Cyberpunk, a subgenre of science fiction, emerged in the late 20th century as a distinct literary movement characterized by its portrayal of a high-tech, dystopian future. Defined succinctly by Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature as featuring "countercultural antiheroes trapped in a dehumanized, high-tech future," cyberpunk draws on the cultural upheaval of the 1980s, merging the punk ethos with cybernetic advances. The term itself was coined by Bruce Bethke in his 1983 story "Cyberpunk," reflecting the fusion of cybernetics and punk culture.

Cyberpunk's literary origins lie in the technological fiction and hardboiled crime narratives of the mid-20th century, with influences from authors like Raymond Chandler, William S. Burroughs, and Philip K. Dick. During the 1970s, Bruce Sterling championed a modernization of science fiction to better mirror contemporary realities, a call answered by cyberpunk through its engagement with the burgeoning Information Age.

Core themes in cyberpunk fiction include the psychological and societal impacts of advanced technology, particularly computers, and a focus on human-machine hybrids such as cyborgs. The subgenre gained popularity alongside postmodernist theories by thinkers like Jacques Derrida, aligning with their emphasis on subjective interpretation in an increasingly technologized world.

However, cyberpunk faced criticism for its perceived catering to white, male perspectives, leading to a branch of the genre that addressed issues pertinent to women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color. While the genre's prominence waned in the 1990s with the mainstream acceptance of the internet and digital culture, its exploration of post-human themes remains significant.

Bruce Sterling's anthology Mirrorshades serves as a cornerstone of cyberpunk literature. As noted in the preface to Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology, Sterling describes cyberpunk as an "unholy alliance of the technical world and the world of organized dissent," highlighting the integration of technology into everyday life. His vision reflects a visceral connection to technology, one that extends beneath the skin and into the psyche.