Cyberpunk media

[SilkSkull]

So I've been on a huge cyberpunk kick recently, watching Edge-runners, reading Neuromancer, hopefully getting cyberpunk soon (steam sales are looking tempting). This has left me thirsting for any cyberpunk type media, if anyone has any I would absolutely love recommendations or even just hearing your opinion on the genre and what you think of the mentioned media!!

[appleAlc]

I quite like the genre! I should probably get around to getting ahold of the ttrpg at some point.
Ultimately, part of why I like Cyberpunk is part of why I often prefer sci-fi & urban fantasy (VtM's term "gothic punk") to many more "traditional" fantasy settings: it can comment upon society & the modern day much more easily. Cyberpunk as a genre serving as a critique of capitalism (at least originally & in theory)is definitely a major reason why I like it so much.
I believe that the New World of Darkness system has an expansion called Bleeding Edge that touches upon such a genre & setting, I should probably try to get ahold of it.

[SilkSkull]

I quite like the genre! I should probably get around to getting ahold of the ttrpg at some point.
Ultimately, part of why I like Cyberpunk is part of why I often prefer sci-fi & urban fantasy (VtM's term "gothic punk") to many more "traditional" fantasy settings: it can comment upon society & the modern day much more easily. Cyberpunk as a genre serving as a critique of capitalism (at least originally & in theory)is definitely a major reason why I like it so much.
I believe that the New World of Darkness system has an expansion called Bleeding Edge that touches upon such a genre & setting, I should probably try to get ahold of it.

That's something I totally forgot to mention, Cyberpunk as a genre has a deep importance to me because of it's anti-capitalist messages as well as it talking about AI, tech, bioenhancements (I have a bunch of thoughts on this actually) and security. I'd love to give Bleeding Edge a try! I've played the cyberpunk ttrpg and shadowrun just a bit and I love them!!!

[Kallistero]

When I went to a convention earlier this year, I spoke with an independent techwear vendor, and they told me about this site called Neon Dystopia that's hosted a community of believers in the cyberpunk space! It had entries on cyberpunk movies and video games and books and comics and music and manga and other things, too! They even had writings on cyberpunk lifestyle, like philosophy, work, politics, and fashion.

The site's gone down & went back up, but the current iteration of the site does convey that its current owner very much lives cyberpunk and consumes a lot of cyberpunk media, albeit the site is stripped down right now as compared to before. They do have an apparent desire for the site to "reform itself into its former shape," so maybe it'll be easier to find more of their recommendations in the future, or even to find a community of interested people to participate in a new cyberpunk-centric community! 

Right now, they do have lots of cyberpunk recommendations you can find just by checking the web archives of their front page, along with the About page of the current site. For you or anyone else interested, good luck!

[sokil]

cyberpunk is something that's always fascinated me from an aesthetic angle, but i've never actually looked much into it beyond that until recently my introduction to it was likely blade runner or cowboy bebop from when i was younger (or, i suppose those are the earliest things where i can remember it possibly coming up). it's definitely a genre i enjoy, but somehow one i never really engage with much! and i'd definitely like to change that. i've always been a much bigger fallout guy, which is basically the opposite of cyberpunk :p i'd really like to pick up some cyberpunk literature, be it theory/philosophy or fiction, so anyone's welcome to send recs my way (i need to get back into a reading groove, as well, so i think this might jumpstart it)!

one thing that always comes to mind when a cyberpunk discussion comes up is billy idol's 1993 album "cyberpunk". it's (rightfully) considered a trainwreckord in that it's honestly not very good xD; beyond that, i just find it very interesting to read about. understandably, it's divisive in this regard since it can be viewed as commercializing the entire thing, but nonetheless it's still pretty fascinating to see his newfound interest in technology and tech culture. you can listen to the entire album here on youtube if interested.

When I went to a convention earlier this year, I spoke with an independent techwear vendor, and they told me about this site called Neon Dystopia that's hosted a community of believers in the cyberpunk space! It had entries on cyberpunk movies and video games and books and comics and music and manga and other things, too! They even had writings on cyberpunk lifestyle, like philosophy, work, politics, and fashion.

The site's gone down & went back up, but the current iteration of the site does convey that its current owner very much lives cyberpunk and consumes a lot of cyberpunk media, albeit the site is stripped down right now as compared to before. They do have an apparent desire for the site to "reform itself into its former shape," so maybe it'll be easier to find more of their recommendations in the future, or even to find a community of interested people to participate in a new cyberpunk-centric community! 

Right now, they do have lots of cyberpunk recommendations you can find just by checking the web archives of their front page, along with the About page of the current site. For you or anyone else interested, good luck!

these sites seem really fascinating! unfortunate that internet archive is still a bit slow (fkin trolls (＃ﾟДﾟ)), but i'll definitely be poking around for a bit. cheers for sharing

[Xanoverse]

I've always loved cyberpunk settings but recently I've gotten this immense desire to just consume everything there is about it and really immerse myself in it. I really want to be part of those universes and live there. I feel like tbh we're already living in a pretty cyberpunkian dystopia but without the neon cities everywhere and the cool cybernetic enhancements v-v  so basically just a late stage ultracapitalist dystopia...

Idk if NSFW games are something you like, but if that's your cup of tea there's this really cool game called HARDCODED (they have a free pretty lenghty demo) that takes place in a cyberpunk setting, the pixel art is beautiful and it actually has a storyline (where they're going to try and take down a corporation!), I think the NSFW parts are just something complementary, that's how I see them at least.

There's also this game I haven't tried yet but I got it on a recent steam sale called The Red Strings Club, it's also pixel art and looks nice and I can't wait to get into it.

And I've been wanting to play Cyberpunk 2077 for a while now T-T don't even know how well my computer will run it but idc I just want to experience this world everyone compliments so much.

[xXWebMasterXx_Gina]

Gosh, I love Cyberpunk media! Whether it be a critique of capitalism, pondering on what it means to be human, explorations of the relationship between man and machine, or some combination of these; there's always something valuable we can learn from the stories they tell. Not to mention that what has been written and what is still being written becomes ever more relevant as technological progression marches forward.  . As the one meme my friend always sends me so aptly puts it, "You best start believing in cyberpunk dystopias. You’re living in one." 


I could easily go on all day talking about these themes ( I love pondering them >_< ) but for the sake of the topic, I'll share some media I'd recommend that has not already been mentioned with a brief summary of each:


Ghost In The Shell: This is more of a franchise, and the topics presented often vary depending on what branch you are exploring. However, generally speaking, Ghost In The Shell explores what it means to be when, through technological means, the body and even the mind are cybernetic. I would recommend watching the anime movies, Ghost In The Shell (1995) and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) for a focus on this topic. There are tones of politics and society in the franchise but they are often just a set-dressing and aren't too in-depth. It doesn't help that the main characters of the franchise are basically an extrajudicial police force.


Deus Ex (2000): What if I told you every mainstream American conspiracy theory was real? Roswell, Majestic-12, MK Ultra, The Illuminati, the works. Pair that with mechanical and cybernetic augmentation, AI, manufactured viruses, and you have a video game seeped in (relatively) modern politics and philosophy in an alternative reality. While also a story about a cybernetically enhanced super-cop, the game will have you questioning the actions of the anti-terrorist organization you work for. You will also be asking questions like "What is a god?" and "If there is no god, would it be necessary to create him?"

There's also the later Eidos-Montreal Deus Ex games which for the most part, maintain their critique of capitalist society with a focus on transhumanism and the inequality that stems from it.


The Matrix (1999): The Matrix is such a robust film. It can be read in a variety of ways, tackling topics of identity, faith, love, free-will and society; there's no shortage of meaning to be extrapolated. The matrix as it is presented, is an idealized version of a capitalist society, in which its inhabitants unconditionally and unquestioningly protect as it is their perceived reality. But more literally, the matrix is a system which saps the life of its unknowing inhabitants to benefit its creators and perpetuate the cycle (e.g capitalism is a system in which those in power exploit all those living under it while spinning this as a positive to keep the masses from questioning it).


Serial Experiments Lain: I just recently watched this anime and while you won't find much, if any critique of capitalism, you will find a great deal of insight to our relationship with the net from a time when the net was still something new and exciting. The line between meatspace and cyberspace might not be so clear cut.


Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum: DDS is an early-access indie game; while fantastical to a degree, the game imagines a world so far into capitalism and transhumanism that life and death might no longer be relevant. dying in the game just has a faceless corporation revive you at a cost to your ever growing debt. There's a variety of philosophical musings beneath the game's cutesy anime and netspeak aesthetic (✿◕‿◕). I've beat the game twice now and I'm still trying to understand it.


Ah well that's all for now! I'd love to see what other MelonLanders recommend 

[wetnoodle]

Citizen Sleeper is a beautiful ttrpg style game with deep branching storylines and difficult choices surviving in a hypercapitalist future space station where your body is literally owned by a megacorporation. Haven't started the sequel yet but it looks fantastic

[BlazingCobaltX]

I would also like to recommend Neo Cab. To put it very crass: It's a cyberpunk setting wherein you are an Uber driver. I think it drives home quite well that the way Uber works - general financial insecurity, having to keep up your rate no matter what - is dystopian as is. There's a mood system that can affect your responses, which you need to manage to keep your rating up. Other than that, the cyberpunk vibes are immaculate. I was very enthralled by the setting after just playing the Switch demo.

In general, I think the cyberpunk atmosphere is very cool aesthetically. When you think about the other features of cyberpunk dystopias - exploitation of people and wealth inequalities taken to the max - it is less cool. I think Mirror's Edge is an edge case of cyberpunk. The game itself is very bright but in terms of what we learn about the city it fits futuristic dystopia.

[nobo]

Snow Crash

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash

I would put this book second after Neuromancer as important cyberpunk reading. Something that distinguishes it a lot is it was published in 1992, a bit later than stuff from the 80s, so it has a more accurate view of what the Internet is going to turn into by that decade.

In Neuromancer cyber space is this sexy, sleek realm. In Snow Crash it's an absurd place filled with memes.