This essay examines the intricate processes as to how and why Cyberpunk, a sub genre of science fiction, has become a fundamental instigator in technological ideologies of today. Cyberpunk, reflects as well as simultaneously encourages, global technological developments that dramatically impact our; social, political and economic systems. I’ll specifically be discussing how there has been epidemic growth within hacker communities in recent times, which has been discreetly effectuated by the cyberpunk genre. Instituted either by governments or by vigilante parties, hacker communities may differ greatly in policy; though have a unified perogative to align the collective’s ideology with the public. Thereby engaging in cyber warfare and intelligence collection, aspiring to obtain the collectives ‘justice’. Ergo, I will be critically observing the cinematic historical progression of cyberpunk, as well as acknowledging literary importance, of the development of societal ideologies attributed to the genre. Subsequently, I will evaluate the reflections and consequences of cyberpunk. By which I will discuss the infringement of the right of privacy both individually as well as within governing bodies; in addition to, the flourishing prevalence of cyber attacks. Finally, deliberating upon the future of technology and its affect on democracy, privacy and autonomy.
Cyberpunk, as defined by the Oxford dictionary, is ’a genre of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology’. Fundamentally, cyberpunk is characterised by ‘high tech, low life’ narratives, sustained by one of either two ideologies. Which are, reflecting and stimulating our reliance on technology or corporate institutions utilising malicious technology to infringe on personal freedom. Cyberpunk has been socially curated over the last century, therefore developing a rich and rather notorious history.
Science fiction initiated cyber futuristic ideologies in the 1920s and 30s, publishing work such as Hugo Gernsback and John Campbell’s (1926) Pulp Magazines, Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories; focusing exclusively on the advancement of technology. This authorised a virgin precedent for critiquing the philosophy and responsibility associated with technology. Succeeding the ‘pulp-era’, the 1940s and 50s gave rise to the Golden Age of science fiction, which solidified paranoia surrounding technological weaponisation in Western society, directly reflecting the prodigious postwar implications of World War II. The Golden Age’s, literary and cinematic content, rather unanimously exposed societies’ thoughtless pledge towards technology; displaying future repercussions if technology’s development isn’t regulated. By the 1960s and 70s, there is a distinguishable rejuvenation of the genre, known as the ‘New wave’. The movement was separatist to previous science fiction, revolved around post modern defamiliarised environments whilst contributing experimental paranoid aesthetics. It was largely associated with the 1960s youth rebellion, disclosing; drug and sex revolutions, postmodern western punk subculture and avoiding utopian inclinations. The New Wave invited engagement, associating with predominantly younger audiences which saw a large increase of science fiction films. During this time, hacker communities were establish at MIT, engaging in cybernetics and promoting the free use of Internet. The culture of hacking consisted of light cyber concerned antics that where; playful, niche yet potentially threatening. In spite of the trending success of science-fiction, computer scientists involved in hacking were often referred to as "computer–science freaks.” The constitutional theory behind hacking was immediately regarded as ‘weird’ and not accepted in mainstream society. This stigmatisation contributed to the secrecy and private nature attributed to hacker communities today.
By the late 1960s, ’Do androids dream of electric sheep?’ (1968) by Philip K. Dick definitively epitomised the ‘New wave’. The novel was set in post-apocalyptic near-future America, after a nuclear war had decimated Earth. The U.N. encourages citizens to relocate to one of the colonies, predominantly found on Mars. Obtaining free labour from android servants when relocating to the brutal conditions of ‘the colonies’. The androids are indistinguishable from humans physically and emotionally and are only legal within the colonies. Therefore androids that escape to the ‘rebuilt’ Earth are illegal. Rick Deckard (the protagonist) is required by the ruling autocracy, to suspend his moral and philosophical inhibitions and ‘retire’ -destroy- androids that have escaped to Earth. Michael Berman writes that Dick ‘‘Constantly explored and scrutinised the tensions between the artificial and the natural, appearance and reality…superficiality and authenticity.” Surmising societies apparitional fear of the intellectual growth and societal cohesion of technology. The success of the novel was critical for its further popularisation as Ridley Scott’s film Blade runner (1988).
Raymond Williams' Marxist cultural theory, illustrates the understanding of hegemony, communicating that interactions and events maintain or transform social/political oppression. Revealing the relation of domination and subordination limit economic, political and cultural systems. This is particularly relevant when critiquing Blade Runner by Ridley Scott. William suggests that hegemony has “the strongest sense of a culture, but a culture that also has to be seen as the lived dominance and subordination of particular classes.” Whereby Scott, through the work of Dick, comments particularly on capitalism and the social class structure. This is further evidenced by the slums and poor conditions of which the ‘unsuccessful’ live. Convincingly, it displayed dehumanised government policies, reflecting upon the increasing amount of malicious government interference. A real life example being Pakistan’s NADRA, a government institution that documents all cyber actions and personal data. This directly implicates hacker communities, as government intervention of any kind, is fundamentally unlawful within hacker ideology. Blade Runner’s ideology manifested in mainstream media and soon was regarded as an acclaimed ‘cult film’. By 1993 it was selected to be preserved in the US National film registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
The scholars interest in both the significance of literature and the film, soon postulated for a radical specialisation of the genre in the late 1970s and 80s. The dystopian, urban techno futuristic environments, visualised lawless subcultures and oppressive societies, cyborgs and alternative hackers fighting institutional control. The establishment of cyberpunk is finally constituted, derived of a portmanteau of ‘cybernetics’ and ‘punk. “The invention of the c-word [cyberpunk] was a conscious and deliberate act of creation on my part”, writes Bruce Bethke, who coined the term cyberpunk.
The authorisation of the genre diversified cyberpunk, developing quintessential content that presented cyberpunk’s enduring face as an independent genre. By which, Neuromancer (1984) a novel by American-Canadian writer William Gibson and Akira (1988) film by Director Katsuhiro Otomo are responsible. Akira is a post-apocalyptic dystopian manga, set in the chaos of Neo-Tokyo’s Metropolis. It was the most financially accredited animated film of its time; responsible for the 1990’s boom of Anime in the West, in which cyberpunk consequently attracted audiences from multiple mediums within film. Furthermore, appropriating a safe place for virtual fanatic “outcasts”, who are heroised in cyberpunk. Intentionally emphasising the role of technology and subliminally expanding hacker communities potential outreach.
Nonetheless, Neuromancer held global significance for its inspirational development of countless cyberpunk films, including; The Matrix, Cicurity man, Robocop and The Terminator. Neuromancer demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence monopoly, imperfect protagonists synonymous with a hacker identity and the creation of ‘cyberspace’. Gibson was therefore accredited with not only undeniable cyberpunk influence but dubbed the first ideological pseudonym for the Internet. He expressed in the Mississippi Review that, "My feelings about technology are totally ambivalent. Ambivalence seems to me to be the only way to relate to what's happening today...You can't be a Luddite? and you can't buy technocracy”. Gibson’s substantial literary theories reflect impending threat to democracy, autonomy and privacy. To further Gibson’s theoretical prominence, an MIT technological review suggested that “Sci-fi movies, shows or stories do provide an inspiration for the foremost and upcoming human-computer interaction challenges of our time”. Congruent with Gibson’s ideas concerning the unregulated dominant powers controlling the Internet, the self prophetic sequence of events regarding the 2016 Trump-PutinCyber administration election is comical. The Russian cyber interference with the self-proclaimed ‘most democratic’ country in the world, duped their electoral system. A vigilante hacker community, hired by the Russian government, was the hybrid of advancing technological weaponisation to attain a collective’s objective. The recent Trump controversy, is a statement of the growth within the hacker community; directly implementing ‘past future dystopias’ concerning the technological threat to democracy.
It is necessary, when discussing cyberpunk’s influence on the hacker community and vice versa, to examine the rich theory within Charlie Brooker’s Black mirror. The title ‘Black mirror’ sustains the structural integrity of the anthology, effectively conveying the anthology’s theme - a dark reflection on societies infatuation with technology. Black mirror glorifies loner virtual communities that oppose capitalistic ideology. It’s debut feature episode, ‘the national anthem’ on channel 4, accumulated two million views. Arguably, the most watch cyberpunk anthology ever; gaining affinity from the public and deemed successful among critics. The plot composes of the Prime minister of the United Kingdom subject to an anonymous threat. It further details, that conditional to a member of the British Royal family's captor’s release, the Prime minister must have sexual intercourse with a pig on live television. The episode comprehensively mutilated democratic hierarchy and security. The coercive agenda soon demonetised the egregious nature of the threat. Subliminally discussing, the social fragmentation derivative of the prominence of cyber attacks; emphasising the flagrant disregard of technology’s affect on people. The abrupt yet highly sophisticated approach, suggested that reasonable transactions of cyber knowledge, from an average individual, can threaten the nobility of democracy.
Nonetheless, a year prior to “the national anthem’s” release; the International Atomic Energy Agency visiting the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in Iran, discovered that the centrifuges were failing at unprecedented rates. Researchers found malicious malware affecting the uranium plant’s regulations. Specific computers were hijacked, centrifuges were targeted and subject to continual malfunctions, causing physical damage to the equipment. A virus, now known as Stuxnet, was the first digitised weapon to physically execute an attack.The now identified, Israeli-USA attack to stop the production of nuclear power, promoted the Iranian government to recruit young Iranians to be apart of the cybersecurity military force. Thus the anthology’s release reflects the current cultural societal shift regarding technology.
Conclusion
Cyberpunk has had an exponential growth over that last century. Comparatively, cyberpunk of the 1920s to the cyberpunk of today, is grossly different. The cyclical nature of the growing exposure of cyberpunk’s filmography, in conjunction with the growing amount of cyber attacks are reliant on each other's success. The future of modern society will see an increase in the cyberpunk genre, inspiring young adults to pursue the virtual world. Our lives are moving into the technological cyber multiverse and films have the opportunity to reflect and stimulate thought of our ‘new world’. However, the increasing number of cyber attacks and lack of education seems that, cyberpunk is becoming increasingly the instigator of pursuing the ‘hacker’ lifestyle.
It is necessary, when discussing cyberpunk’s influence on the hacker community and vice versa, to examine the rich theory within Charlie Brooker’s Black mirror. The title ‘Black mirror’ sustains the structural integrity of the anthology, effectively conveying the anthology’s theme - a dark reflection on societies infatuation with technology. Black mirror glorifies loner virtual communities that oppose capitalistic ideology. It’s debut feature episode, ‘the national anthem’ on channel 4, accumulated two million views. Arguably, the most watch cyberpunk anthology ever; gaining affinity from the public and deemed successful among critics. The plot composes of the Prime minister of the United Kingdom subject to an anonymous threat. It further details, that conditional to a member of the British Royal family's captor’s release, the Prime minister must have sexual intercourse with a pig on live television. The episode comprehensively mutilated democratic hierarchy and security. The coercive agenda soon demonetised the egregious nature of the threat. Subliminally discussing, the social fragmentation derivative of the prominence of cyber attacks; emphasising the flagrant disregard of technology’s affect on people. The abrupt yet highly sophisticated approach, suggested that reasonable transactions of cyber knowledge, from an average individual, can threaten the nobility of democracy.
Nonetheless, a year prior to “the national anthem’s” release; the International Atomic Energy Agency visiting the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in Iran, discovered that the centrifuges were failing at unprecedented rates. Researchers found malicious malware affecting the uranium plant’s regulations. Specific computers were hijacked, centrifuges were targeted and subject to continual malfunctions, causing physical damage to the equipment. A virus, now known as Stuxnet, was the first digitised weapon to physically execute an attack.The now identified, Israeli-USA attack to stop the production of nuclear power, promoted the Iranian government to recruit young Iranians to be apart of the cybersecurity military force. Thus the anthology’s release reflects the current cultural societal shift regarding technology.
Conclusion
Cyberpunk has had an exponential growth over that last century. Comparatively, cyberpunk of the 1920s to the cyberpunk of today, is grossly different. The cyclical nature of the growing exposure of cyberpunk’s filmography, in conjunction with the growing amount of cyber attacks are reliant on each other's success. The future of modern society will see an increase in the cyberpunk genre, inspiring young adults to pursue the virtual world. Our lives are moving into the technological cyber multiverse and films have the opportunity to reflect and stimulate thought of our ‘new world’. However, the increasing number of cyber attacks and lack of education seems that, cyberpunk is becoming increasingly the instigator of pursuing the ‘hacker’ lifestyle.
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