Nomenclature: What lies between cyberpunk and steampunk?

Cam Winstanley

Cam Winstanley

Cadet
A little help here please.
I've recently put my novel, B-spine, on Amazon Kindle and I'm wondering if anyone could spot check my terminology. I'm describing it a "cyberpunky police procedural thriller" as the main influences are the work of Neal Stephenson and William Gibson and the HBO TV show The Wire.
But is it REALLY cyberpunk if it doesn't deal with cyberspace and information technology? Does the cyberpunk tag apply to any speculative fiction that deals with technology and man's interaction with it or does it have to be cyberspace? To put it another way - is cyberpunk a description of content or a style of writing? What do you think?
Secondary question - if cyberpunk is specifically cyberspace, can you suggest any other widely recognised 'punks' that fill the vast gap between, for example, Virtual Light and the steampunk of The Difference Engine?
Examples of each on a postcard please...
 
First of all hi, first post here :)

I do know of dieselpunk, which is a stylized version of 30's-50's technology with a futuristic spin. Basically, everything is powered by exhaust-spewing combustion engines, and art deco reigns supreme. The prime example I can think of is the video game Crimson Skies.

If it's later than that, I'd say it's closer to alternate history where we got fancy tech a bit sooner, rather than any kind of nounpunk.
 
For starts, this thread popped up in one of my alerts. Thought I'd sign up and give you an answer.



cyberpunk doesn't have to deal with Cyberspace.

It is more about high tech low life.
Mans interaction with technology.



This is something we argue about a lot here. Simply put, it's the idea of "High Tech/Lowlife", the rapid advancement of technology while society slowly crumbles. Sound familiar?
Cyberpunk used to just refer to one particular subgenre of Science Fiction that explored these themes- alienated protagonists in a corporate-controlled, neon-lit Noir world where the lines between government, business, are eroding if not totally erased. Cyberpunk made a big impression in the stale world of sci-fi in the early 1980s, with authors like Bruce Sterling, George Alec Effenger, Bruce Bethke, Pat Cadigan, Rudy Rucker, and William Gibson being critically acclaimed for their razor-edged hellride visions of the future. And as you might have guessed, Cyberpunk has proven to be the most realistic science fiction futurism out there, going so far as to shape our technology today.
Click to expand...


Taken from - http://cyberpunkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13
 
Hi-tech, lowlife - I like that.
Thanks for the description fella. Turns out that my book matches that description perfectly, dealing as it does with ordinary Joes living their mundane lives against the backdrop of biotechnology.
 
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