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Period: to
Evolution of Cyberpunk
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First Phone Call
Thomas Edison makes first lond distance phone call. -
First International Call is made.
First phone international phone call is made between Key West and Havana, Cuba. -
"Brave New World" By Aldous Huxley is published.
"Brave New World" Is set in a seemingly Utopic future where people are placed in castes at birth and born into a social heirachy. It isn't until a "Savage" named John, who lives outside of this world is brought into the city, that this seeming utopia begins to reveal it's horrible flaws. -
Successful test of first digital computer
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First Commercial Mobile Phone Call
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"1984" by George Orwell is published.
"1984" is perhaps one of the most famous sci-fi novels ever created. Following the life of Winston Smith who lives a lif controlled by "Big Brother", Winston meets Julia, whose negative views of the dictatorship matches his own. This novel was later made into a movie. -
"The Naked Lunch" by William S. Burroughs Published
"The Naked Lunch" is cited by many as the inspiration of other notable works, such as "Brave New World" By Aldous Huxley. Chapters set in the "Interzone", show the foundations of Cyberpunk as we know it today. References:
http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/william-s-burroughs-reads-his-controversial-1959-novel-naked-lunch.html -
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick published
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" is the book that the 1982 movie "Blade Runner" is based on. Set in 1991, post-apocalyptic society where 6 Nexus-6 brain model androids have escaped. References:
Dick, P.K. 1968, Blade runner: Do androids dream of electric sheep, Ballantyne Books, New York, N.Y. -
Personal Computer's were put on the market.
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First laptops are put on market
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Mobile phones commercialised.
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"Blade Runner" Released
"Blade Runner" The adaption of the sci-fi novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep" is released. Despite the massive following of the book, the film saw a disappointing run at the cinema due to poor cinematic choices. Upon re-release, cutting said choices the movie gained "cult" status and is widely seen as the first "Cyberpunk" film. -
"Tron" was released
The movie "Tron" is first released. The plot of the movie involves a computer programmer being transported into the mainframe of a computer and follows his attempt to escape. This movie was later re-made in 2010. -
"Neuromancer" by William Gibson published
The first widely considered "Cyberpunk" novel is published, the beginning of the "Sprawl" trilogy. Gibson's novel revolves around a computer hacker/cowboy who uses cyberspace to commit his crimes. -
Apple releases Mac.
Apple releases the Mac using the novel "1984" as inspiration. -
"The Terminator" is Released
"The Terminator" begins in the midst of battle between human and robot. A robot "The Terminator" is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, a woman who's son, John Connor, will the human rebel forces in the future war. -
"Robocop" is released
Robocop is set in a dystopic future where to clean up a city with a high crime rate, the police commission a new force of part-man, part-robot officers. "Robocop" gains inspiration from "Blade Runner" and the comic books, "Judge Dredd". -
ADSL introduced
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"Total Recall" Released
Total Recall is a film losely based on Phillip K. Dicks "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale." The plot focuses on Quaid who after undergoing a "memory implant" to Mars learns that his memory has been wiped in order to protect himself. -
The Internet first opened for public use.
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The Invention of the search engine "Google"
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"The Matrix" is released
"The Matrix" series is one of the most well known cyberpunk films in history. Beginning in 1999, the story follows Neo who learns that the world he has been living in is a computer generated, cyber world, controlled by robots known as "Mr Smith". Set in a dystopic future where machine rules man. -
Y2K Panic
There was fear that in wake of the new millenium multiple computer systems would fail. -
Apple begins selling Ipods.
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The launch of "Myspace"
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Facebook is founded
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The first "IPad" was released to the public.
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Facebook's total users reached 1.11 billion.
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"Transendence" is released
"Transendence" is the story of a man who's consciousness is uploaded to a computer program so that he may outlive his bodies death. When the program is connected to the internet at the request of the "conscious" he becomes a threat to society who has begun to fear these large technological advances. -
Today
- 85% of the world has access to the Internet.
- 25% of the world uses some form of social media.
- There are 1.28 billion Facebook users (on average).
