Cyberpunk

!n the 1980s a new form of science fiction called cyberpunk blossomed and became not just a fashionable subject of academic debate, but a major source of inspiration for movie makers. Unlike early sci-fi that takes place largely in outer space, cyberpunk is usually set on Earth in the near future.

Deeply influenced by the earlier dystopian writers like Philip K. Dick, it paints a world run by huge corporations where advanced technology has in some way broken down the social order. Cyberpunk draws heavily on film noir and detective novels. The main characters aren’t heroes but people on the fringes of society – often computer hackers - who are drawn into trying to beat the system for their very survival.

While golden age science fiction sees the future as an evolved and superior place, in cyberpunk, it’s a nightmare come true.