3 ms·

Cyberpunk called this back in the 70's, 80's - Corporations come to rule the world and states become less and less relevant. I sometimes feel like we live in t

Cyberpunk called this back in the 70's, 80's - Corporations come to rule the world and states become less and less relevant. I sometimes feel like we live in that world already just without the cool neon/fashions. Drones, militarisation of the police, massive corporations that are basically immune to governments on a basic level.

topkai22 7y ago
I think a fair amount of cyberpunk also had an eye to the past, with the East India company and others like it serving as reference points to the mega corps of the “future” The East India company is gone, the railroads and US steel aren’t what they once were. And this age shall pass too.
- asdff 7y ago
  Just like how the breakup of bell liberated us from oppressive telecoms monopolizing our neighborhoods, and fostered competitive innovation in this field, right? It doesn't matter how many companies there are in an industry if the functional consequences on your life by that industry as a whole are the exact same if they were a single monolith. If it quacks like a duck... You say the railroads are a bygone era, just drive through San Marino to see what railroad money has bought and continues to buy to this very day. This wealth did not evaporate, it has only grown.
vorpalhex 7y ago
> just without the cool neon/fashions. We have EL wire and plenty of awesome cyberpunk fashion is available on places like Etsy. I fully support making cyberpunk fashion a thing. If I have to live in a dystopia, I at least want to look good doing it.
hindsightbias 7y ago
All that, but no Smartwheel skateboards yet.
- asdff 7y ago
  There are electric skateboards and that crazy onewheel thing. I've seen a very cyberpunk ebike rider in my neighborhood. No shirt, full gas mask, rides straight up the steepest hills and will stare you down until you look away first.
alasdair_ 7y ago
>I sometimes feel like we live in that world already just without the cool neon/fashions. I honestly think we'll see a cyberpunk renaissance (in terms of aesthetic) starting later this year and definitely in 2021. Not just because a game like Cyberpunk 2077 is coming out, but because of things like the Cybertruck (https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck) - it looks outlandish now, but I believe the designers knew what they were doing and understand trends and aesthetics better than most non-professionals. Then there are upcoming massive Hollywood releases like the Matrix 4 coming in 2021, as well as a reboot of Videodrome and Akira, plus games like Watchdogs: Legion etc. More mainstream culture is also embracing cyberpunk at the moment. Take the rapper Lil Nas X - https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/45887/1/lil-nas-x-panini-music-video-watch https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/45887/1/lil-nas-x... or the musician Grimes - https://www.pcgamer.com/grimes-reveals-how-her-cyberpunk-2077-character-became-a-solid-chrome-cyborg/ https://www.pcgamer.com/grimes-reveals-how-her-cyberpunk-207... Hell, this is a bag from Louis Vuitton that just screams "cyberpunk": https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/13/18617427/louis-vuitton-royole-cruise-2020-canvas-of-the-future-flexible-display-handbag https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/13/18617427/louis-vuitton-ro...

topkai22 7y ago

I think a fair amount of cyberpunk also had an eye to the past, with the East India company and others like it serving as reference points to the mega corps of the “future” The East India company is gone, the railroads and US steel aren’t what they once were. And this age shall pass too.

asdff 7y ago
Just like how the breakup of bell liberated us from oppressive telecoms monopolizing our neighborhoods, and fostered competitive innovation in this field, right? It doesn't matter how many companies there are in an industry if the functional consequences on your life by that industry as a whole are the exact same if they were a single monolith. If it quacks like a duck... You say the railroads are a bygone era, just drive through San Marino to see what railroad money has bought and continues to buy to this very day. This wealth did not evaporate, it has only grown.

vorpalhex 7y ago

> just without the cool neon/fashions. We have EL wire and plenty of awesome cyberpunk fashion is available on places like Etsy. I fully support making cyberpunk fashion a thing. If I have to live in a dystopia, I at least want to look good doing it.

hindsightbias 7y ago

All that, but no Smartwheel skateboards yet.

asdff 7y ago
There are electric skateboards and that crazy onewheel thing. I've seen a very cyberpunk ebike rider in my neighborhood. No shirt, full gas mask, rides straight up the steepest hills and will stare you down until you look away first.

alasdair_ 7y ago

>I sometimes feel like we live in that world already just without the cool neon/fashions. I honestly think we'll see a cyberpunk renaissance (in terms of aesthetic) starting later this year and definitely in 2021. Not just because a game like Cyberpunk 2077 is coming out, but because of things like the Cybertruck (https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck) - it looks outlandish now, but I believe the designers knew what they were doing and understand trends and aesthetics better than most non-professionals. Then there are upcoming massive Hollywood releases like the Matrix 4 coming in 2021, as well as a reboot of Videodrome and Akira, plus games like Watchdogs: Legion etc. More mainstream culture is also embracing cyberpunk at the moment. Take the rapper Lil Nas X - https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/45887/1/lil-nas-x-panini-music-video-watch https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/45887/1/lil-nas-x... or the musician Grimes - https://www.pcgamer.com/grimes-reveals-how-her-cyberpunk-2077-character-became-a-solid-chrome-cyborg/ https://www.pcgamer.com/grimes-reveals-how-her-cyberpunk-207... Hell, this is a bag from Louis Vuitton that just screams "cyberpunk": https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/13/18617427/louis-vuitton-royole-cruise-2020-canvas-of-the-future-flexible-display-handbag https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/13/18617427/louis-vuitton-ro...