We all know Steampunkers party like it’s 1899. That it’s a steam-powered world of airships, cogs, clockwork, crazy inventions, and brass goggles with plenty of room for air pirates, brass robots, and corset-and-bustle-wearing vampire hunters.
But what’s beyond Steampunk?
Here are a few things I’ve found, though many seem to overlap. This is by no means a definitive or exhaustive list:
Biopunk— Features those who are a product of biological experimentation, usually against the backdrop of a totalitarian government or megacorproations who are abusing science for personal gain or social control.
Clockpunk—A world where steam technology has been replaced by intricate clockwork designs.
Cyberpunk—Near-future earth with super-high technology and the breakdown of social order, usually with dystopian/anarchist /rebellion themes featuring conflict between humans and robots/cyborgs/megacorporations.
Cyberprep-Cyberpunk featuring a leisure-driven, happy society instead of a gritty one where technology and body modifications are used for recreation and pleasure.
Dieselpunk—The world just beyond steampunk where gas has replaced steam, steal replaced brass, it’s a world of flappers, gangsters—the roaring twenties though noir/dystopian goggles (I’ve also seen it called Oilpunk).
Gasolinepunk—The 1960’s hotrod era taken to the max.
Monsterpunk—Mechanical and steampunk elements mixed together in a monster world (or one powered by monsters). Monster Commute is a good example: http://www.monstercommute.com
Oilpunk/Petrolpunk/Petropunk—An idealized version of an oil-based society. Think floating cities with giant rocket engines.
Sailpunk—Where new technologies take on a nautical aesthetic, such as in the movie Treasure Planet.
Do you have anything to add? Elfpunk (those great rock & roll and car-racing Elf stories that take place in our world.) Post-Cyberpunk(Cyberpunk minus the dystopia)…
Any of these genres spark any ideas (or new genres to explore)?
I’d love to hear your ideas. Unfortunately, I can’t find any more art deco tiaras, but I have found some cute tiny ones. So one lucky poster will win a baby tiara and a bag of productivity pixy dust.
Have a great week everyone. Check back on Friday for the winner!
