I've adopted the term Neo-Cyberpunk to describe a nuanced variation of the traditional Cyberpunk genre. This isn't about claiming that I created a brand-new genre, but rather an attempt to clarify a common misconception regarding my book "Perfect World": Initially, I labeled it as "AI Cyberpunk," unintentionally leading some to believe it was written by AI (spoiler: it wasn't).
So, what sets Neo-Cyberpunk apart from traditional Cyberpunk?
Rooted in the late '70s and '80s, Cyberpunk can be summarized in the sentence "High Tech, Low Life". It paints a picture of a dystopian future where a declining society stands in stark contrast to the powerful entities — often mega-corporations wielding technology for control (corporatocracy). This genre reflects the era's urban unrest (with growing concerns over urban violence), governments relinquishing regulatory safeguards against corporate power, and the emergence of the personal computing age.
Fast forward to today: The revolution in personal computing has brought us to a point where technology is not just widespread but integral to our daily lives (imagine, computers in our pockets and even on our faces). We've witnessed disastrous outcomes from unchecked corporate greed — airplanes falling from the sky to vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests. All while a younger demographic grapples with diminishing financial prospects.
Neo-Cyberpunk maintains the fundamental themes of Cyberpunk. However, it further examines the contemporary zeitgeist, our collective anxieties, and the cutting-edge innovations big tech firms are pursuing (like Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality, or "visual computing"). It then casts these elements forward 20 to 30 years into the future, projecting a dystopian setting that is both surprisingly and unsettlingly within the realm of possibility.
If you want to see how these ideas unfold within a ttrpg game, I invite you to check out "Perfect World". Perfect World's setting explores a vision of the future where augmented reality has seamlessly melded into society and the complex interplay of humans and artificial intelligence.
So, what sets Neo-Cyberpunk apart from traditional Cyberpunk?
Rooted in the late '70s and '80s, Cyberpunk can be summarized in the sentence "High Tech, Low Life". It paints a picture of a dystopian future where a declining society stands in stark contrast to the powerful entities — often mega-corporations wielding technology for control (corporatocracy). This genre reflects the era's urban unrest (with growing concerns over urban violence), governments relinquishing regulatory safeguards against corporate power, and the emergence of the personal computing age.
Fast forward to today: The revolution in personal computing has brought us to a point where technology is not just widespread but integral to our daily lives (imagine, computers in our pockets and even on our faces). We've witnessed disastrous outcomes from unchecked corporate greed — airplanes falling from the sky to vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests. All while a younger demographic grapples with diminishing financial prospects.
Neo-Cyberpunk maintains the fundamental themes of Cyberpunk. However, it further examines the contemporary zeitgeist, our collective anxieties, and the cutting-edge innovations big tech firms are pursuing (like Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality, or "visual computing"). It then casts these elements forward 20 to 30 years into the future, projecting a dystopian setting that is both surprisingly and unsettlingly within the realm of possibility.
If you want to see how these ideas unfold within a ttrpg game, I invite you to check out "Perfect World". Perfect World's setting explores a vision of the future where augmented reality has seamlessly melded into society and the complex interplay of humans and artificial intelligence.