What is Cyberpunk?
Cyberpunk refers to the genre of science fiction based in a world where cybernetic enhancements (electronic devices embedded in the human body, not just to replace broken body parts but to enhance function) are commonplace, sentient artificial intelligence is a reality, and huge global corporations hold the balance of power rather than governments. This defines cyberpunk as it is seen in System Shock. But you can have cyberpunk without cybernetics, for example, 2001: A Space Odyessy had a cyberpunk element (the computer HAL 9000 kills off almost all of the crew of the spaceship in order to complete its mission more efficiently), and even without technology, for example, The Difference Engine, which is based in Victorian times and has a cyberpunk-ish theme. The corporations part is generally the defining feature of cyberpunk, however. The book that brought cyberpunk into existence was Neuromancer by William Gibson, and I’m told it’s a good read.
