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WRITING GLOSSARY

What is Cyberpunk?

Cyberpunk is a science fiction subgenre set in high-tech, low-life futures where corporations, hackers, and cybernetics dominate.

Definition

Cyberpunk is a science fiction subgenre set in high-tech, low-life futures where corporations, hackers, and cybernetics dominate. It often critiques power, surveillance, and inequality in urban dystopias.

Example

A street hacker hired to crack a megacorp database while dodging neural implants gone wrong is cyberpunk.

Related terms

Common mistakes

  • Adding neon and rain without exploring systemic inequality or tech consequences.
  • Assuming cyberpunk must always be set in the 1980s vision of the future.
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