Cyberpunk has a lot to say about the future world we’re all beginning to inhabit. The common themes of these stories are:

• Advanced technology invades all of life
• Corporations wield more power and influence than government
• Rampant crime plagues every block
• Personal disillusionment fills the human soul
• Widespread loss of meaning permeates culture
• Noisy world surrounds a desensitized populace
• Characters search for their place in a society they war against

The cyberpunk genre is often understood to encompass stories where the dystopian knob is turned most of the way up. But this is only one of three variations within the genre. And if dystopian stories aren’t your favorite, then it’s easy to write off the whole genre and miss a lot of other great stories. Equally, many futuristic films aren’t classified as cyberpunk at all, but rather “sci-fi” or “adventure” or “space opera.” In these cases, the utopian knob is cranked to the max setting, which can obscure the subtle dystopian elements and the important revelations they bring.

So let’s process the three configurations: Bleak, Bittersweet, and Bright.

Config_1.0 // Bleak

This is the most well-known type of cyberpunk story. The visuals are unforgettable, the world is immersive, but it might not be your desired vacation spot. The factory settings are turned to a maximum allowable value of grimy content. And if you’re a jaded Gen X’er like me, there’s something comforting about visiting these stories, such as:

• Bladerunner // the original and 2049, the absolute pinnacles of the Bleak configuration
• Total Recall // who knew Mars could be as shady as Detroit?
• Robocop // for when Earth’s Detroit needs a savior who’s more machine than man
• Mr. Robot // the good guys are called F.Society and turn out to not be good guys
• Neuromancer // plenty of bad guys plus other guys who just want to get paid
• 12 Monkeys // a global pandemic prompts the good guys to invent time travel so they can cash in
• Altered Carbon // neither disease nor death (nor life, apparently) seem to matter

This config usually lacks the Hero’s Journey, but it’s not entirely without redemption. Remember, the utopian knob doesn’t get turned all the way off. Often, though, it’s the side characters who come to their senses, pursue nobility, sacrifice themselves, or obtain the elixir of meaning. You have to look carefully to find the non-neon light that shines in the darkness, but it’s there.

If you’re drawn to take a stroll through Night City, it’s probably because these stories resonate with a profound real-life experience. Sometimes we walk through the valley of shadow of death and a happy ending seems elusive. The rainy atmosphere so common in this configuration mirrors the despair we experience in a world marred by depravity. The meandering journey of our protagonist feels akin to the confusion of modernity. We go to these stories because sometimes we just want someone else to acknowledge that life feels like an eternally gloomy world.

Config_2.0 // Bittersweet

If you have a limited tolerance for existential angst, you’ll likely find more comfort in stories where the hopeful and pessimistic elements more or less balance each other out. The machine gods are beaten but the earth is still ravaged. Incredible medical technology exists but only for the select few, or those who fight their way to obtain it. Crime is under control, but so is the human spirit. Hope weaves its way through the grim surroundings in stories like:

• The Matrix // peak Hero’s Journey for the cybernetic age
• Elysium // the elixir of healing must be brought down from orbit to a despairing planet
• Minority Report // telepathic humans are enslaved to imprison would-be criminals
• Alita: Battle Angel // the female cyborg Ben-Hur equivalent of the dark future
• Shadowrun // technology mixes with magic and monsters to empower total megacorp war
• Andor // good guys fight alongside bad guys to subvert a galaxy-sized megacorp
• Age of Ultron // artificial intelligence creates, and solves, all of humanity’s problems

That last example is the exemplar of the 2.0 Configuration. Advanced technology neither dooms the world nor saves it, but somehow does both all at once. That’s a familiar rhythm in this config, making it the most true-to-life variation of cyberpunk. But if the darkness here is still unbearable, you can take a hoverbike to:

Config_3.0 // Bright

The shortcomings and problems of a futuristic society are present, but minimized. And more often than not, the start of a joke. The focus here is on adventure, comedy, and new beginnings. Technology becomes a fun companion, especially when it takes the form of adorable robots. We also get a peek more into the positive aspects of human (and alien) culture, like music, romance, and other wholesome customs. It can be easy to miss the shadowy aspects, but take a close look and you’ll find them in:

• WALL-E // overweight, immobile humans saved by a robot romance in space
• Tron // when you’re trapped inside a computer, you gotta travel by Light Cycle
• Ready Player One // sometimes you trap yourself in a computer simulation when real-life treasure is involved
• Almost Human // every buddy cop story could use an android or two
• The Fifth Element // criminals, influencers, and evil geniuses abound, but they’re hilarious
• Paycheck // a machine that shows the future is something to forget, especially if it hinders an office romance
• Demolition Man // the world is safe from car accidents, crime, and even profanity, until an ancient evil is awakened and must be met with quippy lines

Choose Your Config

Whether the dystopian or utopian pattern dominates––or they strike an uneasy truce––cyberpunk lets us enjoy glimpses of possible futures. These stories echo the various seasons of our own lives, from hopeful to dreadful and everything in between. We get to picture how a momentary affliction or celebration could play out in a dark and wonderful future.

Which configuration would you download?