Pat Cadigan is a renowned science fiction and cyberpunk author known for works like Synners and Mindplayers. In 2023 she released a novelization of the classic Japanese Ultraman TV series, and in July she’ll release a novelization of the Ultraman UltraSeven series.

Pat joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss the evolution of the cyberpunk genre and its real-world implications. She reflects on her early influences, the tribal nature of cyberpunk’s rise, and how the genre has shifted from fiction to reality, particularly in the realms of corporate control, surveillance, and digital culture. The conversation covers the increasing relevance of cyberpunk themes, from AI and hacking to political and social upheaval. Cadigan also shares insights on the interplay between technology and human experience, drawing parallels between cyberpunk fiction and contemporary challenges such as privacy concerns, economic instability, and political manipulation. The discussion closes with thoughts on the future of cyberpunk and its continued impact on storytelling and society.

I didn’t really know very much about what was going on. I knew that I’d read Bill Gibson’s fiction and I loved it, and it was just the type of thing that piqued my interest and made me think good thoughts, creative thoughts. I forget whether it was Bruce Sterling or John Shirley who said that – I think John said this was a tribal thing, more than anything. And that we were people who were baby boomers – we’d grown up at more or less the same time. We came of age. We were the first generation with mass media and with travel that could be accomplished within a scarily short amount of time.