The most tantalizing predictions of cyberpunk never came true. There are no gangs of cyborgs ruling shantytowns in New York City and there are no corporations larger than the federal government. But the sci-fi subgenre envisions such dystopias being underpinned by something subtler: the state of mans soul when there are no longer limits.
The 1980s provided fertile ground for the piercing new vision of science fiction pioneered by William Gibson and his contemporaries. The global capitalism of Reagan and Thatcher ceded agency from nation-states to nation-agnostic corporations. Less obvious but just as important was the fact that the space race was over and Star Treks naivety was laid bare. Computers, not spaceships, would become the measure of progression towards the future. The sleek, utopian vision of the mid-century futurism was further discredited by soaring crime in urban centers.
Modernity that was once expected to bring matching space unitards instead brought radical self-expression. The overabundance of choice, these authors suggested, leads to decadence, decay and a society where people cant see clearly without losing their humanity.
And so the heroes of cyberpunk are outsidersthe punks to which the genre owes half its name. In cyberpunk, there are no more grand narratives about progress and triumph. Humans have nowhere to go and decay is globalized; this is sci-fi without the comforting thought of alien life. Readers experience an Earth where the concept of place has passed its expiration date. Protagonists, like the megacorporations they tangle with, exist across borders, anywhere being as familiar or foreign as anywhere else. Neon Japanese syllabary studs skyscrapers that loom over the crowded downtowns of American cities. Virtual reality is at once a catalyst and a coping mechanism for social breakdown.
What is an individual to do in the face of such brutal atomization? Why, he takes individualism to its perverse conclusions, William Gibsons Neuromancer suggests. Take the following passage:
His face was a simple graft grown on collagen and shark-cartilage polysaccharides, smooth and hideous.
The novel implies that the character might appear a little later with a completely different face. Self was another uncertainty that had been sloughed off by ceaseless momentum. Even the authors jargon serves to impart a feeling of unfamiliarity.
Were starting to live in a time when such terrible and wondrous things are not only technically possible but socially acceptable. Headlines were made last month over a fetal lamb being grown in an artificial uterus. The creature, invaded with tubes, suckles and kicks inside its bulging, rippling enclosure. The juxtaposition of twitching organism and sterile, utilitarian plastic is simply cyberpunk. Gender is going the way of that thugs cartilage-grown face. Male and female is looking more like Coke and Pepsi, with some opting to make their own artisanal cola blends. As rootlessness moves from exception to rule, obligations to others begin to look like hindrances. It isnt difficult to see how three-parent babies in polycarbonate wombs fit into all of this.
Change is fast these days. We can feel acceleration that was once only perceptible between generations. At the same time, the past is more crystallized than its ever been before. Todays everyman, immersed in a data-sphere orders of magnitude more efficient than any library, can see more clearly than ever that things were different in an ever-familiar past. A world with meaning resolves ever sharper as we speed away from it.
But the left-liberal ethic that was once a vantage point from which the genres founders saw so far is now fogging their sight, restricting them to toiling within the status quo. Cyberpunk has come true in ways that makes progressives uncomfortable if they are unpacked. The genres founders married a criticism of corporations to the dreary aesthetic of rootlessness, but progressivism only offers a critique of the former on its own merits. Take away the violence and grit and you get Brave New World, a world that the gender ideologue cant levy an argument against. Consumerization of the body, reproduction and social relations lost their conspicuous ugliness when they were rebranded as liberation. (Outside of sci-fi, the only major literary figure who tackles these issues, Michel Houellebecq, is painted as a reactionary.)
Gibsons upcoming book, Agency, has a plot one would expect from a lesser author: the future is awful because Trump was elected president. This might seem like a perplexing lack of creativity, but consider the intervening third of a century. Gibson was in the business of scrutinizing Frankensteinization when it was a distant flight of fancy. But becoming a Frankenstein monster of hormones and surgery is here and celebration is mandatory. Dialing down ones own ability to notice things to the level of a Daily Kos commenter becomes a matter of survival. This new subject matter reflects the aesthetics of culture that snapped his leash: lifeless and brutal in its insipid repetition.
Stories motivated by political disappointment are doomed to be forgotten as the election cycle resets. Cyberpunk, on the other hand, is more popular now than even during its literary heyday of the 80s. The blockbuster Ghost in the Shell hit theaters earlier this year and will be followed by a sequel to the seminal Blade Runner in October. Their combined budget probably exceeds that of every cyberpunk film that came before (there arent many.) Cyberpunk 2077 is set to cost around $100 million, making it the most expensive role-playing video game ever made. If we put on our cyberpunk goggles, all of this means something. Capitalism is a computer that processes desire.
Cyberpunk is not becoming marketable because it offers a solution for society. The message is clear that, in face of inexorable rot, the individual loses his sanity or loses his soul. What the genre does offer is a third choice: to view breakneck dehumanization as a roller coaster ride. There is grim exhilaration in the acceptance that an awesome decline cannot be stopped. A future that was once dark and hopeless is now dark and beautiful when one dives headlong into it. Ugliness becomes thrilling and alienation becomes adventure. The homogenous, numbing light of Brave New Worlds dystopia is replaced by the dreamy atmosphere of neon-lit alleys. Sisyphus cant change his fate, but he can refuse to nod and clap, blank-eyed, at the worlds loss of meaning.
Robert Mariani is the opinion editor at The Daily Caller and the co-founder of Jacobite, a magazine of the post-political right. Follow him on Twitter @robert_mariani
See the original post:
Cyberpunk Is Now Reality | The American Conservative - The American Conservative
- Cyberpunk 2077 Soundtrack - Bullets by Archive - YouTube - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Cyberpunk - High Tech, Low Life. /r/Cyberpunk - reddit - December 28th, 2016 [December 28th, 2016]
- Niche Spotlight - Katana ZERO: A Murderously Stylish Cyberpunk ... - Niche Gamer - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Ghost In The Shell TV Spot Ramps Up The Cyberpunk Action, Full Trailer Arrives In Time For Valentine's Day - We Got This Covered - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Donald Trump is not the cyberpunk future - The Verge - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Ghost in the Shell's Super Bowl teaser promises plenty of cyberpunk action - The Verge - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Less surreal, more cyberpunk but Prey's first hour will get inside your head - VG247 - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- It's time for cyberpunk games to remember how to be punk - PC Gamer - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- 'Star Marine' Trailer Shows Version Of 'Cyberpunk 2077' Clip [Watch] - Mobile & Apps - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- The upcoming cyberpunk shooter Static Sky calls out for alpha and beta testers - Pocket Gamer - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- 5 Cyberpunk Books to Read Before Watching 'Ghost in the Shell' - Inverse - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Trailer Remade In Star Citizen's FPS Component - SegmentNext - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Ruiner will bring gritty cyberpunk action to Xbox One and PC with Xbox Play Anywhere - Windows Central - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Here's What Could Be In CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 - One Angry Gamer (blog) - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Raw Fury Games to Publish Cyberpunk Adventure The Last Night ... - Hardcore Gamer - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- These Glitchy New 'Ghost In The Shell' Motion Posters Introduce The Cyberpunk Cast - UPROXX - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Augmented Empire for Gear VR Is a Cyberpunk Gem - Tom's Guide - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Ghost in the Shell: Tumblr and Paramount sponsor cyberpunk ... - Netimperative - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- The cyberpunk revolution begins with video games - Engadget - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Nicki Minaj Served A Cyberpunk Lil' Kim Look At Paris Fashion Week - NYLON - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk Hacking Game "Darknet" For PlayStation VR Arrives ... - COGconnected (press release) - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Here's Why Cyberpunk 2077 Could Feature Gore And Nudity - One Angry Gamer (blog) - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk thriller Ruiner is here to smash you in the face - VG247 - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Digital love: why cinema can't get enough of cyberpunk - The Guardian (blog) - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- 'Ghost in the Shell' is more cyberposeur than cyberpunk - Engadget - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action on Steam - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Here's The Latest Rumors Regarding Cyberpunk 2077 And Its E3 Appearance - One Angry Gamer (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- CD Projekt Red Reveals It's Being Blackmailed For Stolen 'Cyberpunk 2077' Files - Forbes - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- CD Projekt Red Defy Ransom Demands For Early Cyberpunk 2077 Design Docs - TheSixthAxis - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077 game has been hacked by real cyberpunks - Metro - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- 'Cyberpunk 2077' Leaks: Hackers steal internal files from CD ... - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Hackers threaten CD Projekt Red with stolen Cyberpunk 2077 ... - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 - PC - IGN - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- CD Projekt Red: "Cyberpunk 2077" Files Are Being Ransomed - HardOCP - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Design Documents Being Held For Ransom, CD ... - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Witcher 3 developers won't bow to extortion for stolen Cyberpunk ... - Network World - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- Designer of cyberpunk indie The Last Night speaks out as Twitter ... - Polygon - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- E3 2017: The Last Night revealed, shows off an incredibly stylized Cyberpunk world - GameZone - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Watch some of mind-hacking cyberpunk horror Observer, from the devs behind Layers of Fear - PCGamesN - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- The Last Night was one of E3's most dazzling games and also its most frustrating - The Verge - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Snatcher Is Cyberpunk Noir At Its Best - Kotaku - Kotaku - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Snatcher Is Cyberpunk Noir At Its Best - Kotaku Australia - June 18th, 2017 [June 18th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk adventure 2064: Read Only Memories is coming to Switch - Eurogamer.net - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- The Devil Wears Prada Release Cyberpunk 'Worldwide' Video - Loudwire - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- 23 Best Cyberpunk Books - The Best Sci Fi Books - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- 'Cyberpunk 2077' release Date: The game is far bigger than 'The Witcher 3' - Blasting News - June 24th, 2017 [June 24th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Job Hiring Details Proprietary Level Design Through RedEngine 4 - One Angry Gamer (blog) - June 24th, 2017 [June 24th, 2017]
- Voice of Geralt from The Witcher Series Stars in Upcoming VR Cyberpunk RPG - Twinfinite - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Layers of Fear devs on psychological rape in their cyberpunk horror Observer - PCGamesN - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- The Last Jedi trailer gets a cyberpunk-as-hell remake - A.V. Club - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- The Geniuses Behind Texhnolyze - Crunchyroll News - July 3rd, 2017 [July 3rd, 2017]
- Beat cyberpunk gangs to free turfs in Neon City Riders, now on Kickstarter - IND13 - July 8th, 2017 [July 8th, 2017]
- 'Deus Ex' Mods: GMDX 9.0 release brings the cyberpunk classic into ... - Mic - July 10th, 2017 [July 10th, 2017]
- Is Net Neutrality Cyberpunk? - Motherboard - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Making Cyberpunk: when Mike Pondsmith met CD Projekt Red - Eurogamer.net - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Mike Pondsmith Talks Creating Cyberpunk 2077 With CD Projekt Red - One Angry Gamer (blog) - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Will Have Journalist/Executive Classes, Mike ... - Wccftech - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- RoboCop at 30: how its cyberpunk vision of the future became a reality - iNews - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- CD Projekt RED will make Cyberpunk 2077 feel authentic - TweakTown - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 release date, trailer and news | TechRadar - TechRadar - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Cyberpunks creator on helping CD Projekt Red stay true to ... - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Void Star is a beautiful novel about connections in our cybernetic future - The Verge - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Classes Are Unconventional, Include Journalist, Executive - SegmentNext - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk Creator Gives His Own Thoughts On Cyberpunk 2077 ... - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- Playable Classes In Cyberpunk 2077: Journalist And Executive - Gameranx (blog) - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Run your own evil megacorporation in Spinnortality, a dystopian strategy game - PC Gamer - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Competition: Watch The Jetwalls In Cyberpunk Motorcycle Game Qbike - VRFocus - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- 'Cyberpunk 2077' Update: Different playable character classes - Blasting News - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 'Hidden Horror' Game Observer Releasing on August 15 for PC/XO/PS4 - Wccftech - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Layers of Fear Dev's Cyberpunk Horror Game Observer Launches ... - DualShockers - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Cyberpunk Innovators Outline Blackpills' Sci-Fi Lineup - Den of Geek US - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- 'Blade Runner 2049' brings cyberpunk LA to San Diego Comic-Con - CNET - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Fight Or Recruit Superpowered Street Gangs In Cyberpunk Action/Adventure Game Neon City Riders - Siliconera - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 to Have Destructible Environments & Reactive Physics - COGconnected - July 26th, 2017 [July 26th, 2017]
- Rutger Hauer Stars as a Neural-Detective in New Cyberpunk Horror-Thriller Game Observer - Niche Gamer - July 27th, 2017 [July 27th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Might Feature Destructible Environments ... - SegmentNext - July 27th, 2017 [July 27th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Team Expansion Reveals Graphics To Be ... - One Angry Gamer (blog) - July 29th, 2017 [July 29th, 2017]
- Cyberpunk 2077 To Feature Photorealistic Environments ... - SegmentNext - July 29th, 2017 [July 29th, 2017]
- Observer's cyberpunk hallucinations are like being trapped in a Tool video - PC Gamer - July 29th, 2017 [July 29th, 2017]
- Everything We Know About CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 So Far! (New Details) - Quadoop - July 29th, 2017 [July 29th, 2017]