Cyberpunk is a whole subculture in the modern world. It reflects the decline of society and its culture against the backdrop of the ever-evolving progress of computer technology. The components of this subculture are very diverse: specific worldviews, cinema, music, literature and even games.
The works that can be attributed to the cyberpunk genre show a dystopian future world where high technology is combined with a global social crisis and radical changes in the structure of society.
How different is the cyberpunk genre?
Cyberpunk is an artistic mix of genres such as science fiction, retrofuturism, fantasy and dystopia. Comprehensive computerization and the development of artificial intelligence are the most characteristic technical elements of cyberpunk.
The social aspect of the genre has dystopian and post-apocalyptic features. In an environment of colossal class inequality, the decline of human culture is traced against the backdrop of the prosperity of elite corporations that manage world capital.
In addition, the life of hackers and large crime syndicates is often described. In the genrecyberpunk black market and mafia activities thrive.
Ecology is in a state of crisis, climate change and disasters are constantly occurring. Cyberpunk is a world in which global military conflicts and rampant crime are intertwined.
Origination
Unlike existing subcultures, which began with the release of certain pieces of music, cyberpunk as a genre originated in literature. The term was first mentioned by Bruce Bethke in 1983. The writer chose the word "cyberpunk" for the title of the story.
The morphology of a term tells about its meaning. The first part is cyber. She says that the plot contains high technology. The second root is "punk". It points to a certain worldview, where freedom and social protest are priorities for a person.
Cyberpunk became an extremely popular genre in the 1980s. After all, then for the average layman the world of artificial intelligence looked like something incredible and unattainable.
Development of the genre
In the early 1990s, cyberpunk finally entered the mainstream. This push in progress was quite natural. Popular culture has been enriched by the cyberpunk genre. Films that showed a futuristic world began to appear on screens more and more often. After all, it is cinema that has the strongest influence on the minds of the public.
Some films have been able to leave a very tangible mark in the minds of the audience. The Matrix trilogyis a global cultural phenomenon, has become a highlight in the cyberpunk cinematic genre. For a whole decade, strong ideas were filmed that were remembered by the audience.
Among foreign cyberpunk films, the following are worth highlighting:
- "12 Monkeys";
- "Existence";
- "Hackers";
- Total Recall;
- Equilibrium;
- Gamer and others.
Sergey Lukyanenko's novel "The Labyrinth of Reflections" is widely known in Russian popular culture.
Computer games
The cyberpunk genre is considered the main direction in the development of computer games. The gloomy and harsh world of the future, constant local and global conflicts, the ecological crisis - all this attracts an ordinary person, mired in everyday life.
What could be better and more interesting than plunging into a fantasy world where a transnational elite rules and hackers try to survive at all costs?
Futuristic weapons and an original plot are the hallmarks of the cyberpunk genre. The games Shadowrun, Omikron, Deus Ex deservedly won the interest of the public. Mind control, immortality, cloning, mass riots and all kinds of conflict - all this can be seen and felt in cyberpunk games.
These include the legendary Syndicate Wars and Blade Runner. Here you can fully experience all the originality of the cyberpunk space.
Cyberpunk and casual wear
Cyberpunk is not only a genre of cinema andliterature. It has penetrated all spheres of society, including fashion. Cyberpunk clothing features an incredible combination of traditional elements with additional stylized embellishments from all sorts of gadgets and technological innovations.
Of course, true fans of this genre do not always have a good attitude towards this kind of fashion. But for those who want to pass themselves off as a fan of the style, it's pretty easy to follow certain cyberpunk canons.
Many imitate the characters from the movies, thereby refuting the very essence of cyberpunk. After all, this is primarily a protest against the ideas imposed by society. In any case, cyberpunk is a clothing style that combines love for both tradition and a futuristic future.
Sometimes lovers of dressing in this style complement their image with purely punk attributes - for example, hairstyles. It can be Iroquois or dreadlocks of a wide variety of colors. The outfits themselves are dominated by dark tones.
