Is Cyberpunk Dead?

A Discussion with Bruce Bethke - the creator of the word cyberpunk and author of its first story, and Dr. Joseph Hurtgen, author and cyberpunk critic...

Blade Runner: Black Lotus - Review

I review episodes 1 and 2 of the new Blade Runner series, a show produced under the creative direction of the man behind Cowboy Bebop. Is the series still relevant, and how does it hold up over time? Find out...

Violence in Cyberpunk Literature - A Study

Is science fiction creating the dystopia it's trying to prevent? Do violent books make violent people? I analyze cyberpunk novels for violent content and provide insights based on sociological research.

Virtua Verse - Game Review

Virtua Verse is a cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game released in May of 2020 for PC with a killer downbeat chiptune soundtrack and neon-drenched graphics. See our review as to how it plays...

Technobabylon - Game Review

Technobabylon is a cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game for PC that shows the true creativity of the genre with mindblowing puzzles and adequate world building. See our review as to how it plays...

Cyberpunk's Take on Hacking

For years, before the internet even went public in 1991, hacking was a central trope to cyberpunk with the core maxim information wants to be free as stated in the Hacker’s Manifesto. I examine 21 cyberpunk authors' takes on the subject...

Cyberpunk's Take on Corporations

In a time when corporations have become more rich and powerful than most countries, never has the need for a cyberpunk analysis been greater as we contribute to the eternal vigilance that is required to keep tabs on those who are keeping tabs on us.

Cyberpunk's Take on Advertising

Everything is commodified in cyberpunk fiction. In this article we examine how 20 top cyberpunk books describe the marketing world....

Cyberpunk's View on Cybernetic Augmentations

Body augmentations are a core theme in cyberpunk lit, prompting the question, What defines humanity? We examine how 20 cyberpunk authors write about the body, part by part.
Mix and match!...

Diversity in Science Fiction

How does sci-fi treat the topic of neuraldiversity, and how does it support minority populations? Find out in my guest post on A.M. Leibowitz's blog.

Cyberpunk: Gender Roles and Class through a Post-Modern Lens

"The new hacking undertaken by cyberpunks alters the body, alters identity, and so too society. Everything is hackable."
- Dr. Joseph Hurtgen (cyberpunk author and critic)
In this discussion, we examine cyberpunk's relationship to gender and class by examining classic works...

A qualitative algorithm writes a cyberpunk book intro

How would a machine write a cyberpunk book introduction? I toss my computer dozens of cyberpunk books' first pages and, with some qualitative analysis software, see how it turned out...

The Good Place - Analysis and Review

A simulated heaven running on the platform of the world’s most sophisticated artificial intelligence. Is it cyberpunk? No, it’s the fantasy series, The Good Place. I analyze its ethical philosophy.

How to Write a Query Letter

My advice on how to query a novel or other work to a publisher.

Top 100 Writer's Resources

A list of mostly free resources for writers from email marketing to literary craft, graphic production to publishing.

Words to Avoid When Writing

A list of words that fail to immerse the reader, creating distancing language and immediacy issues. Removing these words from your writing will strengthen it.

Information Access is Changing

We are moving from a read-only world to a read-write world, but what does this mean?

How do you create a new religion?
I created many religions for Hemispheres, which I based on philosophical concepts to give them credibility. Philosophical assumptions underlie all beliefs. For instance, on Dayburn, Orbis is the chief deity who sustains reality by collecting its worshippers' perspectives on life...

What is cyberpunk, and why does defining it destroy it?
‍This entry goes beyond the style of black trench coats, neon jewelry, mirrored shades, and cellophane skirts to the actual philosophy itself – the substance behind the style...

We're all cyborgs
Body augmentation is a central theme to Cyberpunk art. We’ve always been cyborgs. Not only do we wear technology daily from smartwatches and pacemakers to hearing aids, headphones, peg legs, watches, eyeglasses and contact lenses (yes that’s technology) but we go further than that...

Who was the first cyberpunk?
And what does he have to do with Sherwood Forest? Our journey will take us back to 19th century England to find the first cyberpunk of the modern era...

On the censorship of Brave New World!

Once required reading, for the past decade, Huxley's Brave New World has been removed from school and local libraries throughout the nation. Like Animal Farm and 1984, it is one of the most top requested books to ban. But does removing this book from schools do anything to protect society?...