I need help from cyberpunk fans in order to become one.

[Alpha8Wolf]

I need help from cyberpunk fans in order to become one.

Where do I start?

When I found the Witcher game and I fell in love with it, I immediately read all the books. The lore became my oxygen for a few weeks.

Now the devs are making a new game called Cyberpunk 2077 also with a unique and awesome lore. BUT (here comes your help) there are no books to read.

Or so I think.

What I need is for someone to tell me where to start? I have a basic understanding of tabletop pen and paper games. And that's it. I've played mass effect and deus ex if that matters. It seems like the kind of lore I'd love so...

Someone write a step by step introduction for newbies to the lore of Cyberpunk.

My favorite way of getting into the lore is reading books. So are there any cyberpunk books? Which one should I start with?

Thanks in advance

 

[Maelcom404]

Cyberpunk 2077 is a video game adaptation of the tabletop RPG "Cyberpunk 2020"

I figure you already checked what Cyberpunk is about as a genre (it's pretty easy to have an overall idea about it)

Mass Effect is more "sci-fi / space porn" so I'd not say it's cyberpunk but Deus Ex, at least the first one is more cyberpunk oriented yes
I can recommend a few thing tho, to get in the lore and understand how it all works and looks like.
Here are the few that comes to my mind right now, but I'm sure people around will help fill the blank, if I don't do it later.


BOOKS:
Neuromancer (and the whole sprawl trilogy) by William Gibson
Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson
The Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling
Islands In The Net by Bruce Sterling
Little Heroes by Norman Spinrad

MOVIE
Blade Runner
Robocop
Akira
Ghost In The Shell
Strange Days
Alien
Terminator
Dredd
Hardware

 

[Tramp-Graphics]

To ad to the list:


Anime:

Bubblegum Crisis (the original not the Tokyo 2040 BS)
AD Police Files (the prequel to BGC)
Bubblegum Crash (the sequel to BGC)
Appleseed
Appleseed Ex Machina (sequel to Appleseed)
Appleseed Alpha (alternate "origin" story not part of the first movie "canon")
Armitage III Polymatrix and Armitage III Dual Matrix

 

[Decatonkeil]

"space porn"
...
"space porn"
...
"space porn"
...

All female alien species, tentacled aliens, supermassive blackholes... and let's not forget that DLC in which we got to visit Ron Jeremy's homeworld.

 

[Alpha8Wolf]

@Maelcom404 & @Tramp-Graphics

Wait I don't understand are all those movies and books part of the Cyberpunk 2077 universe? Or are they just similar to it?

I want to read the official cyberpunk books in the right order if there are any books. I still don't know where to start.

Thanks.

 

[Maelcom404]

Cyberpunk is a science-fiction subgenre (like you have Techno as a genre, and Dance, House, Drum'n Bass, Industrial, etc... as sub-genre).
Cyberpunk "the tabletop", is a game made out of this subgenre, just like Dungeon & Dragon is made out of Lord Of The Ring and Tolkien's work.

They're not part of Cyberpunk 2077 universe, but it's quite the oposite, Cyberpunk (the game) has been made from those.

Then, if you just want to read the Cyberpunk 2020 books, there is a corebook and plenty supplements, but... you just need to search for "Cyberpunk 2020" lol
I can't give you any direct link to it, due to copyright and stuff, but you'll be able to find those if you search them.

Spoiler

All female alien species, tentacled aliens, supermassive blackholes... and let's not forget that DLC in which we got to visit Ron Jeremy's homeworld.

Hey there, handsome!

 

[Suhiira]

What @Maelcom404 said.
Cyberpunk is essentially a genre that just happens to have a game named after it.

 

[matsif]

As someone who recently went through doing the same thing, here's my suggestions as a recent newcomer:

Cyberpunk isn't really just a universe that the game is based off of, but a subgenre of science fiction. From wikipedia,

"Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting, noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". It features advanced science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order."

The second sentence of that is the most important part, the setting involving transhumanism and cybernetics and lots of internet involvement ("cyber") mixed with some sort of situation of plutocracy or corporatocracy or some other government where there can be a counter-culture trying to overturn the society ("punk").

What I've recently read/watched/played and enjoyed in my search for more cyberpunk:

-Neuromancer and other works by William Gibson (more or less the book that got most of the subgenre kicked off)
-Ghost in the Shell (1995 movie is the best of it all but all of it is good)
-Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Human Revolution (the best video games for the genre)
-Blade Runner (There's various versions with or without some deleted scenes, I think it's The Final Cut that has everything, might be wrong here)
-Dredd (the 2012 movie moreso than the 1995 Stallone travesty)
-The Cyberpunk 2020 table top game books and supplemental material
-Akira *see spoiler as I might spoil something if I put my thoughts here*
-Johnny Mnemonic (the setting is distinctly cyberpunk in a very cyberpunk story, but the execution is a bit mediocre)

Mass Effect, while a good sci-fi game, is more of a space opera like star wars than cyberpunk. I'd go so far as to argue that very little if any of the games is cyberpunk. "Space Porn" really doesn't do justice to what is a decent hero story with a lot of background lore and such that Bioware thought up, but the series is still closer to space porn than it is to cyberpunk.

Spoiler

I had to make a note here. While many feel Akira is quite a quintessential cyberpunk movie, and I give it service by putting it in my list as such, I didn't really see it that way. Very little of it to me seemed to fit with my view of what cyberpunk is, as the film has much more to do with what amounts to magical spookiness than the technological progress that we see in most other cyberpunk works. Sure there was a few lasers and some cool motorcycles, but by the end it seemed to lose itself and turn into an excuse for a gorefest. I understand why it is listed as part of the genre, but I don't really see it as anywhere near as "cyberpunky" as GitS or Neuromancer or anything else on my list.

 

[Poet_and_Gentleman.598]

Eh.

Akira is the quintessential cyberpunk movie.

Social decay. Corruption and decadence.

A bunch of truly underdog losers turned heroes.

And of course, I can't think of byerpunk without mentioning the aesthetics. And Akira has it in spades.

 

[Nomad_Xenon]

From the Cyberpunk 2020 Pen and Paper core rulebook:

1) Style over substance: It doesn't matter how well you do something, as long as you look good doing it. If you're going to blow it, make sure you look like you planned it that way. Normally, clothes and looks don't matter in an adventure. In this world, having a leather armor jacket and mirrorshades is a serious consideration.

2) Attitude is everything: t's truth. Think dangerous; be dangerous.Think weak; be weak. Remember, every-one in the 2000's is carrying lots of lethal hardware and high-tech enhancements. They won't be impressed by your new H&K smart gun unless you swagger into the club looking like you know how to use it-and are just itching for an excuse. Never walk into a room when you can stride in. Never look at someone unless you can make it your best "killer" look. Use your best "I'm bad and you aren't." smile. Don't sit around the flat or cube waiting for the next job. Get on out and hit the clubs and hangouts. Make sure you're where the party starts.

3) Live on the Edge: The Edge is that nebulous zone where risk takers and highriders go. On the Edge, you'll risk your cash, your rep, even your life on something as vague as a principle or a big score. As a cyberpunk, you want to be the action, start the rebellion, light the fire. Join great causes and fight for big issues. Never drive slow when you can drive fast. Throw yourself up against danger and take it head on. Never play it too safe. Stay committed to the Edge.

 

[frivolousam]

From the Cyberpunk 2020 Pen and Paper core rulebook:

1) Style over substance: It doesn't matter how well you do something, as long as you look good doing it. If you're going to blow it, make sure you look like you planned it that way. Normally, clothes and looks don't matter in an adventure. In this world, having a leather armor jacket and mirrorshades is a serious consideration.

2) Attitude is everything: t's truth. Think dangerous; be dangerous.Think weak; be weak. Remember, every-one in the 2000's is carrying lots of lethal hardware and high-tech enhancements. They won't be impressed by your new H&K smart gun unless you swagger into the club looking like you know how to use it-and are just itching for an excuse. Never walk into a room when you can stride in. Never look at someone unless you can make it your best "killer" look. Use your best "I'm bad and you aren't." smile. Don't sit around the flat or cube waiting for the next job. Get on out and hit the clubs and hangouts. Make sure you're where the party starts.

3) Live on the Edge: The Edge is that nebulous zone where risk takers and highriders go. On the Edge, you'll risk your cash, your rep, even your life on something as vague as a principle or a big score. As a cyberpunk, you want to be the action, start the rebellion, light the fire. Join great causes and fight for big issues. Never drive slow when you can drive fast. Throw yourself up against danger and take it head on. Never play it too safe. Stay committed to the Edge.

I was calm as a millpond... but now I read this with Mike Pondsmith's voice in my head I am like

[video=youtube;PbZUeZ-xQCo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZUeZ-xQCo[/video]

 

[Sardukhar]

Everyone forgets Rule Four. Why is that?

 

[Decatonkeil]

Everyone forgets Rule Four. Why is that?

Why is what? Why does my bad memory prevent me from reading the quote that is just above this text that I'm writing? Oh, I know, I probably forgot I can do that.

 

[Suhiira]

Easier to have just two rules.

#1 Sard is always right.
#2 If you ever think Sard is incorrect see Rule #1.

 

[Sardukhar]

#2 If you ever think Sard is incorrect see Rule #1.

This applies ESPECIALLY when I'm talking or writing. Or gesticulating. Also interpretive dance.

 

[kanonite]

Everyone forgets Rule Four. Why is that?

The fourth rule, Break The Rules. Create your own tude and dont be afraid to middle finger the rules, even if their the rules of your fellow punks.

 

[Maelcom404]

I'd say:

#4 : There are no rules.

(Or just...)

Spoiler

Fuck the rules!

 

[Calistarius]

Everyone forgets Rule Four. Why is that?

What is the 4th rule then?

Easier to have just two rules.

#1 Sard is always right.
#2 If you ever think Sard is incorrect see Rule #1.

That sounds very simmilar to some "rules" writen in the first pnp rpg I ever played... DoD (Drakar och Demoner, means "Dragons and Demons"... what DnD is to most of the English speaking world's pnp roleplaying gamers, DoD is to most of the Swedish pnp roleplaying gamers)... in the "Gamemasters book" for the 4th edition of the game (they are up at 7th edition now... the 1st edition came out in 82, and the 4th in 91) there was a set of "GM Tips" (it might have been in previous ones to), the first two of those tips said:

* The GM is always right.

* Should the GM for any reason be wrong, se the above rule.

 

[Sardukhar]

What is the 4th rule then?

Kanonite got it right. It's there in the Rule book. Heh.

That sounds very simmilar to some "rules" writen in the first pnp rpg I ever played... DoD (Drakar och Demoner, means "Dragons and Demons"... what DnD is to most of the English speaking world's pnp roleplaying gamers, DoD is to most of the Swedish pnp roleplaying gamers)... in the "Gamemasters book" for the 4th edition of the game (they are up at 7th edition now... the 1st edition came out in 82, and the 4th in 91) there was a set of "GM Tips" (it might have been in previous ones to), the first two of those tips said:

* The GM is always right.

* Should the GM for any reason be wrong, se the above rule.

Yeah, that's a Golden Rule. Kind of has to be that way, otherwise no GM wants to compete with his "assistant" GM, who can't be bothered to run a game, but has read the rules nine times and is pretty sure he/she can argue their way to success.

 

[Suhiira]

Personally when I GM I never claim I'm always right.
I do however say I always make the final decision.