What is Cyberpunk?

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that has its own distinctions that separate it from, say, steampunk or space exploration. It arose in the 1970s and encompasses a highly-technological, futuristic, and dystopian city world that is run by corrupt mega-corporations. The stark contrast between these rich mega-corporations and the poor slum-dwellers establishes the storyline for the usual cyberpunk trope. Our main protagonist has a background in the low-life sector of the city and through a journey of exploring what it means to be human, our protagonist opposes the mega-corporation. There are elements of transhumanism and existentialism with a complete integration of technology into a society that explores what it means to be more than human. There is an apparent influence of the crime aspect of noir films in the '30s and '40s. Not to mention the representation of brutalist buildings, smoke-filled rooms, neon lights, and references to East Asian culture is a constant in cyberpunk settings.