Seems something has people talking about #cyberpunk so here is a thread with a few cyberpunk thoughts from someone who lived through it the first time, with a look at some of my cyberpunk themed work over the years. (note to cryptoart crowd - most not yet minted)

The aesthetic of #cyberpunk rules. The dark cities, the neon, the rain. But cyberpunk was a thoughtful corner of scifi. Often pessimistic. And always very prescient. If you don't think we're living some of the worst of those cyberpunk predictions, you're not paying attention.

So I get it when people immerse themselves more in the vibes and surface feel of #cyberpunk. It's not really escapism otherwise. We love the nostalgia and it's a really fun playground to be in. There is beauty to it. It's both futuristic and a nod to our childhoods all in one.

But it's 2020. If you pluck your cyberpunk from a 1980 surface without looking at the messages or context and how the world has changed, you're going to miss something. Or worse – pull in things most of us have left behind. We have grown. We have a different viewpoint now.

Put that current viewpoint together with the fact that we're living some of the more dystopian elements of #cyberpunk right now, and it's a genre that demands thoughtfulness. That's not to say there is a right way and a wrong way to it. It needs thought. It's a tricky playground.

A place of mixed messages and feelings. Where stuff that looks cool is built on the worst of who we are. Where we both embrace people and deny them. It feels like that should be acknowledged. And so even with all that dystopia, I often find myself pushing it to be a better place.

Like we pushed through the #cyberpunk dystopia and won. And maybe we will. But that will take valuing people over corporations. Realising that the rich won't save us. And maybe not welcoming them into our homes. Making them work for us. Maybe it will happen.

Anyway, #cyberpunk is a fun playground but a tricky one. If you like the aesthetic, I'd urge you to look up short stories from the 1980s. Or go read @doctorow now who has such a clear understanding of the world we've built. Dig deep and enjoy. It's a genre with lots to offer.

A few more #cyberpunk recommendations (read the thread!). The genre can feel familiar with age but there are still some surprises to be found. Book: Moxyland by Lauren Beukes - distinct, different. Game: Observer (starring Rutger Hauer). Comic: Drugs & Wires by @MarySafroArt.