Cyberpunk often seduces with its neon noir visuals and brooding protagonists—but underneath the cybernetic limbs and neon reflections lies a question that’s far more human than most people expect: what is the cost of identity in a world that commodifies the body, tracks your every move, and monetizes your face? In the genre’s deeper currents, …
The Price of Identity Within a Cyberpunk Dystopia Read More »
Dystopia is often envisioned as a landscape of suffering—grinding poverty, brutal oppression, and a scarcity of basic freedoms. But the true pain of dystopia, as suggested by Schopenhauer’s ideas on suffering, is not the physical or external discomfort itself. Rather, it is the psychological torment of recognizing one’s inadequacy in the face of superior intelligence, …
The Real Pain of Dystopia: The Agony of Inadequacy Read More »
Cyberpunk adopted neon for more than just its aesthetic appeal—it became a symbol of longing and entrapment.
Cyberpunk and cosmic horror might seem like two incompatible genres. One is intimate, grounded in human-machine interfaces, corporate oppression, and urban grime. The other is vast, existential, a terror rooted in the incomprehensible. Cyberpunk thrives on the personal: a hacker selling out their last shred of autonomy for an upgrade, a corpo enforcer questioning whether …
An Unexpected Horror: When Cyberpunk Becomes Cosmic Read More »
When you hear the word dystopia, towering corporations, economic divides, or oppressive governments likely come to mind. Fiction often paints bleak worlds dominated by class struggles or economic inequality. Movies like Gattaca delve into these themes, showing how genetic engineering entrenches social hierarchies. Similarly, The Hunger Games explores a world where the wealthy elite subjugate …
An Unexpected Horror: Dystopias Beyond Class Struggles Read More »
When imagining a dystopian world, we often picture a grim landscape—a society steeped in decay, ruled by faceless corporations, surveilled by an unblinking eye in the sky. Yet within these visions, something unexpected happens: humanity adapts. It doesn’t simply survive the dysfunction; it normalizes it, builds routines around it, and sometimes even finds reasons to …
Dystopian Optimism: How Satire Reveals Humanity’s Resilience Read More »
The Western hero’s journey is a celebrated narrative arc, where triumph comes through endurance and overcoming hardship. However, these stories have also instilled a cultural mindset of silent perseverance that extends beyond fiction. Generations raised on tales of stoic heroes have internalized the notion that pain is inevitable and must be borne without complaint. Too, …
The Western Hero’s Journey: Generational Pain in Fiction and Reality Read More »
Storytelling is rooted in the past. Ancient characters and creation myths have inspired generations, forming the backbone of countless tales. Today, these timeless narratives can evolve into fresh, imaginative works when adapted to contemporary settings or unexpected genres. Incorporating anachronistic storytelling adds layers of creativity, giving new life to old ideas while challenging audiences to …
Adapting Ancient Characters and Myths for New Stories Read More »
In the U.S., speculative fiction—from science fiction and cyberpunk to post-apocalyptic narratives—often appears bound by a predictable framework. These genres reflect Western ideals, particularly those steeped in pro-capitalistic and individualistic narratives. As writers and readers, we find ourselves in a self-reinforcing cycle, a creative feedback loop where ideas bounce within a confined space of familiar …
Breaking the Creative Feedback Loop in Speculative Fiction Read More »
In the early days of cyberpunk, cybernetics and implants were more than just futuristic enhancements. They represented a double-edged sword, one that enabled human beings to surpass their biological limitations while also putting them at the mercy of corporations and governments that controlled the technology. From the gritty streets of Neuromancer to the shadowy corporate …
