6d ago

I want more cyberpunk stories with punks

I'm tired of hard-boiled detectives and mercenaries with augmentations. I want some cyberpunk stories with middle-finger-in-the-air, anti-authority, non-confirmist, angry punks. Can anyone give me some recommendations? Movies, games, books, whatever. Just something with a punk rock attitude... more than Johnny Silverhand.

I'm thinking things like Hackers, or Burst City, or the SINless duology, or maybe Cookie Cutter (which I haven't played). I'm annoyed that I can't think of more than that..

And I'm hoping KILLTUBE actually comes out. Although while it looks extremely punk, I'm not sure if it's angry punk. We'll see.

(cyberpunk skull picture from Mashiene11)

23 comments

Transmetropolitan (comic book) by Warren Ellis is everything you asked for, except the Punk element. Spider Jerusalem is a journalist that embodies everything about the aspect, though. He’s exceedingly anti-authoritarian, exists to antagonize societal and cultural norms, loud, in-your-face, and pretty much is everything punk except for the mohawk and circle pitting for 3-chord rebellious anthems.
- I really do need to read this one someday... It just seems overwhelming with so many issues. Do I have to read the whole thing? Is it all one cohesive story? Or is there a good stopping point somewhere in the middle where I can decide if I want to keep going?
  
  If I may make a recommendation on this one. I would at least read the first story about the transient riots, which concludes with the issue titled "Up On The Roof." Should give you an idea of what the world is like, the main character. From there, it's up to you if you want to continue. There is a broader narrative after that, but this short bit at the beginning should be enough to get an idea of whether you like it or not. Happy reading.
  
  The series reads well as one big story with a few different arca, especially if you get the big volumes. It's very much worth reading - try to get a high rez copy (so not Amazon) so you can appreciate the remarkably detailed crowd scenes

Shadowrun for the SNES has lots of punks! I love that game!

I have a copy of Josan's "The_Future_is_Now / Neon_Rising" and it's maybe the coolest fucking thing I've ever laid eyes on. The photos don't really do it justice, it's just page after large page of jaw-dropping, gritty, detailed cyberpunk illustration. Like if Mœbius was infected with some digital virus. And it tells a story and follows characters through the world he's created, and there's some limited text at the end. If you can get hold of a copy (no idea if that's difficult or not), it's seriously remarkable.
- Oh, Deathburger! He's the guy that made those cool covers for the Sprawl trilogy. I didn't realize he had a narrative book, neat!

You already mentioned the game so you may have already seen it but Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has what you want
- Yes, I think Edgerunners is more punk than the 2077 game. Good call!

The Watch Dogs games come to mind, eh.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch_Dogs
And yeah, Stephenson's Snowcrash is the GOAT.
- Oh good call. Dedsec from Watch_Dogs 2 is exactly what I'm thinking of. Thanks for the reminder!

Hiro and YT in snow crash are punk in their own respective ways, imo. You’ve probably already read that though.
- True, YT is pretty anti-establishment. I'm not sure if The Deliverator is a punk though. He's more of just a bad-ass.
  
  His rejection of the financial successes of Da5id and all the vanity around the black sun was pretty punk. He even puts on street gigs for his roommate

Have you read the Ghost Rider 2099 comics by Len Kaminski? The art is good too, but Kaminski's writing and cyberpunk stylings is inspired and inspiring.
- Is that the one from 1994 or 2019? I haven't read either, I'm just curious which one is better. The art looks cooler in the 2019 version but for all I know, the story may be worse.
  
  I was referring to the 1994 version.

I've got a story in the Big Book of Cyberpunk called Keep Portland Wired. Here's the blurb:
In an anarcho-capitalist near-future Portland, the government is extinct, corporations own everything, the poor with no credit score can’t even cross the street safely, and dissident punks race stolen rideable drones in dangerous rooftop competitions. Kal, a member of a local punk collective, finds that she can’t escape her past, no matter how hard she glides over the ruins of Portland’s landmarks.
- I saw this book in many bookshops and I was always tempted to buy it, how is it generally? This particular story seems very interesting!
  
  It's a great collection. There's a good variety of topics and styles and if you don't like one story, there's always another. Some of my favorite authors are included like Gibson, Sterling, Cadigan, Doctorow, and Stephenson. It's got a nice breadth to it such that lesser known authors could get included rather than only settling for the more well-known names and reprinted stories you might have already read elsewhere.

23 comments