Cyberpunk Definition
Well something can be cyberpunk at varying degrees. There is no real definitive
meaning. So you make a personal judgment based on the elements in the book/game/movie.
A short and not comprehensive (but as comprehensive as i can pull off) list
is as follows:
THEMES
- Elements of the philosophical discussion of what makes something "alive"
- Discussion of weather or not artificial life forms (Be they robots or
AI's) should have citizenship/rights
- The effect on a technology entrenchment/dependence on the individual
or society.
- Legality of hacking/using neural augmentation
STOCK ELEMENTS
- Neural augmentation
- AI's
- Genetic and/or Cybernetic modifications
- Some sort of a internet. Remember, cyberpunk was created before the
internet. Some old cyberpunk books like "Islands of the Net" describe a cyberspace
that was basically a communication medium including TV, Phone, Fax (they
really emphasized the wonders of fax...), and a "Data Feed" which seemed
more like Telnet than the web.
- Drugs god didn't
do that, you did...you're a fucking narcotics agent, i knew it!
- Hackers / Netrunners / Deck Cowboys / Ect
- All form of weird mind-fucks.
- Megacorps
STYLE/BACKDROP
- A sort of gritty "streets" feeling
- Overpopulation
- Pollution
- Usually takes place on the "wrong side of the law" that sort of thing
- Highly manipulated government (like we don't have that already)
- Struggle of humanity against the power of machines
A LITTLE SOMETHING ON THE SIDE:
By clicking 
you get links to a bunch of articles that Gibson, Stephenson, and Sterling
have written for Wired
the reason that i used a graphic instead of just writing "here" should
be apparent when you take a look at the black text at the top of the screen...
not to mention other hidden links throughout the site and this very page.
