Category: cyberpunk

Dystopian Future visions only on economic heights!

Cirlot and I are just now discussing why cyberpunk seems to be big in Germany, but not in the US. I think it has something to do with economic circles and the fact that Germanys more advanced social security system prevented the necessary angst till now (Germany just saw a massive decrease in social security in the last years. We are back to public soup kitchens!)

Looks like I’m wrong! io9 (I talked about that fantastic blog already) has created this wonderful graph:

When The Economy Booms, Dystopias Rule

(click for larger image)

Charlie Jane Anders thinks

So what’s going on here? A few explanations suggest themselves. Movie execs may greenlight dystopian films during economic downturns, and their immediate aftermath, but it may take a few years for those films to work their way through the development process and hit your screens. But it’s also possible that when things are at their brightest economically, people feel the most insecure because they know the good times won’t last forever. So boom times are when people most need stories about people surviving the bad times. Or maybe it’s just that film-makers are a contrary bunch, who want to rub your face in the dirt just when you’re feeling your brightest.

So what? Even I’m sometimes wrong. Please don’t tell my girlfriend.

Cyberware NOW: The "Luke" Arm

I found another video report about a “current-day” Cyberarm. It’s amazing what “we” can do today. Now process this thing on to a designer to give it adecent style, add some of the hydraulics of the exoskeleton mentioned elsewhere here on cyberpunk2020.de, and we’re good to go :)

Here’s the Link to the Video

Privacy: Luxury of the dirt-poor

The erosion of privacy has been predicted by every darkfuture writer and his dog. I saw the risk, but used to think that people (esp. my fellow germans) would never submit their data willingly. We suffered through the Gestapo (Nazi secret police) and the Stasi (East German secret police). Both collected huge amounts of data, spying on everybody. When I was a boy, the West German people almost started a revolution to prevent a census of their data. Our supreme court developed protectional rulings. Everything seemed fine. Till this year. Thinly veiled as protection from terrorist attacks, they spy on everything. Modern tech makes it possible.
Now I learn that even emigration isn’t an option:
Map of privacy violations by nation

More and very detailed information can be found here (the’re also the source for this great map).

Programming 106: Everyone's Kung Fu Fighting!

Programming 106:
Everyone’s Kung Fu Fighting!
Clap of Thunder
CLASS: Anti-Personnel COST: 4,650eb
STRENGTH: 6 MU: 5
PROGRAMMING: 186 DIFFICULTY: 31
FUNCTION(S): Anti-Personnel
OPTION(S): Superrealistic Icon
COST MULTIPLIER: x25 (Anti-Personnel x25)
ICON: A rippling wave of black electricity.
DATA: The Icon of the netrunner shouts, “Clap of thunder!”, then claps his/her hands together to cause the rippling effect in the ‘net. The attack will cause 4d6 points of neural damage to the target ‘runner and will push him/her back 1d6+1 spaces. Continue reading “Programming 106: Everyone's Kung Fu Fighting!”

More Hello Kitty Craziness

Once you have started collecting stuff and following weird links to a certain suspect … erh … subject, you end up in very strange places indeed. This week’s excursion brings us to Youtube, where we find a collection of everything Hello Kitty from guns to dental work, tarot cards and hash pipes, one pseudo-exclusive vid of the Hello Kitty Gun in pseudo-action and a (fake) interview with the Prime Minister of Japan about the Hello Kitty Gun! Enjoy!

[youtube _E3WPEaJJIc]

Continue reading “More Hello Kitty Craziness”

Cyb3rpunk | Jawz

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Jawz ist ein Riese von Kerl und der Anführer der Skullz Gang, welche den Tower und die umliegenden Blöcke in Downtown Newark (New State City) für sich beansprucht.

Der Metallkiefer, dem Jawz seinen Namen verdankt, ist ein Andenken an eine Konfrontation mit den Projax von jenseits des Containerparks, auf die sich der herrschende Krieg mit der weißen Hassgang zu großen Teilen zurückführen lässt.Damals – 2033 – lag das Skullz-Gebiet noch eher westlich, ehe die Idylle von den plötzlich auftauchenden Projax zerstört wurde. Ohne Vorwarnung erfolgte der Angriff. Der damalige Anführer der Skullz, Skel-J, wurde aus einem fahrenden Auto heraus erschossen, Jawz (damals noch Collar und Lieutenant der Gang) wurde im Containerpark überfallen und so lange ins Gesicht geschlagen, bis von seinem Unterkiefer nur noch penny-große Trümmerstücke übrig waren. Continue reading “Cyb3rpunk | Jawz”

Cyberpunk Fashion Scan 1: Boots

Blog | Cyberpunk Fashion Scan

11 02 2008
“Attitude is everything” is and always has been the rallying cry for all true Cyberpunks. And what better to project one’s attitude than the way you dress and style yourself?

In this and other articles of the same venue, I’ll try to shed some light on the various fashion trends that make up Cyberpunk fashion. Today – and tomorrow. In addition to “classic” EBM and Industrial fashion – and Gothic fashion galore, of course – you will also see what new technologies – like the “wearable computer” – can contribute to future fashion trends.

For this first edition of the Cyberpunk Fashion Scan CFS, let’s take a look at shoes.

All of the following examples are real and actually quite buyable shoes from the German shop X-tra-x (available in German or English). I don’t know if they ship to customers outside Germany, but I think so. They are located here in Berlin and have greatly contributed to what can be called a “renaissance” of hard combat boots.

boot1.jpgboot2.jpgboot3.jpgboot4.jpgboot5.jpgboot6.jpgboot7.jpgboot8.jpgboot9.jpgboot10.jpgboot11.jpg

Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture!

One of the pics above features a cool fashion item not for the foot, but the forearm. Have you discovered it? *g*

Please check also this website that features an ongoing Cyberpunk fashion project. And if you know other sites with or about Cyberpunk fashion, please leave a comment!

Cyb3rpunk | New State City Setting

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[ newstate, i.s.a. ]

Newstate ist der neueste Staat der Incorporated States of America (I.S.A.). Er entstand aus der Zwangsvereinigung verschiedener vormals getrennter Staaten im Nordosten des Landes zum Zwecke einer “Revitalisierung” der seit Jahrzehnten von Krisen geschüttelten und im Niedergang begriffenen Vorzeige-Region der alten USA.Speziell der Niedergang New Yorks im Nachgang des nuklearen Terroranschlages und das desaströse Ende der Arkologieprojekte während des Zusammenbruchs haben zum faktischen Ende des Wirtschaftsstandorts Nordost Continue reading “Cyb3rpunk | New State City Setting”