this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
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Cyberpunk

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What is Cyberpunk?

Cyberpunk is a science-fiction sub-genre dealing with the integration of society and technology in dystopian settings. Often referred to as “low-life and high tech,” Cyberpunk stories deal with outsiders (punks) who fight against the oppressors in society (usually mega corporations that control everything) via technological means (cyber). If the punks aren’t actively fighting against a megacorp, they’re still dealing with living in a world completely dependent on high technology.

Cyberpunk characteristics include:

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago

A mix of Her, Gattaca, Mad Max, Idiocracy, 1984, Ready Player One, Waterworld.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

It's not much of a dystopia, and it certainly doesn't seem to end that way, but the animated movie Robots just keeps feeling more and more relevant.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Cyberpunk? Deus Ex, just the first game. The sequels have the depth of a puddle.

Or if climate apocalypse then something like Mad Max, but way dumber perhaps.

That'll do.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

"This plague...the rioting is intensifying to the point where we may not be able to contain it."

"Why contain it? Let it spill over the schools and churches, let the bodies pile up in the streets. In the end they'll beg us to save them."

"You misunderstand. They're rioting because we're trying to save them with vaccines. They don't think they need to be saved."

"God, people are so fucking stupid. Why do I even want to take over the world?"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah we were too optimistic in our dystopia fiction.

Idiocracy lacks the malice and bad faith.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

The ones with fascist governments are the closest, like 1984.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

If fascism is not a distraction. I still can't believe that the billionaires have let Trump win with no further plans.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

They're working toward the Network State model where they basically get to be tech-enabled neo-feudal lords with near slave populations.

https://thenetworkstate.com/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

Yep, Ive heard it referred to as techno-feudalism.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Is our current dystopia not good enough?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

“We have dystopia at home”

[–] jonjuan 7 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Snow Crash seems to be a favorite of the current heads of mega tech corporations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago

I gave up reading it because of the chase scenes early on. Was expecting it to be more heavy on philosophical concepts.

But I prefer Art house movies to Hollywood (except for Matrix which managed to combine action with philosophy).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, or A Scanner Darkly. Definitely something by Dick.

[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Elysium

Instead of a space station, the ultra rich will live in a giant gated city that has all the world's latest technologies and medical services.

The rest of us will work menial jobs to supply everything for the city.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

I replied elsewhere but, yes, that's what they want. Peter Thiel is a proponent of the Network State and absolutely is working towards that end.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

That movie was contemporary geopolitical commentary using a sci-fi metaphor. Same as District 9 (a refugee crisis). So you could argue that future is now, depending on your views.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Science fiction is usually about present issues. It puts them in a different context to offer a different perspective and enable consideration.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

That's true. It's also a way of taking contemporary trends and extending them in a slippery-slope type analysis.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror have entered the chat.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Akira Battle Angel? But, before the war or without the warrior women.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

^Alita

Although an Akira crossover with Alita could be fun.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The other one I was thinking of was Hunger Games .... 12 different regions governed over by one powerful region that controls everyone else with military power using all the latest most deadly and most invasive technologies humanity can imagine.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I thought Hunger Games used at least, if not mostly, police and intelligence agency powers, much like 1984 and V for Vendetta… post Great War, at least.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

most likely? not the xenomorph part of Alien, specifically, but the general message of unchecked corporate greed leading to disaster for everyone is an all-timer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Weyland-Yutani has entered the chat

[–] [email protected] 9 points 20 hours ago

Robocop one is rather close.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 21 hours ago

1984, but with Idiocracy.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 day ago

Wall-E, except no spaceship

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Is ‘Brazil’ in contention?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

That's closest to the expected Idiocracy in cyberpunk aesthetic.

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[–] ICastFist 9 points 22 hours ago

I was hoping for Shadowrun, at least there'd be magic, elves, orcs and trolls around

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago

I think Blade Runner 2049 is our most likely future from a food systems/decimated eco system perspective. Androids and flying cars, yeah, maybe. No natural vegetation and only the only crops being produced in greenhouses. Probably not by 2049, but I could easily see it by 2149.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 20 hours ago

Deus Ex 1's dystopia probably - ultra wealthy trying to ascend humanity with the help of technology, the powers that be imposing morality and good/bad guy values onto general populace, heavy indoctrination of state/international police and general high levels of poverty. All we're missing are cool augmentations, but we've speedran the rest of the checklist pretty well

[–] [email protected] 4 points 19 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Side note: I really liked Her. Great music, relatable story (for terminally online folk at least). If you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

"ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in ‘Her,’ which I’ve never bothered to watch because

Tap for spoilerwithout that body, what’s the point of listening?

"

Colin 'Scarlett Johansson's husband' Jost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPH0HgotIE4

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[–] 0101100101 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Samantha Morton was the original voice for the AI (which I'm guessing would have been an amazing improvement), but was replaced by Scarlett after everything was recorded. Some BS about appealing to the American audience, but I think it was more about a cash bung and BJ.

Upgrade is perhaps an interesting cyberpunk dystopia given current events.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago (7 children)

William Gibson's writing after the Sprawl trilogy always seemed very likely to happen. I mean, squatters living on the Bay Bridge in NorCal after it gets damaged in an earthquake, for instance. Not the really out there stuff.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

1984 and brave new world simultaneously

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago

This is what I tell everyone, we're on a path where both of these novels are true, at one point will there be a split of one or the other. I think it'll end up closer to 1984.

Or Judge Dredd, Demolition Man

I actually think that Hollywood is putting out these movies to get everyone used to the behaviour. Well not actually but maybe it's sort of somewhat possible.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago

Nothing that relies on AI that can pass for a competent human.

Admittedly, this is an ignorant guess, but I don’t think we’re on the right track to manufacture consciousness. I’m not even sure it can be done at all.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The classic of course.
We're allready half way there. Neuromancer.

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