Genre

Contents

1. What Is Cyberpunk? Meaning, Origins and the Rules of the GenreCyberpunk is science fiction about high tech and low lives: hackers, megacorporations and cyberware in near-future cities. Where the word came from, who defined it, and how the tabletop game and Cyberpunk 2077 fit in.
2. Neuromancer by William Gibson: Plot, Characters and Why It MattersNeuromancer (1984) is William Gibson's debut novel and the book that gave cyberpunk its vocabulary. Plot summary, characters, awards, adaptations and where to read next.
3. Best Cyberpunk Books: 16 Reads in Order, With a Start-Here PickA reading list of cyberpunk novels and stories from True Names (1981) to Altered Carbon (2002): year, author, and the one reason each book matters. Start with Neuromancer.
4. Cyberpunk Anime: 11 Series and Films From Akira to EdgerunnersEleven cyberpunk anime in release order, from Akira (1988) to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 (2026): year, creator, and why each one matters. Start with Edgerunners or Ghost in the Shell.
5. Best Cyberpunk Movies: 12 Live-Action Films, With a Start-Here PickTwelve cyberpunk films from Blade Runner (1982) to Upgrade (2018): year, director, and the one reason each one matters. Start with Blade Runner. Anime has its own page.
6. The Cyberpunk Aesthetic: Where the Neon, Rain and Chrome Came FromWhy cyberpunk looks the way it does: Blade Runner, Syd Mead, Hong Kong, Akira and Metal Hurlant. The ingredients, the sources, and how synthwave differs.
7. Cyberpunk Slang Glossary: Choom, Gonk, Preem, Eddies, Chrome and 59 More TermsA glossary of 64 cyberpunk terms, from Neuromancer, Cyberpunk 2020, Cyberpunk RED, Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners, with how each one is used. Choom, gonk, preem, nova, delta, eddies, chrome, flatline, netrunner and more.
8. Mike Pondsmith: The Man Who Wrote Cyberpunk (and Night City)Who Mike Pondsmith is: the designer of the Cyberpunk tabletop game, founder of R. Talsorian Games, and the consultant behind Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners.
9. William Gibson: The Author Who Gave Cyberpunk Its WordsWilliam Gibson's career from Burning Chrome to The Peripheral: the Sprawl, Bridge, Blue Ant and Jackpot books, the 'future is already here' quote, and the Neuromancer series.
10. Shadowrun vs Cyberpunk: What's Different and Which to PlayShadowrun adds magic, elves and dragons to a corporate near-future. Cyberpunk keeps it human. Compare the settings, the editions and the video games, plus which tabletop game to pick.
11. Blade Runner Lore: Replicants, Tyrell, Wallace and the Deckard QuestionBlade Runner explained: what replicants are, how Tyrell became Wallace, the in-universe timeline from 2019 to 2049, the shorts, and how Philip K. Dick's novel differs from the films.
12. Ghost in the Shell Explained: Which Version to Watch FirstGhost in the Shell from the 1989 manga to the 2026 anime: the 1995 film, Stand Alone Complex, Arise, SAC_2045, the 2017 live-action film, Section 9, the Puppet Master, and where to start.
13. Deus Ex Lore: The Games, the Illuminati and Two Men Named Adam and JCDeus Ex explained: the four main games in release and story order, the Illuminati and Majestic 12, how augmentation works, JC Denton vs Adam Jensen, and where to start.
14. Akira Explained: Manga vs Film, Neo-Tokyo and What HappensAkira in plain terms: the 1982 manga and 1988 film by Katsuhiro Otomo, Neo-Tokyo in 2019, Kaneda and Tetsuo, what actually happens (spoilers marked), and the influence it has had.
15. Best Cyberpunk Games: 18 Picks From 1988 to 2021, With a Start-Here PickA list of 18 cyberpunk video games with the year, the developer and a one-line take: from Snatcher and System Shock to Deus Ex, Cyberpunk 2077 and Cruelty Squad. Start with Cyberpunk 2077.
16. Cyberpunk Music: Synthwave, Industrial, Samurai and a Playlist to BuildWhat cyberpunk sounds like: Vangelis and Blade Runner, industrial, synthwave, the Samurai band in Cyberpunk 2077, the game's radio stations, Akira Yamaoka's Edgerunners score, and how to build a playlist.
17. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson: Plot, the Metaverse and Why It Isn't Quite CyberpunkSnow Crash (1992) is Neal Stephenson's novel about a pizza-delivering hacker, a skateboard courier and a virus that crashes brains. Plot, the Metaverse, what it invented and how it relates to cyberpunk.
18. The Matrix (1999) as Cyberpunk: What It Borrowed and What It ChangedIs The Matrix cyberpunk? The 1999 film by the Wachowskis, its Neuromancer and anime influences, the red pill, bullet time, and how it compares with Cyberpunk 2077 and the tabletop game.
19. Altered Carbon Lore: Stacks, Sleeves, Meths and the Netflix SeriesAltered Carbon explained: Richard K. Morgan's 2002 novel, how cortical stacks and sleeves work, who the Meths and Envoys are, and how the Netflix series differs from the book.
20. Cyberpunk Subgenres: Biopunk, Postcyberpunk, Solarpunk, Steampunk and the RestA field guide to the -punk genres: what biopunk, nanopunk, postcyberpunk, solarpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, atompunk and clockpunk mean, when each term appeared, and how they differ from cyberpunk.