7 ms·

Ironically, focusing criticism on the aesthetics is itself "staying shallow". Much cyberpunk media does serve as a critique of the status quo or an imagined fut

Ironically, focusing criticism on the aesthetics is itself "staying shallow". Much cyberpunk media does serve as a critique of the status quo or an imagined future dystopia, as I assume he would prefer, but with some neon on the surface.

the_af 5y ago
I don't think Gibson minds the aesthetic in particular; what he is saying, if I understand him correctly, is that nobody cares about cyberpunk except for the aesthetic. There's nothing beyond it. If there is something, it's the same old tropes about big bad evil 80s-style corporations, usually with a vague Japanese or Asian theme. Everything that was novel about cyberpunk has now been absorbed into the mainstream and has become just another trope to be used by videogame/movie/anime authors. It's as lazy as it gets, and definitely not punk.
- pmoriarty 5y ago
  "It's as lazy as it gets, and definitely not punk." Reading is not very punk, though arguing what punk is is definitely punk.
  - Loughla 5y ago
    I would argue that reading, today, absolutely is punk. When the main-stream is delivered at a sixth grade level, in 15 second sound bites with talking heads or funny dances behind it. . . what is more punk that being extraordinarily well-read?
    - TremendousJudge 5y ago
      >what is more punk that being extraordinarily well-read Having recently been to several punk rock shows (read: damp basement noise fests), I'd say: having a blue collar job, being against "the system", doing copious amounts of cocaine and speed on their time off, and having their entire body blasted with tattoos such as a hand flipping you off, a trash can overflowing with garbage, and many insults. I thought this particular kind of people didn't exist anymore, but no, they're still alive and moshing in the basements of most cities.
      - porbelm 5y ago
        That's just a mainstream punk aesthetic though A blue collar person with tattoos that is also WELL READ instead of JUST moshing though? That's punk.
- teknopaul 5y ago
  After cyberpunk came steampunk (and all the other x-punks) devoid of anything but visual aesthetic; He has a point IMHO; Big fan of Invurt:: groks cyberpunk; made no attempt to copy the aesthetic;
  - ghostpepper 5y ago
    What is Invurt?
    - dylan604 5y ago
      1/Vurt naturally ;P https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17401136-vurt https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17401136-vurt
  - clem 5y ago
    Gibson has only himself and Sterling to blame for steampunk, given their joint work on The Difference Engine.
- Cthulhu_ 5y ago
  I'm not entirely convinced of that attitude; plenty of science fiction in a cyberpunk setting have strong underlying messages, of e.g. personal identity, capitalism, privacy, overpopulation, sex work, drugs, classism, AI, environment / global warming, etc; some of the big names there would be (imo, I'm no expert and I can't think of much) Ghost in the Shell, Altered Carbon, The Matrix, some episodes of Love Death & Robots and even Black Mirror, to name a few.
  - yike321123 5y ago

the_af 5y ago

I don't think Gibson minds the aesthetic in particular; what he is saying, if I understand him correctly, is that nobody cares about cyberpunk except for the aesthetic. There's nothing beyond it. If there is something, it's the same old tropes about big bad evil 80s-style corporations, usually with a vague Japanese or Asian theme. Everything that was novel about cyberpunk has now been absorbed into the mainstream and has become just another trope to be used by videogame/movie/anime authors. It's as lazy as it gets, and definitely not punk.

pmoriarty 5y ago
"It's as lazy as it gets, and definitely not punk." Reading is not very punk, though arguing what punk is is definitely punk.
- Loughla 5y ago
  I would argue that reading, today, absolutely is punk. When the main-stream is delivered at a sixth grade level, in 15 second sound bites with talking heads or funny dances behind it. . . what is more punk that being extraordinarily well-read?
  - TremendousJudge 5y ago
    >what is more punk that being extraordinarily well-read Having recently been to several punk rock shows (read: damp basement noise fests), I'd say: having a blue collar job, being against "the system", doing copious amounts of cocaine and speed on their time off, and having their entire body blasted with tattoos such as a hand flipping you off, a trash can overflowing with garbage, and many insults. I thought this particular kind of people didn't exist anymore, but no, they're still alive and moshing in the basements of most cities.
    - porbelm 5y ago
      That's just a mainstream punk aesthetic though A blue collar person with tattoos that is also WELL READ instead of JUST moshing though? That's punk.
teknopaul 5y ago
After cyberpunk came steampunk (and all the other x-punks) devoid of anything but visual aesthetic; He has a point IMHO; Big fan of Invurt:: groks cyberpunk; made no attempt to copy the aesthetic;
- ghostpepper 5y ago
  What is Invurt?
  - dylan604 5y ago
    1/Vurt naturally ;P https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17401136-vurt https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17401136-vurt
- clem 5y ago
  Gibson has only himself and Sterling to blame for steampunk, given their joint work on The Difference Engine.
Cthulhu_ 5y ago
I'm not entirely convinced of that attitude; plenty of science fiction in a cyberpunk setting have strong underlying messages, of e.g. personal identity, capitalism, privacy, overpopulation, sex work, drugs, classism, AI, environment / global warming, etc; some of the big names there would be (imo, I'm no expert and I can't think of much) Ghost in the Shell, Altered Carbon, The Matrix, some episodes of Love Death & Robots and even Black Mirror, to name a few.
- yike321123 5y ago