format_quote I love cyberpunk because, despite all of the associated dystopian tropes, there are areas where the genre offers hope. Cyberpunk is often the story of one person, marginalized by society and standing alone. But unlike fantasy with its orcs versus elves or space operas with their humans versus aliens, our protagonist isn't standing alone because of their race. Instead cyberpunk relies on the very real conflicts that arise because of social strata. Those who have, want to continue to have and are drawn to do unseemly things to keep it. Those who don't, eventually break, unable to honor the social contract that only the poor seem to be expected to uphold. That the interaction between and mixing of different races and gender identities have been normalized to the point of not being the focus of much of the conflict in cyberpunk is what gives me hope.

That's not to say that those conflicts have been erased in the near future worlds of cyberpunk. They do still exist, but the genre allows for stories where it is clear that the character of a person is what makes them the antagonist. They are not born to evil because they are a certain race or orientation, but instead they choose it for themselves. And, even more hopeful, that it is the character of the person that can lead them to greatness, even when standing alone. Cyberpunk is often, at its heart, the story of a single person standing up for what is right even if they are not anything like you'd expect a hero to be.

So that's why I write cyberpunk stories. I can't in any way provide representation. Just look at my stupid face over there. But I can, with the help of some incredible beta readers and advisors, offer a hopeful glimpse into a world where our differences have been normalized and conflict is driven instead by the choices characters make for themselves.