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Post-Cyber Punk: Difference between revisions
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Where Cyberpunk is [[Dystopia|dystopian]] and [[Grimdark]] with a disillusionment for Utopian science fiction, [[Post Cyber Punk]] is positive yet more realistic than both cyberpunk and utopian sci-fi. Where Cyberpunk is anti-corporate and anti-government, [[Post Cyber Punk]] is willing to give both parties redeeming features. Where Cyberpunk portrays the future as a [[Crapsack World]], [[Post Cyber Punk]] posits society will probably be about the same, just with cooler gadgets. Where Cyberpunk is futuristic, forward thinking and on the cutting edge...so is [[Post Cyber Punk]].
[[Post Cyber Punk]] is the [[Post Something Ism|reaction]] to the [[Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy]] of Cyberpunk. Of course, [[Post Cyber Punk]] involves [[Reconstruction]] of concepts Cyberpunk deconstructed, or deconstruction of [[Cyberpunk Tropes]] (such as [[Dystopia Is Hard|the Dystopia]]). The Cyberpunk genre itself was meant as a reaction to utopian fiction popular in the 1940s and 1950s while exploring technology's possibility for abuse [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]] (tech from ''[[Star Trek]]'' will just result in ''[[Brave New World (
What the old and new Cyberpunk genres share is a detailed immersion in societies enmeshed with technology. They explore the emergent possibilities of connectivity and technological change. What [[Post Cyber Punk]] has that separates it from pure-Cyperpunk works, is an emphasis on positive socialization. In Lawrence Person's ''[http://slashdot.org/features/99/10/08/2123255.shtml Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto]'' he describes typical Post-Cyberpunk protagonists as "anchored in their society rather than adrift in it. They have careers, friends, obligations, responsibilities, and all the trappings of an 'ordinary' life." For this reason, character goals also differed characteristically, "Cyberpunk characters frequently seek to topple or exploit corrupt social orders. Postcyberpunk characters tend to seek ways to live in, or even strengthen, an existing social order, or help construct a better one." In other words, there is a notable absence of 'punk' elements as found in most other [[Punk Punk]] genres. And in recent years several works that rely heavily on the post-cyberpunk conventions and tropes and have a strong post-cyberpunk atmosphere managed to drop most of the 'cyber' aspects as well. (see ''[[Inception]]'' and ''[[
Aside from this main difference, the two sister-genres share many themes, tropes and story elements to the point that many question the legitimacy of this genre as separate from [[Cyberpunk]], and contend that Post-Cyberpunk is simply Cyberpunk expanded beyond its base and taken further logically. Purists, however, see a definite difference.
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* Though Shiro's less famous manga ''[[Appleseed]]'' starts with two soldiers scavenging for food [[Scavenger World|in the wake of a nuclear holocaust]] fighting against gangs of mercenaries, they are soon taken to a city of [[Crystal Spires and Togas]], where they are hired as paramilitary police officers.
* ''[[Summer Wars]]'' is a shining example of this, what with the fact that a virtual world is the thing that connects everything together. Not to mention the [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]] setting.
* ''[[Dennou Coil]]'', which is best described as "''[[Ghost in
* ''[[Real Drive]]'', which is basically "''[[Dennou Coil]]'' as done by Shirow Masamune".
* ''[[Kurau Phantom Memory]]''
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* The ''[[.hack]]'' franchise.
* The ''[[Digimon]]'' series is perhaps an extreme example of Post-cyberpunk characterization. The main heroes are just normal kids with families and friends, who happen to also restore order to the Digital World, not to mention forge unbreakable bonds of friendship with sentient computer programs capable of materializing in the physical plane. Also, there is a important focus on relationships as much as world saving.
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' has elements of this. Corrupt corporations and conspiracies? Check. Cyberspace? Check. Normal kids fighting evil? Check. While fighting consist of card games instead of high-tech action, the characterization and goals match.
* ''[[Ergo Proxy]]'' straddles the line between classic Cyberpunk and [[Post Cyber Punk]]
* ''[[Time of Eve]]''
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* ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' borders this: While science has brought great wonders to humanity, humans are still the same old assholes. The most popular fast food franchise of the future serves cloned human meat.
** Note that this key factor is what makes ''Transmetropolitan'' Postcyberpunk - the technology does not alienate people; '''people''' alienate people. The bizarre transgenic modifications actively help to bring about social good and fight the apathy choking the system.
* ''[[The Surrogates (
* ''[[Wild CATS|Wildcats 3.0]]''. A huge [[Mega Corp]] answerable to none buying out entire conglomerates, technological advances leading to social upheaval, and ineffective governments looking out for their own economic interests. All the elements of a [[Cyberpunk]] world, but with a twist; the [[Mega Corp]] is entirely altruistic. Interestingly, most of the characters are [[Genre Savvy]] enough to be very aware of the implications. Even the two people who know the [[Mega Corp]] best wonder if a [[Mega Corp]] can actually be anything ''but'' malicious.
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* [[Bruce Sterling|Bruce Sterling's]] 1988 novel, ''[[Islands in The Net]]'' is one of the original [[Post Cyber Punk]] works. Sterling tackles the problem of corporate power head on, envisaging Rizone, a highly networked multinational founded on "economic democracy."
** His two interlinked short stories, ''Maneki Neko'' and ''Bicycle Repairman'', both published in his seminal collection [[Meaningful Name|meaningfully called]] ''Good Old-Fashioned Future'', arguably do an even better job at it, due to being written more than a decade later, when his ideas became clearer. But then, Sterling has always been [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|''less'' bleak]] than most of the [[Cyberpunk]] authors.
* [[William Gibson|William Gibson's]] [[Bigend Books]] (trilogy?) moves the other [[Ur]] [[Cyberpunk]] author into this territory. Although, ''[[Spook Country]]'' (written agaisnt the background of [[The War
* [[Vernor Vinge]]'s 1984 novel ''[[
* In Neal Asher's [[Polity Series]], the protagonists are loyal to a benevolent autocratic government controlled by advanced artificial intelligence, and the universe is coming close to [[The Singularity]]. Essentially, the series takes the scope of [[Space Opera]] (with particular influence of [[The Culture]]), but gives it the gritty tone of [[Cyberpunk]].
* Walter Jon Williams's more recent books (''[[This Is Not A Game]]'', ''[[Deep State]]'') are definitely in this genre (of the [[Twenty Minutes in The Future]] variety).
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* While ''[[Daemon]]'' by Daniel Suarez is a [[Cyberpunk]] [[technothriller]], its sequel, ''Freedom<sup>TM</sup>'', deals with the establishment of a new social order in the aftermath of the first book's open class warfare.
* Elizabeth Bear's Jenny Casey trilogy.
* [[Matt Ruff]]'s ''[[Sewer, Gas
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== Web Original ==
* ''[[Chaos Fighters]] II-Cyberion Strike'' and ''[[Chaos Fighters]]: Cyber Assault-The Secret Programs''. However,{{spoiler|the guardians (similar to navis in [[
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== Video Games ==
* The ''[[Megami Tensei]]'' series has many cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk elements.
* ''[[
** The endings are pretty bleak though: {{spoiler|humanity is either [[Big Brother Is Watching|controlled by a powerful AI as a benevolent world dictator]], [[Ancient Conspiracy|or controlled by a "democratic" group of rich old men]], [[Reset Button|or not controlled at all by anyone but as a side-effect technology takes some dramatic steps back.]]}}
* The ''[[.hack]]'' franchise.
* ''[[
* ''[[
** Add all-encompassing Wi-Fi connectivity, angst, and aliens attracted to loneliness and you get ''[[Mega Man Star Force]]''.
* The ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' series (with the exception of MGS3, which takes place in the 1960s) features a lot of post-cyberpunk themes and technology, and it becomes really strong with the introduction of the Patriots in MGS2.
* ''[[
** The game actually sits right on the edge (no pun intended) of old-school cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk with the main character Faith being a member of the underground who resist the oppressive and authoritarian government who tries to rescue her sister, who is a police officer working for the very same corrupt politicians. As a kind of minor twist in the later parts of the game {{spoiler|most of the Runners realize that they are the only ones who still believe their world follows the conventions of cyberpunk, while everyone else has accepted that reality is much more like post-cyberpunk. With their feeble rebellion against the establishment being both futile and pointless, many chose to rejoin society rather than hiding from cops in air shafts all their life.}}
* The Terran society in ''[[Starcraft]]'' is a crossover between this and [[Space Western]].
* ''[[Chaos
* ''[[Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere]]''
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