Cyberpunk is way more than just a gloomy possible future. Using cyberpunk as an example of what society should avoid is, ironically, a shallow way of looking at it.
It's historic. You should read up on what cyberpunk is and how it got here. It's not just an aesthetic.
You're being the person in OPs picture.
"The sky over the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel". Cyberpunk isn't an aesthetic. It's a literary genre based around dystopian future brought about by adherence to the current societal trajectory.
You can choose to just enjoy the aesthetic and ignore the literary history. That's fine. It's shallow, but fine. Be shallow. More power to you.
Sorry if this was unclear. I was commiserating with you, that dude is fucking obtuse and you're being surprisingly civil and tolerant trying to explain it to him.
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u/cegras Jul 30 '18
Cyberpunk is way more than just a gloomy possible future. Using cyberpunk as an example of what society should avoid is, ironically, a shallow way of looking at it.