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officially condemn utopian science fiction
"The Gernsback Continuum " published in Universe 11 and
True Names" published -
software publish
Gibson attends ArmadiloCon and reads the opening chapter of his work-in-progress, Neuromancer. "Behind the Mirrorshade: A Look at Punk SF" panel held. (Oct.) Blade Runner released Tron released -
Cheap Truth begins publication
Gibson, Sterling and Shiner visit Rudy Rucker in Lynchburg after Balticon; Virginia hasn't been this hip since Thomas Jefferson was alive War Games released The short story "Cyberpunk" by Bruce Bethke published in Amazing Science Fiction Stories; this is, allegedly, the first use of the term 'cyberpunk' anywhere (Nov.) The word "transrealism" coined by Rudy Rucker who issues "A Transreal Manifesto" in The Bulletin of the SFWA (Winter) -
Neuromancer published; "cyberspace" coined
Dr. Adder published Decoder, a film by Klaus Maeck, released Frontera published Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution published In Japan, robots kill four humans in separate incidents Terminator released 2600 begins publication VPL Research Inc. founded by Jason Lanier Gardner Dozois, reviewing "hot new writers" for The Washington Post, refers to a group called "cyberpunks". The name sticks (Dec. 30) -
Schismatrix published
20 Minutes into the Future (aka Max Headroom) released Eclipse published Donna Haraway's "Manifesto for Cyborgs" published in Socialist Review (Apr.) Japanese translation of Neuromancer published (July) "Cyberpunks" panel convenes at the National SF Convention in Austin. Panelists are Rudy Rucker, John Shirley, Bruce Sterling, Lou Shiner, Pat Cadigan and Greg Bear (Aug. 31) "Slamdancing in SF" published in REM #2 -
Burning Chrome published
Hardwired published "Pakistani Brain" virus infects IBM computers world-wide (Jan.) Rudy Rucker's "What is Cyberpunk?" appears in REM #3 (Feb.) Count Zero published (Mar.) Kim Stanley Robinson's parody "Down and Out in the year 2000" appears in IASF (Apr.) Norman Spinrad's "The Neuromantics" published in IASF (May) John Shirley confounds the elders at the Science Fiction Research Association panel "Cyberpunk or Cyberjunk" (June 28) Cheap Truth ceases publication (Aug.) -
First German translation of Neuromancer published by Heyne
Science Fiction Eye premiers with all cyberpunk issue Robocop released Akira released Bubble Gum Crisis begins in Japan Decoder magazine begins in Italy Mirrorshades published in Germany [Spiegelschatten] -
In England, Max Dowhham's "Cyberpunk: the Final Solution" published in Vague
Islands in the Net published Mississippi Review entire issue published devoted to cyberpunk; academic colonization of the Movement begins in earnest Metrophage published Shatter graphic novel published Going GaGa begins publication bOING bOING begins publication Wetware published (Apr.) The Internet worm strikes (Nov.) Mona Lisa Overdrive published (Nov.) Mirrorshades published in Brazil [Reflexo do Futuro] Mirrorshades published in Japan (Spring) -
"Fiction 2000" conference held in Leeds (June)
Mondo 2000 begins publication Neuromancer: The Graphic Novel published The Cuckoo's Egg published Semiotext(e):SF published Cherry comix special cyberpunk issue published Crystal Express published Tetsuo: The Iron Man released Timothy Leary interviews William Gibson Phrack #24 distributed containing the E911 document hacked from BellSouth (Feb. 24) -
The Difference Engine published
Hardware released EFF founded Secret Service raids Steven Jackson Games in Austin (Mar. 1) Harper's Magazine publishes "Is Computer Hacking a Crime?", a transcript of a WELL conference during which Phiber Optik hacks the TRW database and distributes John Barlow's credit history (Mar.) Operation Sun Devil (May 7-9) Paul Di Filippo's "Ribofunk" published in bOING bOING #2 (Winter) In England, The Hardcore special "Cyberpunk is Dead" issue published (Winter) -
Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism published
Storming the Reality Studio published Synners published Terminator 2 released The Silicon Man published Transreal! published U.S. intelligence agents reportedly cripple Iraqi air defense computers with a virus during the Gulf War (Jan) Lewis Shiner announces in the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times that he has resigned from cyberpunk (Jan.7) Steven Jackson Games sues the Secret Service (May 1) "Michelangelo" virus media panic begins (Dec.) -
EFF moves to Washington D.C. and is immediately compromised
The Hacker Crackdown published Snow Crash published Mondo 2000: A User's Guide to the New Edge published The Lawnmower Man released "Michelangelo" doomsday; nothing happens (Mar. 6) Jaron Lanier loses his patents to his creditors (Nov) Future Sex begins publication (Nov) Freejack released Tetsuo: Body Hammer released -
Wired begins publication
Virtual Light published Fringe Ware Review begins publication Nemisis released. Gibson will later praise the film as "sort of early Gibson meets Terminator 2 ... it has a few bits that are just brilliant Cyberpunk." Bubble Gum Crisis released in the West Time Magazine "Cyberpunk" cover story; real cyberpunks outraged (Feb. 8) Court rules in favor of Steven Jackson Games, Secret Service ordered to pay damages (Feb.) Wild Palms premiers (May 16) -
The Hacker and the Ants published
Data Trash published Cyberia published "VNS Manifesto" published in Unnatural: Techno-theory for a Contaminated Culture Phiber Optic begins serving a 13 month sentence for computer intrusion and conspiracy (Jan.) In Paris, "Cyber SM" gives first public demonstration of virtual sexuality, S&M style (Jan.) Line Noiz e-zine distributes results of its opinion poll "Does Cyberpunk Still Exist?"; no conclusions, as usual (Aug. 12) -
The Diamond Age published
EFF retreats to San Francisco The Cyberpunk Handbook published; cynical opportunism reaches new low Wired UK edition begins (March) Synthetic Pleasures released The Net released Hackers released From Australia, Geekgirl debuts on the Net (Jan.) Kevin Metnick arrested by the FBI for numerous computer crimes (Feb. 15) Italian police raid BITS Against the Empire BBS accusing the computer group of subversion (Feb. 28) The Steampunk Trilogy published (Apr.) VR 5 premiers (May 24) -
Escape Velocity; Cyberculture at the End of the Century published
FutureSex goes online Ramones break up Ribofunk! collection published (Mar.) Datableed - the second Virtual Futures conference meets (May) Sex Pistols reunion tour begins at Hollola, Finland (June 21) Holy Fire Published (July) Idoru published (Sept.) Kyoko Date, the virtual girl, activated Hacking the Future by Arthur & Marilouise Kroker published Clinton signs Communications Decency Act into US law (Feb. 8) -
A Cyberpunk Manifesto published by Christian As. Kirtchev (Feb 14 1997)
Freeware published (April) Wired UK edition folds (Feb) US Supreme Court rules Communications Decency Act unconstitutional (Jun 26) Blade Runner computer game released by Westwood (Nov) First authorized Russian translation of Neuromancer [Neiromant] published by Terra Fantastica -
The Cyberpunk Project and Cyberpunk Information Database opened (November)
William Gibson's and Tom Maddox's episode, "Kill Switch" premiers on The X-Files (Feb 15) Burning Chrome stage adaptation opens in Chicago (Feb 6)