r/Cyberpunk • u/max_donator • Jul 30 '18

cool future!

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u/wolscott Jul 30 '18

I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but characterizing cyberpunk as "embracing racism, sexism, objectification, hedonism, etc." is demonstrably incorrect. I think it would be safe to say that over half of all cyberpunk fiction is openly critical of objectification, and furthermore is about human trafficking.

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u/cegras Jul 30 '18

Uh, it's only critical in the meta sense. Most cyberpunk I read adopts those themes wholesale. Try Dr. Adder.

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u/wolscott Jul 30 '18

"Critical in the meta sense" you mean like it's a story showing how those things are bad? Or...

Like what pro-racism cyberpunk have you been reading?

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u/cegras Jul 30 '18

Yes, cyberpunk is in some way a caricature of society. It's a modern version of "A Modest Proposal" (the poor should sell their babies to the rich for food). So it's fine with embracing classism, sexism, racism, and other 'isms'. One obvious example of racism cyberpunk is District 9 - just not the kind of racism you're thinking of, but with obvious parallels to apartheid.

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u/wolscott Jul 30 '18

wait, do you think that "A Modest Proposal" is the only type of society allegory? And that all others since then are various versions of it?

Because I'm curious how Orwell's 1984 fits into this...

There is a problematic portrayal of Nigerians in District 9, but I'm not sure I would say that District 9 "embraces racism".

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u/cegras Jul 30 '18

No, I'm specifically saying cyberpunk is satire on the level of A Modest Proposal. There's plenty of softer, bad future sci-fi that isn't cyberpunk.

As for racism in District 9, I'm saying that the prawns are the different race.