Let’s start with some mood music:

Defining Cyberpunk

The standard definition is as follows:

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a “combination of low-life and high tech” featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.

That being said the point to this rambling stream of consciousness is to introduce you to some notable authors that have embraced Cyberpunk as a creative writing outlet. Many authors start out with the line “I don’t know who said it first” when asked where was Cyberpunk as a subgenre of Science Fiction born. Since Cyberpunk 2077 the game is front and center right now, I’m going to start with the writer/creator of said game and work backwards.

So here we go Mike Pondsmith, being inspired by…