Cyberpunk: 1987

1987

Eric Hall
Lance Harrington
Kristy Keaton

Science Fiction Eye premiers all cyberpunk issue. Cyberpunk is recognized as a genre itself among science fiction

Robocop released - Police officer almost killed in the line of duty is integrated with machine to stop a politician from getting to be chief of police. "What is human?" issue brought to public, throughout the film, he struggles with being human or machine.

Akira released in English - Manga describing the world after WWIII, psychic research done by government with "guinea pig" experiments. Psychic powers are acknowledged and the government wants to harness the power but does so by inhumane means.

Bubble Gum Crisis - Manga where Tokyo is split by earthquake, Genom Corp becomes immensly powerful. Genom creates "Boomers"; artificial beings used for manual labor. (Blade Runner anyone?)

Mirrorshades published in Germany

Sega releases Phantasy Star - one of the first RPG's with Sci-Fi/Fantasy setting and first to have female protagonist. Cyberpunk and science fiction genre is used within game concepts.

Incentive released Driller - precursor to modern FPS 3D - Humans abandon Earth after it was destroyed by relentless conflict and search for natural resources.

Pat Cadigan publishes Mindplayers - The main character, Allie Haas is persuaded to "to try an illegal, stolen "mindcap". This experience goes very wrong She ends up hospitalised and criminalised, facing a serious sentence. But then she’s given one last chance - to take up a dangerous and, to her mind, loathsome career as a mind-player." This relates to cyberpunk when the high technology of a mindcap is used on the low life of a drug user.

Lucius Shepard releases Life During Wartime - This story has all the elements of cyberpunk, "a helicopter that thinks it's God; a man whose brain chemistry is somehow wired to that of butterflies" etc.

H.P.Garg publishes Advances in Solar Energy Technology: Collection and Storage Systems

The Running Man is released - World economy falls and the world is in chaos. Totalitarian society has set in and capital punishment is seen as entertainment where the main character, Ben Richards, is selected to play. This relates to cyberpunk when the economy has collapsed and the world is in chaos. Totalitarian societys erupt after a collapse of the government infrastructure.

Cherry 2000 is released - The story of a man who has an android wife who blows a fuse. The story follows Sam Treadwell as he shuffles through barren wastelands and abandoned manufacturing plants to find a replacement android wife.

Black Magic M-66 is released - This story tells the tale of a girl captured by a government-issued android who is out-of-control. Military issued androids is only found within cyberpunk.