Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction set in a dystopian future, characterized by a focus on the combination of low life and high technology, blending advanced elements such as artificial intelligence and cyberware with societal deterioration and collapse. It traces its origin to the New Wave science fiction movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when writers including Philip K. Dick, Michael Moorcock and Harlan Ellison turned away from earlier utopian visions to explore technology's darker implications alongside drug culture and social upheaval.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleNeuromancer (1984) by William Gibson 1 Defining TraitCombination of lowlife and high tech 1 Connections
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Sources
1. Cyberpunk (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, second sentence
It is characterized by its focus on a combination of "lowlife and high tech".
Lead paragraph, Neuromancer sentence
Released in 1984, William Gibson's influential debut novel Neuromancer helped solidify cyberpunk as a genre, drawing influence from punk subculture and early hacker culture.
Media, Literature section, term-coinage sentence
Minnesota writer Bruce Bethke coined the term in 1983 for his short story "Cyberpunk", which was published in an issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories.
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