A Discussion on Cyberpunk

[Shaun]

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that deals with futuristic societies where the technology of today has advanced. Often authors present worlds where drugs and cybernetics/bionics are common, shown through the eyes of characters living in grim conditions due to an oppressive government or other factor that places them into the dark, underground-like work of addiction and illegal hacking. Issues such as the following are often present or addressed: negative impact of technology on humanity, fusion of man and machine, corporate control over society, focus on the underground (hacking and the like), and ubiquitous access to information.
The book that generally started it all: Neuromancer by William Gibson
Other cyberpunk: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick and Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Cyberpunk Films: Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix (and sequels), Total Recall, WarGames, and Tron.

So, what are your thoughts on the genre? Have you read anything in it? This is an open discussion, so anything you feel the need to address, then address it!

[Rafael Domination]

Well...I like the thought, the philisophy of these genres and all, but I must admit: if there's nothing action-packed, or having to do with unique places, characters, items, abilities to impress me, my interest quickly dwindles away. I think Cyberpunk is a great genre overall, and a refreshing break from other genres...

[Shaun]

Cyberpunk is usually very action packed, but the action isn't typical action in a lot of cases. Neuromancer, for example, has a lot of action within a virtual world, but it's good action.
I personally love the genre, but it is extremely hard to write in. I'm writing a cyberpunk novella right now that is proving notoriously difficult. The world is thick with new ideas and concepts, but the characters are too flat, which will involve heavy rewriting to get them to be more interesting.

[Rafael Domination]

The problem with sci-fi is that there's just so much new and unqiue things to show, reveal, and its very hard to explain them without any info-dump. (I'm guilty of that). If an author pulls it off, it becomes a rather enjoyable experience.

[Shaun]

Do you read a lot of SF Raf? I'm curious. I'm looking for people who read a lot of SF to read my SF work. I usually have Imelda read a lot of my stuff, but sometimes I write stories that generally don't appeal to anyone but SF readers. I don't do this often though, as a rule. I usually like to write stories that even non-SF people can enjoy, but there's a story in my head that desperately wants to be told...

[Rafael Domination]

OOh! You write SF?

I'm hyped now! :D I'd be glad to take a quick peek at it!

[Shaun]

I'm mostly interested in writing SF actually. It's probably a bad thing if I want to make a living writing SF, but I enjoy it a lot more than fantasy, but I do intend to write both. All the 'money' is in fantasy though, since that is the speculative fiction market that has the largest readership. SF readers are declining and that's a lot to do with declining education in the sciences. We're teaching kids basically the same stuff we taught them 30 years ago (with some extremely minor changes). We need to amplify the entire system in my opinion.

Send me a PM. If you feel you are adequate as an SF reader I'd love to have you. (Meaning, you read quite a lot of SF, not just "I read one SF book and liked it", because predominantly new SF readers who like one book might hate the next...ideas sort of wander in SF)

[Rafael Domination]

Ooh...I don't read SF only. I make, SF. I prefer to write mines with bit of a fantasy/anime stain, but other than that, it's still all sciencey and stuff...I hate the robotic, geek SF, though...

[Shaun]

Well PM me. I don't know if you'll like my stuff. It's very deep cyberpunk at this point :S. But you can give it a try anyway :P