Cyberpunk rules
We’ve talked a little in these pages about many of the emerging ‘punk’ subgenres of science-fiction, but in the past we’ve only ever touched on one of the ‘originals’ in the form of cyberpunk. While steampunk is renowned for its often more colourful and extravagant style – often inspired by the Victorian era – cyberpunk offers something distinctly different, a much grittier and grimier landscape with a very different focus.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the definition of cyberpunk, looking at some of the most famous examples of the subgenre, and offering a few writing tips to get you started if you want to experiment in the field.
High tech, low-life
The above catchphrase is often used as a handy definition of cyberpunk, and it certainly applies well. While cyberpunk usually depicts advances in technology such as artificial intelligence, robotics (and sometimes cyborgs), sophisticated computer software and hardware and high-level surveillance, the worlds that it depicts are anything but utopian. The stories are often populated with people struggling against
