Cyberpunk

I'll admit I'm stealing this question from an r/cyberpunk post but I thought it was an interesting question and wanted to ask it here.

To quote that original post:

On one hand, the CEO being essentially an omnipotent, untouchable king elevates the class differences to their logical extreme, but on the other hand, a corporation that is so large it feeds itself, a company so weighted and full of momentum no human can ever hope to come against it feels almost lovecraftian.

What do you think?

I've decided it's finally time for me to start posting memes to this community. Although my goal is to only post memes that are "about" cyberpunk and not just frames from a cyberpunk movie used to make an unrelated joke.

This is my continued attempt to keep this community alive despite having exhausted every discussion topic I can think of. I'm doing my best.

Not sure how I feel about playing as a cop in a cyberpunk world, but at least it does take place in a cyberpunk world. And it's inspired by the old 1998 game Future Cop: LAPD. The graphics look kinda janky so far, but we'll see how it goes.

A modern Multiplayer and Co-Op re-imagining of the classic game "Future Cop L.A.P.D.”, you are a rookie cop in the Mech-Assisted Security and Tactics (M.A.S.T.) unit of the Los Angeles Police Department in the year 2195.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/649560/LAPD_2195/

Famous brands, but dystopian

IG: warakami_vaporwave

Bonus:

The Matrix is one of the most well-known cyberpunk movies; I'm not going to argue its cyberpunk qualities. But 20 years after The Matrix was relevant, we got a cash-grab sequel in Matrix Resurrections.

My question to you is: Is there anything cyberpunk left in Matrix Resurrections? Or has the franchise been so diluted that what's left is no longer cyberpunk? For example, in the first movie Neo was a hacker. By this movie, I really wouldn't call him a hacker anymore. But maybe the themes of "what it means to be human" still remain?

Here's a trailer. You can still watch it on Max.

Hey everyone, I'm a bit nervous about sharing this. I haven't touched any code in over a decade, but recently I decided to give it another go. Back in the early 2000s, I used to experiment with basic websites as a hobby, and now I've built a small database of cyberpunk media, games, and literature from scratch.

I have a thing for cassette futurism, so the design is pretty plain. I hope it might be useful, and I'll do my best to keep adding new entries regularly. If you notice anything I've missed or have any suggestions, I'd really appreciate your input.

Thanks for taking a look!

https://cyberpunkhub.com/

I've been posting to this community for over a year and even though I've exhausted every single cyberpunk discussion topic I can think of, this community is still growing! Thanks for coming and hanging out!

Also, here's a new teaser trailer that doesn't really show anything.

And some quotes taken from this article:

Today, the official title, key staff, teaser trailer, and visuals for the new TV anime series have been revealed. Previously announced in May 2024 as a new project from Science SARU, the series now has its official title: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, keeping the same title as the original manga’s.

This marks the directorial debut of Mokochan, known for his work on DAN DA DAN and SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF. The script was written by acclaimed sci-fi author EnJoe Toh (Self-Reference ENGINE, Shadow.net). Character Design ＆ Executive Animation Directing are handled by Shuhei Handa (SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF, SPRIGGAN). Produced by Science SARU, known for INU-OH and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, the anime is set to air in 2026.

Comment from original Ghost in the Shell creator, Shirow Masamune:

Anime adaptation-wise, this new THE GHOST IN THE SHELL marks the fourth version following those by Oshii, Kamiyama, and Kise. Alternatively, if we separate GHOST IN THE SHELL and Innocence, categorize the S.A.C. series into Seasons 1, 2, and Solid State Society, divide ARISE into its own series along with The New Movie, and split SAC_2045 into Seasons 1 and 2, this would be the tenth adaptation overall.

Considering the shift in production staff, one could even consider this the first installment of a second generation. The original manga is quite old, so I ask for your understanding on that point (sorry!). That said, I sincerely hope this will once again be an enjoyable visual experience in some form.

Not sure how many people here played Katana ZERO but it looks like it'll be getting a free DLC soon.

Not every episode is cyberpunk but most episodes are interesting. Can't wait for another season!

Alright, I'm intrigued. Visuals look amazing, we'll see about the story. I'm always happy to get more NIN though...

I hope this is allowed

https://xcancel.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1903929693885317480#m

Fulfils the cyberpunk aesthetic, does it not? Because the musicians come from the Demoscene. Even when the game is mostly about giant robots beating themselves up. (Ok maybe that's a bit cyberpunk too.)

Very accessible dark cyberpunk music. All the tracks I've heard are instrumental. I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

Featuring a sequel to the USS Callister episode from series 4.

In my last post a couple people mentioned that the Neuromancer novel is a pretty dense read and tough to follow. If you agree, I recommend listening to the BBC radio drama from 2002. It's only 2 hours long but it follows the plot of the story really well and has great production.

Definitely check it out if you've got 2 hours and struggled with the novel, or if it's just been awhile since you read it. This is a great adaptation.

There isn't much in this article, other than a reminder that Neuromancer is currently filming in Tokyo. Also, I don't think it's been announced what role Emma Laird has so I don't know if it really hurts things for her to not have read the book. We'll see how well this quote ages though:

It’s a very confusing book, but I think somehow bringing that onto the screen helps tell that story maybe a bit more clearly.

I've read quite a bit of (what I consider to be) the main classic cyberpunk novels. Stuff like The Sprawl trilogy, Hardwired, Snow Crash. I've also read some proto-cyberpunk novels like The Stars My Destination, The Machine Stops, and various Philip K Dick stories.

So I decided to delve a bit deeper into some lesser-known "classic" cyberpunk novels. And I'm struggling. I tried reading Synners, The Shockwave Rider, and Headcrash and I haven't really enjoyed any of them. But I don't want to turn this into a negative post where I just whine and complain about these books, so instead I'd like to ask: for those of you who have read and enjoyed these books, what did you like about them? Were they just products of their time and "you had to be there" to appreciate it? Or is there something more I'm missing?

Again, I'll try not to get too negative here, but I think my main complaint with Headcrash can be summed up by this statement on its wikipedia page:

mixed reviews (often centering around whether the reviewer saw it as satire or a failed attempt at sincere comedy)

As I read it, it felt like a failed attempt at sincere comedy. The jokes are so constant and not funny that I found the writing style irritating. This isn't like Douglas Adams going off on wild silly tangents; Headcrash has the main character reading through a pile of junk mail where each item is some ridiculous hyper-exaggerated take on modern life. It's exhausting. Compare that to Snow Crash, which was also a cyberpunk satire, yet the world-building felt cohesive and consistent. Sure, burbclaves might be ridiculous, along with the idea of a mob-boss pizza owner having too much power, but in-universe these things were treated seriously. Headcrash comes across as the author telling the reader how ridiculous his ideas are.

Shockwave Rider was probably just too much a product of its time for me. Being written in 1975, it has some interesting ideas about computers and the internet, yet so much of the story feels too "near future" with the author extrapolating from life in the 1970s and missing the mark. There are too many items which the author didn't think would change or didn't take a pessimistic/nihilistic enough view of how people would actually use the technology.

Synners I think has the most interesting story, yet the writing style is so strange to me that I'm having trouble following exactly what's happening. I feel like I should like this one, yet I just can't stay focused on it while reading. It's a shame because I think there are some good ideas here. Unfortunately, I tend to read one chapter, get disinterested, put it down for six months, then attempt to read one more chapter with no memory of what happened in the previous chapter. So it's probably more of a problem with me than the book, but each time I finish a chapter I don't exactly feel compelled to keep going.

So those of you who have read any of these books, what did you like about them? What made them special/unique? I'm fully willing to accept that these books were revolutionary at the time but maybe their predictions were so far off that with hindsight, they don't feel very prescient.