cyberpunk

/si:'ber-puhnk/ (Originally coined by SF writer Bruce Bethke

and/or editor Gardner Dozois) A subgenre of SF launched in

1982 by William Gibson's epoch-making novel "Neuromancer"

(though its roots go back through Vernor Vinge's "True Names"

to John Brunner's 1975 novel "The Shockwave Rider"). Gibson's

near-total ignorance of computers and the present-day hacker

culture enabled him to speculate about the role of computers

and hackers in the future in ways hackers have since found

both irritatingly na"ive and tremendously stimulating.

Gibson's work was widely imitated, in particular by the

short-lived but innovative "Max Headroom" TV series. See

cyberspace, ice, jack in, go flatline.

Since 1990 or so, popular culture has included a movement or

fashion trend that calls itself "cyberpunk", associated

especially with the rave/techno subculture. Hackers have

mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, self-described

cyberpunks too often seem to be shallow trendoids in black

leather who have substituted enthusiastic blathering about

technology for actually learning and *doing* it. Attitude is

no substitute for competence. On the other hand, at least

cyberpunks are excited about the right things and properly

respectful of hacking talent in those who have it. The

general consensus is to tolerate them politely in hopes that

they'll attract people who grow into being true hackers.

[Jargon File]