I see the cyberpunk genre getting a lot of love and hate it doesn't deserve. Cyberpunk is more than robot arms, hacking, gloomy cityscapes, doomerism, rain, and nihilistic fantasies. If thats all you see the genre for, you shouldn't love or hate cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is more than an aesthetic.
Cyberpunk is at its core a scifi philosophy class with noir elements. Scifi has and never will be about predicting the future. Scifi has always been a lense to see the modern day issues, marvels and struggles. Cyberpunk does the same as a scifi subgenre.
Through the cynical lense of living through 70s and 80s, cyberpunk asks you questions that still matter even when all the odds are against you. These questions mattered back then and matter now.
Cyberpunk tears down capitalism, calls out individualism and reminds people you need community. It doesn't just reject or support science or the world, but rather asks you moral questions about where you stand in it.
Who are you when everything is against you?
Who are you when no one is looking?
What is for sell and what is sacred to you?
How much of your self will you sell to just survive?
How do you rebel?
Cyberpunk is about rebelling in ways you can. Even if the needle doesn't appear to move you still gotta rebel. You have to remain free. Somehow some way. Its not anout going out in a blaze of glory. Its about feeding that stray cat. Defending that stranger. Logging out of the empathy machine and catering to someone irl. Doing the right thing even if it may cost you. It about being free but also not being for sell.
Whenever I read a sincerely made cyberpunk novel the question it ask always brings me back to this quote from the Boondocks.














