Insights October 12th, 2015

 
Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre noted for its focus on “high tech and low life.” The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story “Cyberpunk,” published in 1983.
Cyberpunk is Not Dead talks about the effect that it had on the world. While Cyberpunk was born in the 1980s it is certainly not dead. Today, art, film, business, electronic revolution, and kids Snapchatting keeps Cyberpunk very alive.

Cyberpunk was supposed to be a warning. Instead, it became an ideal. And now we’re living in it. Welcome to the future.

Klint Finley from his WIRED article.
Here is a definitive FAQ on Cyberpunk and please read/watch on…

Cyberpunk Documentary

This is the definitive documentary from the 1980s that covers all elements of what Cyberpunk was, and might become.

Cyberpunk in 2013: The Dystopian Prism

This session was recorded at the Nine Worlds Geekfest in London in 2013.
Technology is advancing at a huge rate and with it are the moral and social questions it brings. Is Cyberpunk culture’s immune response to this advancement, engulfing the issues within stories, films and games to flag these issues in advance or has it become a self-fulfilling prophecy with the inevitable end where we’ll be reading a DRM-locked copy Neuromancer in Google Glass as the irony passes us by. Join us and some of the top creators in this field to talk, cyber, punk, tech, specs and crashes together.
This panel is moderated by Helen Keen:

  • Cory Doctorow — Co-editor of Boing Boing and author of novels such as Pirate Cinema and Makers.
  • Charles Stross — Author of Halting State series and many more.
  • Kieron Gillen — Comic author on titles such as Uncanny X-Men and more.
  • Jan Wagner — Cliffhanger Productions, developers of Jagged Alliance and Shadowrun Online
  • Rafal Praszczalek (Writer) and Antoni Strzalkowski (Producer) on CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077
  • Dr. Demis Hassabis, former games developer (Syndicate, Republic: The Revolution) and now neuroscientist (and Sir
  • Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow)

William Gibson on Technology, Science Fiction and the Apocalypse

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his landmark novel “Neuromancer,” William Gibson is joined in conversation by author Carol Anshaw in 2014 to talk about a broad range of subjects and that the apocalypse may take 50 years.

Sundays

This year, in 2015, a short movie called Sundays hit Vimeo. It has all of the sensibilities of Cyberpunk with the modern polish of low budget yet high definition and quality of the modern filmmakers ecosystem.
Sundays is set in Mexico City sometime in the future.
The end of the world seems like a nightmare to Ben. A memory of a past life that doesn’t belong to him. When Ben starts to remember Isabelle, the only love he’s ever known, he realises she’s missing in his life. An existential descent into confusion and the desperate need to find out the truth begins. This reality depicts a stunning, surprising and dark world. A world that is clearly not his.

See my recent Top-5 Futures articles for some modern Cyberpunk:

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Nikolas Badminton is a world-respected futurist speaker that researches, speaks, and writes about the future of work, how technology is affecting the workplace, how workers are adapting, the sharing economy, and how the world is evolving. He appears at conferences in Canada, USA, UK, and Europe. Email him to book him for your radio, TV show, or conference.

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Futurist Keynote Speaker and Consultant - Nikolas Badminton

CEO of EXPONENTIAL MINDS and an award-winning Futurist Speaker, researcher and author. His expertise and thought leadership will guide you from complacency to thinking exponentially, planning for longevity, and encouraging a culture of innovation. You will then establish resiliency and abundance in your organization. Please reach out to discuss how he can help you, and read on to see what is happening in the world this week.

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