stretched
across the whitewasjed wall.” and what not. Tried to
be as accurate as I could with the scienceparticularily with ‘jacking in’ aspect too the net. Read
a fascinating article by Scientific American on it Went
vary Gibson on dialogue- a almost burroughs-esque
insider jargon of a subculture that is firmly
intergrated into the tale. Use of light and Shdow very
important- there is a scene in which Degrada and his
partner Corbi investigate the murder of an activist
and whenthey get to the dark building the scene is
under the other police agencies Homicide division.
The shadow lingering over the officers standing
around the body.
Use of Scholarly Research: that research was very
important in the process; The two previously
mentioned articleswere useful in trying to nail down
my definition. Several works have to do with
cyberpunk cities and cities in fiction in general. Very
important to grasp the city as itsaown beast. Eyal
Sagals “Closure in Detective Fiction” was
atremendous help in forming the larger form of the
story.
Devices I found in independent research: Cyber punk
has a lot of great things going for it if the content I
saw is the norm. Strong female characters who are
complex and independent were pretty normal through
the works. Gibsons Molly and Otomo’s Kei were
standouts in my opinion. The villians had a habbit of
either becoming or being unrelenting forces. Karl the
Street Preacher, The Puppet Master in Ghost in the
Shell, Agent Kruger in Elysium, and Tetsuo from Akira
are all stand outs. The exceptions to this were Judge
Dredd and RoboCop who themselves are that
unrelenting force.