Editing Cyberpunk derivatives

{{short description|Subgenres of this speculative fiction genre}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
Since the advent of the [[cyberpunk]] genre, a number of '''cyberpunk derivatives''' have become recognized in their own right as distinct [[subgenres]] in [[speculative fiction]], especially in [[science fiction]].<ref name="Bould">{{cite book|editor-last=Seed|editor-first=David|last=Bould|first=Mark|title=A Companion to Science Fiction|chapter=Cyberpunk|date=2005|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|page=217|isbn=978-1-4051-4458-2|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sff8TDaAjEcC&pg=PA217}}</ref> Rather than necessarily sharing the digitally and mechanically focused setting of cyberpunk, these derivatives can display other futuristic, or even [[retrofuturism|retrofuturistic]], qualities that are drawn from or analogous to cyberpunk: a [[worldbuilding|world built]] on one particular technology that is extrapolated to a highly sophisticated level (this may even be a fantastical or anachronistic technology, akin to retrofuturism), a gritty [[Transrealism (literature)|transreal]] urban style, or a particular approach to social themes.

[[Steampunk]], one of the most well-known of these subgenres, has been defined as a "kind of technological [[fantasy]];"<ref name="Bould" /> others in this category sometimes also incorporate aspects of [[science fantasy]] and [[historical fantasy]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Stableford |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Stableford |year=2005 |title =Alternative History |encyclopedia=The A to Z of Fantasy Literature |publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=7–8}}</ref> Scholars have written of the stylistic place of these subgenres in [[postmodern literature]], as well as their ambiguous interaction with the historical perspective of [[postcolonialism]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Eric D.|title=Globalization, Utopia and Postcolonial Science Fiction: New Maps of Hope|date=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|chapter=Third-World Punks, Or, Watch Out for the Worlds Behind You}}</ref>

== Background ==
American author [[Bruce Bethke]] coined the term ''cyberpunk'' in his [[Cyberpunk (short story)|1983 short story]] of that name, using it as a label for a generation of "[[Punk subculture|punk]]" teenagers inspired by the perceptions inherent to the [[Information Age]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Bethke, Bruce |title=The Etymology of "Cyberpunk" |orig-date=1997 |year=2000 |url=http://www.brucebethke.com/nf_cp.html |access-date=2008-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108085939/http://brucebethke.com/nf_cp.html |archive-date=2008-01-08 }}</ref> The term was quickly appropriated as a label applied to the works of [[William Gibson]], [[Bruce Sterling]], [[John Shirley]], [[Rudy Rucker]], [[Michael Swanwick]], [[Pat Cadigan]], [[Lewis Shiner]], [[Richard Kadrey]], and others. Science fiction author [[Lawrence Person]], in defining [[postcyberpunk]], summarized the characteristics of cyberpunk:
<blockquote>Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized, alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change, an ubiquitous [[datasphere]] of computerized information, and invasive modification of the [[human body]].<ref name="Person, Lawrence 1998">{{cite web| author = Person, Lawrence | title = Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto | year = 1998 | url = http://slashdot.org/features/99/10/08/2123255.shtml | access-date=2008-04-02}}</ref></blockquote>

The cyberpunk style describes the [[Nihilism|nihilistic]] and [[Underground culture|underground]] side of the digital society that developed from the last two decades of the 20th century. The cyberpunk world is [[dystopia]]n, that is, it is the [[antithesis]] of utopian visions, very frequent in science fiction produced in the mid-twentieth century, typified by the world of ''[[Star Trek]]'', although incorporating some of these [[utopia]]s. It is sometimes generically defined as "cyberpunk-fantasy" or "cyberfantasy" a work of a [[fantasy]] genre that concerns the internet or [[cyberspace]]. Among the best known exponents are commonly indicated [[William Gibson]], for his highly innovative and distinctive stories and novels from a stylistic and thematic point of view, and [[Bruce Sterling]], for theoretical elaboration. Sterling later defined cyberpunk as "a new type of integration. The overlapping of worlds that were formally separated: the realm of [[high tech]] and modern [[underground culture]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hinchliff |first=Sue |date=1990-04-25 |title=Diplomas for the new decade |journal=Nursing Standard |volume=4 |issue=31 |pages=33–35 |doi=10.7748/ns.4.31.33.s33 |pmid=2110311 |issn=0029-6570}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Bruce|last=Sterling|author-link=Bruce Sterling|title=Mirrorshades: the Cyberpunk Anthology |year=1988 |page=XI |language=en |quote=The term captures something crucial to the work of these writers, something crucial to the decade as a whole: a new kind of integration. The overlapping of worlds that were formerly separated: the realm of high tech and the modern pop underground... |publisher=Ace}}</ref>

The relevance of cyberpunk as a genre to punk subculture is debatable and further hampered by the lack of a defined 'cyberpunk' subculture. Where the small '[[Cyber (subculture)|cyber]]' movement shares themes with cyberpunk fiction, as well as drawing inspiration from punk and [[Goth subculture|goth]] alike, [[cyberculture]] is considerably more popular though much less defined, encompassing [[virtual communities]] and [[cyberspace]] in general and typically embracing optimistic anticipations about the future. Cyberpunk is nonetheless regarded as a successful genre, as it ensnared many new readers and provided the sort of movement that postmodern literary critics found alluring. Furthermore, author [[David Brin]] argues, cyberpunk made science fiction more attractive and profitable for [[mainstream media]] and the [[visual arts]] in general.<ref>{{cite web | author = Brin, David | title = The Matrix: Tomorrow May Be Different | year = 2003 | url = http://www.davidbrin.com/matrixarticle.html | access-date = 2008-04-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080322014437/http://www.davidbrin.com/matrixarticle.html | archive-date = 2008-03-22 }}</ref>

== Futuristic derivatives ==

=== Biopunk ===
{{main|Biopunk|List of biopunk works}}
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2021}}
Biopunk builds on [[synthetic biology]] and [[biotechnology]] (such as [[bionanotechnology]] and [[biorobotics]]), typically focusing on the potential dangers to [[genetic engineering]] and [[Genetic enhancement|enhancement]].<ref name=":2">{{cite web|date=2007-06-12|title=Nanopunk definition|url=http://www.azonano.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1918|access-date=2011-03-07|publisher=Azonano.com}}</ref> As such, this genre generally depicts near-future [[unintended consequences]] of the [[biotechnology revolution]] following the discovery of [[recombinant DNA]].

Emerging during the 1990s, biopunk fiction usually describes the struggles of individuals or groups, often the product of [[human experimentation]], against a backdrop of [[totalitarian]] governments or [[megacorporation]]s that misuse [[biotechnologies]] as means of [[social control]] or [[Profiteering (business)|profiteering]].

As in [[postcyberpunk]], individuals are most commonly [[body modification|modified]] and [[human enhancement|enhanced]] by [[human genetic engineering|genetic manipulation]] of their [[chromosome]]s rather than with [[prosthetic]] [[cyberware]] or dry nanotechnologies (albeit, like in nanopunk, bio-, nanotechnologies, and cyberware often coexist), and sometimes with other biotechnologies, such as [[nanobiotechnology]], [[Wetware (brain)|wetware]], special bioengineered [[Organ (anatomy)|organ]]s, and neural and [[tissue graft]]s.

Film examples include [[Naked Lunch (film)|''Naked Lunch'']] (1991), ''[[Gattaca]]'' (1997), and ''[[Vesper (film)|Vesper]]'' (2022).

=== Nanopunk ===
{{main|Nanopunk}}
Nanopunk focuses on worlds in which the theoretical possibilities of [[Nanotechnology in fiction|nanotechnology]] are a reality,<ref name=":2" /> including the use of [[Drexlerian nanotechnology|Drexlerian]] 'dry' [[nano-assembler]]s<ref name="urlFull Page Reload">{{cite web|title=Full Page Reload|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/devices/revolutionary_nanotechnology_w|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904134359/http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/devices/revolutionary_nanotechnology_w|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 September 2010|format=}}</ref> and [[Nanorobotics|nanites]].

It is an emerging subgenre that is still less common in comparison to other derivatives of [[cyberpunk]].<ref name=":2" /> The genre is similar to biopunk, which focuses on the use of [[biotechnology]], such as [[bionanotechnology]] and [[biorobotics]], rather than on nanotechnology. (Albeit, like in biopunk, bio-, nanotechnologies, and [[cyberware]] often coexist in contrast to classical cyberpunk settings tending to heavily focus on mechanical cyberware to the point of genetic engineering and nanotechnologies being outright banned in some cyberpunk settings.)

One of the earliest works of nanopunk, ''Tech Heaven'' (1995) by [[Linda Nagata]], looked into the healing potential of nanotechnology.<ref name=":2" /> The genre is often concerned with the artistic and physiological impact of nanotechnology, than of aspects of the technology itself.<ref name=":3" /> For instance, [[Prey (novel)|''Prey'']] (2002) by [[Michael Crichton]] explores a potential doomsday scenario caused by nanotechnology.<ref name=":2" /> One of the most prominent examples of nanopunk is the ''[[Crysis (series)|Crysis]]'' video game series; less famous examples include the television series ''[[Generator Rex]]'' (2010) and film ''[[Transcendence (2014 film)|Transcendence]]'' (2014).<ref name=":3">{{Cite book | chapter=The Guerilla Infrastructure HOWTO | title=Future Bristol | last=Hawkes-Reed | first=J. | editor=Colin Harvey | isbn=978-1-934041-93-2 | year=2009 | publisher=Swimming Kangaroo | url=http://ttapress.com/fix/reviews/future-bristol/ | access-date=2010-12-17 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227124653/http://ttapress.com/fix/reviews/future-bristol/ | archive-date=2010-12-27 }}</ref>

=== Postcyberpunk ===
Postcyberpunk includes newer [[cyberpunk]] works that experiment with different approaches to the genre. Often, such works will keep to central futuristic elements of cyberpunk—such as [[human augmentation]], ubiquitous [[infosphere]]s, and other advanced technology—but will forgo the assumption of a [[dystopia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Post Cyberpunk|url=https://sfbook.com/post-cyberpunk.htm|access-date=2021-03-16|website=sfbook.com}}</ref> However, like all categories discerned within science fiction, the boundaries of postcyberpunk are likely to be fluid or ill-defined.<ref>{{cite web|last=Person|first=Lawrence|year=1998|title=Notes Towards a Postcyberpunk Manifesto|url=http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/notes_toward_a_postcyberpunk_manifesto.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823020935/http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/notes_toward_a_postcyberpunk_manifesto.html|archive-date=2009-08-23|access-date=2007-06-18|work=The Cyberpunk Project}}</ref>

It can be argued that the rise of cyberpunk fiction took place at a time when the '[[cyberspace|cyber]]' was still considered new, foreign, and more-or-less strange to the average person. In this sense, postcyberpunk essentially emerged in acknowledgement of the idea that humanity has since adapted to the concept of cyberspace and no longer sees some elements of cyberpunk as from a distant world.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Older|first=Malka|date=2016-06-08|title=Optimism and Access: The Line Between Cyberpunk and Post-Cyberpunk|url=https://www.tor.com/2016/06/08/optimism-and-access-the-line-between-cyberpunk-and-post-cyberpunk/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Tor.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

As new writers and artists began to experiment with cyberpunk ideas, new varieties of fiction emerged, sometimes addressing the criticisms leveled at classic cyberpunk fiction. In 1998, [[Lawrence Person]] published an essay to the Internet forum ''[[Slashdot]]'' in which he discusses the emergence of the postcyberpunk genre:

{{blockquote|The best of cyberpunk conveyed huge cognitive loads about the future by depicting (in best "show, don't tell" fashion) the interaction of its characters with the quotidian minutia of their environment. In the way they interacted with their clothes, their furniture, their decks and spex, cyberpunk characters told you more about [[social science fiction|the society they lived in]] than "classic" SF stories did through their interaction with robots and rocketships.

Postcyberpunk uses the same immersive world-building technique, but features different characters, settings, and, most importantly, makes fundamentally different assumptions about the future. Far from being alienated loners, postcyberpunk characters are frequently integral members of society (i.e., they have jobs). They live in futures that are not necessarily dystopic (indeed, they are often suffused with an optimism that ranges from cautious to exuberant), but their everyday lives are still impacted by rapid [[technological change]] and an [[Ubiquitous computing|omnipresent computerized infrastructure]].<ref name="Person, Lawrence 1998" />{{unreliable source?|reason=User-generated content generally considered unreliable|date=September 2019}}}}

Person advocates using the term ''postcyberpunk'' for the strain of science fiction that he describes above. In this view, typical postcyberpunk fiction explores themes related to a "world of accelerating [[technological innovation]] and ever-increasing complexity in ways relevant to our everyday lives," while continuing the focus on social aspects within a [[Digital Revolution|post-third industrial-era]] society, such as of ubiquitous dataspheres and [[Cybernetics|cybernetic]] augmentation of the human body. Unlike cyberpunk, its works may portray a [[utopia]] or to blend elements of both extremes into a relatively more mature societal vision.

Denoting the [[Postmodernism|postmodern]] framework of the genre, Rafael Miranda Huereca (2006) states:

{{blockquote|In this fictional world, the unison in the hive becomes a [[Power (social and political)|power]] mechanism which is executed in its capillary form, not from above the social body but from within. This mechanism as [[Michel Foucault|Foucault]] remarks is a form of power, which "reaches into the very grain of individuals, touches their bodies and inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, their discourses, learning processes and everyday lives". In postcyberpunk unitopia 'the capillary mechanism' that Foucault describes is literalized. Power touches the body through the genes, injects viruses to the veins, takes the forms of pills and constantly penetrates the body through its surveillance systems; collects samples of body substance, reads finger prints, even reads the 'prints' that are not visible, the ones which are coded in the genes. The body responds back to power, communicates with it; supplies the information that power requires and also receives its future conduct as a part of its daily routine. More importantly, power does not only control the body, but also designs, (re)produces, (re)creates it according to its own objectives. Thus, human body is re-formed as a result of the transformations of the relations between communication and power.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Altintaş |first=Aciye Gülengül |date=February 2006 |title=Postcyberpunk Unitopia: A Comparative Study of Cyberpunk and Postcyberpunk |url=http://openaccess.bilgi.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11411/97/Postcyberpunk%20Unitopia%20%20a%20Comparative%20Study%20of%20Cyberpunk%20and%20Postcyberpunk.pdf |type=MA thesis |publisher=Istanbul Bilgi University Institute of Social Sciences |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113042859/http://openaccess.bilgi.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11411/97/Postcyberpunk%20Unitopia%20%20a%20Comparative%20Study%20of%20Cyberpunk%20and%20Postcyberpunk.pdf }}</ref>}}

In addition to themes of its ancestral genre, according to Huereca (2011), postcyberpunk might also combine elements of [[#Nanopunk|nanopunk]] and [[#Biopunk|biopunk]]. Some postcyberpunk settings can have diverse types of augmentations instead of focusing on one kind, while others, similar to classic cyberpunk, can revolve around a single type of technology like prosthetics, such as in ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' (''GitS'').<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Huereca|first=Rafael Miranda|date=2011|title=The evolution of cyberpunk into postcyberpunk: The role of cognitive cyberspaces, wetware networks and nanotechnology in science fiction|url=http://www.tdx.cat/bitstream/handle/10803/288302/rmh1de1.pdf|type=Doctoral Dissertation|page=324|access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref>

Often named examples of postcyberpunk novels are [[Neal Stephenson]]'s ''[[The Diamond Age]]'' and [[Bruce Sterling]]'s ''[[Holy Fire (novel)|Holy Fire]]''.{{Cn|date=January 2024}} In television, Person has called ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'' "the most interesting, sustained postcyberpunk media work in existence."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://locusmag.com/2006/Features/Person_GhostInTheShell.html|title=Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex|magazine=Locus Online|date=2006-01-15|access-date=2008-02-07|last= Person|first= Lawrence}}</ref> In 2007, San Francisco writers [[James Patrick Kelly]] and [[John Kessel]] published ''[[Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology]]''.

==== Cyberprep ====
Cyberprep is a term with a similar meaning to postcyberpunk. A cyberprep world assumes that all the [[Technology|technological]] advancements of cyberpunk speculation have taken place, but life is [[technological utopianism|utopian]] rather than gritty and dangerous.<ref name=":7">Blankenship, Loyd. (1995) ''GURPS Cyberpunk: High-Tech Low-Life Rolepaying Sourcebook''. Steve Jackson Games. {{ISBN|1-55634-168-7}}</ref> Since society is largely leisure-driven, advanced [[Human enhancement|body enhancements]] are used for sports, pleasure, and self-improvement.

The word is an amalgam of the prefix ''cyber-'', referring to [[cybernetics]], and ''[[preppy]]'', reflecting its divergence from the punk elements of cyberpunk.<ref name=":7" />

[[Stanislaw Lem]]'s ''[[Return from the Stars]]'' is an example.

===Cyber noir===
{{Main|Tech noir}}
Cyber noir is a [[Film noir|noir]] genre story placed in a [[cyberpunk]] setting.

== Retrofuturistic derivatives ==
{{Main|Retrofuturism}}
As a wider variety of writers began to work with cyberpunk concepts, new subgenres of science fiction emerged, playing off the cyberpunk label, and focusing on technology and its social effects in different ways. Many derivatives of cyberpunk are [[Retrofuturism|retro-futuristic]]: they reimagine the past either through futuristic visions of historical eras (especially from the [[Industrial Revolution|first]] and [[Second Industrial Revolution|second industrial revolution]] technological-eras), or through depictions of more recent extrapolations or exaggerations of the actual technology from those eras.

=== Steampunk ===
[[File:Steampunk-falksen.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Victorian-style attire with a steampunk mechanical arm]]
{{main|Steampunk|List of steampunk works}}
Steampunk is a retro-futuristic genre that is influenced by the [[Industrialisation|Steam Age]], ranging from the late [[Regency era]] (1795–1837; when the [[Industrial Revolution]] began) through the [[Victorian era]] (1837–1901) and the [[Belle Époque]] (1871–1914).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Heyvaert|first=Hilde|date=2013-05-15|title=An Introduction to Steampunk|url=https://neverwasmag.com/2013/05/an-introduction-to-steampunk/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Never Was|language=en-US}}</ref>

The word ''steampunk'' was invented in 1987 as a jocular reference to some of the novels of [[Tim Powers]], [[James P. Blaylock]], and [[K. W. Jeter]]. When Gibson and Sterling entered the subgenre with their 1990 [[collaborative fiction|collaborative novel]] ''[[The Difference Engine]]'', the term was being used earnestly as well.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Berry |title=Wacko Victorian Fantasy Follows 'Cyberpunk' Mold |url=http://www.wordspy.com/words/steampunk.asp |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |publisher=Wordspy |date=1987-06-25 |access-date=2008-04-02 |archive-date=26 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226121602/http://www.wordspy.com/words/steampunk.asp }}</ref> [[Alan Moore]] and [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]]'s 1999 ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' [[historical fantasy]] [[comic book]] series (and the subsequent [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|2003 film adaptation]]) popularized the steampunk genre and helped propel it into mainstream fiction.<ref name="Poeter">{{cite news |author = Damon Poeter | title = Steampunk's subculture revealed |date=2008-07-06 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/06/LVL211GOO2.DTL |access-date=2008-07-15 |work=The San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> Around 2007, the term became more common, and also began to refer to a clothing style and subculture.<ref name = SFESteampunk>{{cite encyclopedia | last1 = Nicholls | first1 = Peter | author1-link = Peter Nicholls (writer) | last2 = Langford | first2 = David | author2-link = David Langford | editor1-last = Clute | editor1-first = John | editor1-link = John Clute | editor2-last = Langford | editor2-first = David | title = Steampunk | encyclopedia = The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction | url = https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/steampunk | access-date = 25 Feb 2024 | edition = 4 | year = 2023 | publisher = SFE Ltd and Ansible Editions | location = London and Reading}}</ref>

The most immediate form of steampunk subculture is the community of fans surrounding the genre. Others move beyond this, attempting to adopt a "steampunk" aesthetic through fashion, home decor and even music. This movement may also be (perhaps more accurately) described as "[[Neo-Victorian]]ism", which is the amalgamation of Victorian aesthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies. This characteristic is particularly evident in [[steampunk fashion]] which tends to synthesize punk, [[Goth (subculture)|goth]] and [[Rivethead|rivet]] styles as filtered through the Victorian era. As an object style, steampunk adopts more distinct characteristics with various craftspersons [[modding]] modern-day devices into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style.<ref>{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Braiker |title=Steampunking Technology; A subculture hand-tools today's gadgets with Victorian style |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/67352 |work=Newsweek |date=2007-10-31 |access-date= 2008-04-02}}</ref> The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, and wood) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Bebergal |title=The age of steampunk |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/26/the_age_of_steampunk/ |work=The Boston Globe |date=2007-08-26 |access-date=2008-04-02}}</ref>

Other examples include ''[[Wild Wild West]]'' (1999), ''[[Hugo (film)|Hugo]]'' (2011),<ref name = SFESteampunk /> ''[[Treasure Planet]]'' (2002), ''[[Last Exile]]'' (2003), ''[[Bioshock Infinite]]'' (2013), and ''[[Arcane (TV series)|Arcane]]'' (2021).{{Cn|reason=[[WP:V]] and [[WP:N]]|date=January 2024}}

=== Clockpunk ===
{{anchor|Clockpunk|Clock punk}}

Clockpunk, similar to steampunk, reimagines the [[Early modern period|Early Modern Period]] (16th–18th century) to include retro-futuristic technology, often portraying [[History of science in the Renaissance|Renaissance-era science]] and [[Renaissance technology|technology]] based on [[clockwork]], [[gear]]s, and [[Leonardo da Vinci|Da Vincian]] machinery designs.<ref name="ingmaralbizu">{{cite web|date=30 April 2018|title=Clockpunk and the Perils of Reimagining the Past|url=http://www.ingmaralbizu.com/clockpunk-and-the-perils-of-reimagining-the-past/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528204242/http://www.ingmaralbizu.com/clockpunk-and-the-perils-of-reimagining-the-past/|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 May 2018|access-date=18 November 2019|website=Ingmaralbizu.com}}</ref> Such designs are in the vein of ''[[Mainspring (novel)|Mainspring]]'' by [[Jay Lake]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Sawicki|first=Steve|date=2007-06-12|title=Mainspring by Jay Lake|url=http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=5123|access-date=2008-08-01|work=Sfrevu.com}}</ref> and ''[[Whitechapel Gods]]'' by S. M. Peters.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Andrea|date=2008-02-05|title=Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters|url=http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6311|access-date=2011-03-07|work=Sfrevu.com}}</ref>

The term was coined by the ''[[GURPS]]'' role-playing system in the sourcebook ''[[GURPS Steampunk]]'' <ref name="GURPS steam" /> Examples of clockpunk include ''[[The Blazing World]]'' by [[Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Margaret Cavendish]];<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/the-science-fiction-that-came-before-science/508067/ Centuries Before 'Arrival': The Original Science Fiction – The Atlantic]</ref> Astro-Knights Island in the nonlinear game ''[[Poptropica]]''; the Clockwork Mansion level of ''[[Dishonored 2]]''; the [[The Three Musketeers (2011 film)|2011 film version of ''The Three Musketeers'']]; the TV series ''[[Da Vinci's Demons]]''; as well as the video games ''[[Thief: The Dark Project]]'', ''[[Syberia]]'', and ''[[Assassin's Creed 2]]''. [[Ian Tregillis]]' book ''The Mechanical'' is self-proclaimed clockpunk literature.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lauren Sarner|date=4 January 2016|title=Ian Tregillis Is Creating His Own 'Clockpunk' Genre|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/9775-ian-tregillis-is-creating-his-own-clockpunk-genre-asking-the-prophet|access-date=18 November 2019|website=Inverse.com}}</ref> The Games Workshop [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]] settings, especially the Empire and the Dwarves, represent clockpunk.

For some{{who|date=January 2024}}, clockpunk is steampunk without steam.<ref name="ingmaralbizu" />

''[[Alita: Battle Angel]]'' (2019), based on the manga ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'', is mostly cyberpunk but sometimes its machines contain elements of clockpunk.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

=== Dieselpunk ===
{{main|Dieselpunk}}
[[File:Diesel Forces.jpg|thumb|right|Dieselpunk]]
Dieselpunk is a genre and art style based on the aesthetics popular in the [[interwar period]] through the end of [[World War II]] into the 1950s, when [[Diesel engine|diesel]] displaced the [[steam engine]]. The style combines the artistic and genre influences of the period (including [[pulp magazines]], [[serial film]]s, [[film noir]], [[Art Deco|art deco]], and wartime [[Pin-up model|pin-ups]]) with [[Retrofuturism|retro-futuristic]] technology<ref name=dailydot>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/dieselpunk-steampunk-beginners-guide/|title=Dieselpunk for beginners: Welcome to a world where the '40s never ended|author=Aja Romano|date=2013-10-08|work=[[The Daily Dot]]|access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p3">{{ Citation | url=http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/Gazette%20-%201.pdf|title=Discovering Dieselpunk | last1=Piecraft |first2= Nick |last2=Ottens| journal = The Gatehouse Gazette|issue =1|date = July 2008|page =3|access-date=2010-05-23}}</ref> and [[Postmodernism|postmodern]] sensibilities.<ref name="What's in a Name?">{{cite web|url=http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/2013/10/whats-in-a-name/|title=What's in a Name?|author=Larry Amyett|date=October 24, 2013|publisher=The Gatehouse|access-date=June 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626125851/http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/2013/10/whats-in-a-name/|archive-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref>

First coined in 2001 as a marketing term by game designer Lewis Pollak to describe his role-playing game ''[[Children of the Sun (role-playing game)|Children of the Sun]]'',<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p3" /><ref name="Misguided Games, Inc. is pleased to announce that Children of the Sun has shipped from the printer">{{cite web|first=Lewis B. Jr. |last=Pollak |title=Misguided Games, Inc. is pleased to announce that Children of the Sun has shipped from the printer. |url=http://www.misguidedgames.com/press_frame.htm |year=2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070119005820/http://www.misguidedgames.com/press_frame.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2007 }}</ref> dieselpunk has since grown to describe a distinct style of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering.

Examples include the movies ''[[Iron Sky]]'' (2012), ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' (2011), ''[[The Rocketeer (film)|The Rocketeer]]'' (1991), ''[[K-20: Legend of the Mask]]'' (2008)'', [[Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow]]'' (2004), and ''[[Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]'' (1998); video games such as the [[Crimson Skies|''Crimson Skies'' series]], ''[[Fallout (franchise)|the Fallout series]]'', ''[[Greed Corp]]'', ''[[Gatling Gears]]'', ''[[Skullgirls]]'',<ref name="Chronologia dieselpunku">{{cite web| first=Janicz| last=Krzysztof| title="Chronologia dieselpunku" (in Polish)| url=http://steampunk.republika.pl/chrono04pl.html| year=2008| access-date=2008-08-01| archive-date=2010-04-06| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406032900/http://steampunk.republika.pl/chrono04pl.html}}</ref> the [[Wolfenstein series|''Wolfenstein'' series]], ''[[Iron Harvest]]'', and ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'';<ref name="Top 10 Games">{{cite web|url=http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/pc/articles/67680.aspx|title=Top 10 Steampunk and Dieselpunk Games for the PC|author=sinisterporpoise|editor-first=Michael|editor-last=Hartman|publisher=Bright Hub|date=March 30, 2010|access-date=2010-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605072731/http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/pc/articles/67680.aspx|archive-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> and television shows like ''[[The Legend of Korra]]''.<ref name="Dot">{{cite news |last1=Romano |first1=Aja |title=Dieselpunk for beginners: Welcome to a world where the '40s never ended |url=https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/fandom/dieselpunk-steampunk-beginners-guide/ |access-date=18 April 2020 |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |date=8 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="Eurogamer">{{cite news |last1=Boyes |first1=Philip |title=Hot Air and High Winds: A Love Letter to the Fantasy Airship |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-02-08-hot-air-and-high-winds-a-love-letter-to-the-fantasy-airship |access-date=18 April 2020 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |date=8 February 2020}}</ref>

==== Decopunk ====
Decopunk is a recent subset of dieselpunk, centered around the [[art deco]] and [[Streamline Moderne]] art styles. Other influences include the 1927 film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' as well as the environment of American cities like [[New York City|New York]], [[Chicago]], and [[Boston]] around the period between the 1920s and 1950s.

Steampunk author [[Sara M. Harvey]] made the distinction that decopunk is "shinier than dieselpunk;" more specifically, dieselpunk is "a gritty version of steampunk set in the 1920s–1950s" (i.e., the war eras), whereas decopunk "is the sleek, shiny very art deco version; same time period, but everything is [[Chrome plating|chrome]]!"<ref>{{cite web|date=17 May 2010|title=Rayguns! Steampunk Fiction|url=http://coyotecon.com/transcripts/transcript-rayguns-steampunk-fiction/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521043531/http://coyotecon.com/transcripts/transcript-rayguns-steampunk-fiction/|archive-date=21 May 2010|access-date=11 April 2015|work=Interview transcript}}</ref>

Possibly the most notable examples of this genre are games like the first two titles in the [[BioShock (series)|''BioShock'']] series and ''[[Skullgirls]]''; films like ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]'' (1990), ''[[The Rocketeer (film)|The Rocketeer]]'' (1991), ''[[The Shadow (1994 film)|The Shadow]]'' (1994), and ''[[Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]'' (1998); comic books like ''[[The Goon]]''; and the cartoon ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', which included [[neo-noir]] elements along with modern elements such as the use of [[VHS]] cassettes.

=== Atompunk ===
[[File:AtomicWar0101.jpg|200px|thumb|Cover of ''Atomic War'' number one, November 1952]]
{{anchor|Atompunk}}
Atompunk (also known as atomicpunk) relates to the pre-[[Information Age|digital]] period of 1945–1969, including [[mid-century modern]]ism; the [[Atomic Age|Atomic]], [[Jet Age|Jet]], and [[Space Age|Space]] Ages; [[communism]], [[Stalinist architecture|Neo-Soviet styling]], and early [[Cold War espionage]], along with [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and [[Red Scare]] paranoia in the United States; [[underground cinema]]; [[Googie architecture]]; [[Sputnik]] and the [[Space Race]]; [[Silver Age of Comic Books|silver age]] [[comic book]]s and [[superhero fiction]]; and the rise of the American [[military–industrial complex]].<ref name="Here Comes Atompunk">{{cite magazine | first=Bruce | last=Sterling |author-link=Bruce Sterling| title=Here Comes 'Atompunk.' And It's Dutch. So there | url=https://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2008/12/here-comes-atom/ | date=2008-12-03 | access-date=2010-07-04 | magazine=Wired | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203172625/http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2008/12/here-comes-atom/ | archive-date=2013-12-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | first = Cory | last = Doctorow |author-link=Cory Doctorow| title = Atompunk: fetishizing the atomic age | url = http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/03/atompunk-fetishizing.html |publisher=[[Boing Boing]]| date = December 3, 2008 | access-date = 2015-06-25}}</ref>

Its aesthetic tends toward [[Populuxe]] and [[Raygun Gothic]], which describe a retro-futuristic vision of the world.<ref name="Here Comes Atompunk" /> Most science fiction of the period carried an aesthetic that influenced or inspired later atompunk works. Some of these precursors to atompunk include [[History of science fiction films#Post-War and 1950s|1950s science fiction films]] (including, but not limited to, [[B movies in the 1950s|B movies]]), the [[Sean Connery]]-era of the [[James Bond|''James Bond'' franchise]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Elhefnawy|first=Nader|title=The Many Lives and Deaths of James Bond: Second Edition|date=2015|page=187|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I57nCgAAQBAJ&q=%22James+Bond%22+%22Connery-era+Bonds%22+atompunk&pg=PA187|via=Google Books}}</ref> ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'', [[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|''The Twilight Zone'']], [[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|''The Outer Limits'']], ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', early ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episodes, ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'', ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'', ''[[The Green Hornet (TV series)|The Green Hornet]]'', ''[[The Jetsons]]'', ''[[Jonny Quest (TV series)|Jonny Quest]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://robotmonkeys.net/2009/10/25/the-great-jonny-quest-documentary/|title=The Great Jonny Quest Documentary|last=Koren|first=Jonathan|date=October 25, 2009|website=Robotmonkeys.net|access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'', ''[[Speed Racer]]'', and some [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] comic books.

Notable examples of atompunk in popular media that have been released since the period include television series like ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'', ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'', ''[[Venture Bros]]'', ''[[Archer (2009 TV series)|Archer]]'', and the web series ''[[The Mercury Men]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2011/09/15/the-mercury-men/|title=The Mercury Men|author=Traveler|date=September 15, 2011|website=Daily-steampunk.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914155709/http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2011/09/15/the-mercury-men/|archive-date=September 14, 2015|access-date=October 23, 2020}}</ref> comic books like ''[[Ignition City]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geekreply.com/geek-culture/2015/05/06/ignition-city-15-comics-deserve-tv-shows|title=Ignition City – 15 Comics That Deserve TV Shows|author=Oddball Finn: Comic Maestro|date=May 6, 2015|website=Geek Reply|access-date=October 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://neverwasmag.com/2011/09/ignition-city/|title=Ignition City – Never Was|last=Davia|first=Lorenzo|date=September 1, 2011|work=Never Was|access-date=October 18, 2020}}</ref> and ''[[Atomic Age (comics)|Atomic Age]]''; films like ''[[Logan's Run (film)|Logan's Run]]'' (1976),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://atompunkera.tumblr.com/post/152203767441/logans-run-1976-starring-michael-york-as | title=Atompunk Era }}</ref> ''[[The Incredibles]]'' (2004), ''[[The Iron Giant]]'' (1999),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chroniclesofharriet.com/2012/05/24/punk-101-steampunk-dieselpunk-and-a-three-year-old-genius/|title=PUNK 101: Steampunk, Dieselpunk and a Three Year Old Genius!|last=Ojetade|first=Balogun|date=May 24, 2012|work=Chronicles of Harriet|access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' (2008),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otherworlds.net/steampunk-dieselpunk-atompunk/|title=Steampunk – Dieselpunk – Atompunk|website=Other Worlds Writers' Workshop|access-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2012/07/13/happy-birthday-harrison-ford/|title=Happy Birthday, Harrison Ford!|author=Traveler|date=July 13, 2012|website=Daily-steampunk.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023144948/http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2012/07/13/happy-birthday-harrison-ford/|archive-date=October 23, 2015|access-date=October 15, 2020}}</ref> [[The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (film)|''The'' ''Man from U.N.C.L.E.'']] (2015),<ref name="Raritania">{{cite web|url=https://raritania.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-man-from-uncle-and-market-for-retro.html|title=The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the Market for Retro-Science Fiction|last=Elhefnawy|first=Nader|date=September 15, 2015|website=Raritania.blogspot.com|access-date=September 26, 2020}}</ref> ''[[X-Men: First Class]]'' (2011),<ref name="Raritania" /><ref name="Wizardry">{{Cite book|last=Elhefnawy|first=Nader|title=Cyberpunk, Steampunk and Wizardry: Science Fiction Since 1980|publisher=Kindle Direct Publishing Print on Demand|date=2015|page=195|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ol5lDQAAQBAJ&q=%22A+number+of+recent+features+have+contained+a+touch+of+atompunk%2C+like+X-Men%3A+First+Class+%282011%29+and+Men+in+Black+III+%282012%29%22&pg=PA195|via=Google Books}}</ref> and ''[[Men in Black 3]]'' (2012);<ref name="Raritania" /><ref name="Wizardry" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sensacine.com/peliculas/pelicula-139622/secretos/|title=Men in Black 3: Anédotas sobre 'Men In Black 3' y su rodaje|website=SensaCine.com|language=es|access-date=September 29, 2020}}</ref> video games like ''[[Destroy All Humans! (2005 video game)|Destroy All Humans!]]'' (2005),<ref name="Game Rant Atom">{{cite web|url=https://gamerant.com/best-atom-punk-games/|title=9 Best Atom Punk Games, Ranked|last=Heath|first=David|date=October 7, 2023|website=Game Rant|access-date=November 5, 2023}}</ref> the [[Fallout (franchise)|''Fallout'' series]],<ref name="Game Rant Atom"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Lavender|first=Dave|date=September 13, 2018|title=Mothman Museum and Bethesda teaming up to unveil 'Fallout 76' merch at Mothman Fest|url=https://apnews.com/article/23a560a230bd4becbb6286e6be37c133|work=Associated Press|access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hoffman|first=Jordan|date=July 2, 2020|title=Westworld Producers Are Bringing Adaptation of Fallout Video Game to Amazon|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/westworld-producers-are-bringing-adaptation-of-fallout-video-game-to-amazon|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecinemaspot.com/2020/07/02/fallout-kilter-films-amazon-television-adaptation/|title='Fallout' Television Series in the Works at Amazon Prime Video|last=Kaya|first=Emre|date=July 2, 2020|website=The Cinema Spot|access-date=September 26, 2020}}</ref> ''[[Atomic Heart (video game)|Atomic Heart]]'' (2023),<ref name="Game Rant Atom"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/atomic-heart-review|title=Atomic Heart Review|last=Reilly|first=Luke|date=March 5, 2023|orig-date=Originally posted February 20, 2023|website=IGN|access-date=November 5, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220133718/https://www.ign.com/articles/atomic-heart-review|archive-date=February 20, 2023}}</ref> and ''[[The Invincible (video game)|The Invincible]]'' (2023);<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamerant.com/invincible-hard-sci-fi-game-atompunk-starfield-nasapunk/|title=How The Invincible's Atompunk Sci-Fi Approach Differs From Starfield's Nasapunk Aesthetic|last=Greif|first=Zackari|date=November 2, 2023|website=Game Rant|access-date=November 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-invincible/review|title=The Invincible review – An enthralling take on atompunk sci-fi|last=Brown|first=Josh|date=November 2, 2023|website=PCGamesN|access-date=November 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/gaming/the-invincible-review|title=The Invincible review – space to think|last=Dwiar|first=Rob|date=November 7, 2023|website=TechRadar|access-date=November 11, 2023}}</ref> and books like [[Adam Christopher]]'s novel ''The Age Atomic''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2013/03/10/prerelease-review-the-age-atomic-by-adam-christopher/|title=Prerelease Review: The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher|author=Traveler|date=March 10, 2013|website=Daily-steampunk.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907014133/http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/2013/03/10/prerelease-review-the-age-atomic-by-adam-christopher/|archive-date=September 7, 2015|access-date=October 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rose|first=Steven Jr.|date=May 2015|title=RE: The Review Section – Books – The Age Atomic|url=https://efanzines.com/NFFF/TB-272.pdf|magazine=Tightbeam|publisher=The National Fantasy Fan Federation|issue=272|pages=13–16|issn=2329-4809|access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref>

== Other proposed science fiction derivatives ==
{{anchor|Nowpunk}}
There have been a handful of divergent terms based on the general concepts of [[steampunk]]. These are typically considered unofficial and are often invented by readers, or by authors referring to their own works, often humorously.

For instance, [[Bruce Sterling]] described his 2004 novel ''[[The Zenith Angle]]'', which follows the story of a hacker whose life is changed by the [[September 11 attacks]],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |author1=Laura Lambert |author2=Hilary W. Poole |author3=Chris Woodford|author3-link=Chris Woodford (author)|author4=Christos J. P. Moschovitis |title=The Internet: A Historical Encyclopedia | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qi-ItIG6QLwC&q=%22nowpunk%22&pg=RA1-PA224 | publisher=ABC-CLIO | year=2005 | page=224 | isbn=1-85109-659-0}}</ref> as "nowpunk".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shawl |first1=Nisi |title=9-11 sparks Sterling's high-adrenaline 'nowpunk' novel |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20040514&slug=sterling14 |access-date=25 February 2024 |date=May 14, 2004}}</ref> The developers of the computer game ''[[Neo Cab]]'' used the same term to describe themselves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Alice |title=Nowpunk and the politics of the personal in Neo Cab |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/nowpunk-and-the-politics-of-the-personal-in-neo-cab |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> Another example is Rococopunk, a combination of [[Rococo]] and punk clothing in cosplay or theatrical costuming.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://steampunk.wonderhowto.com/news/alternate-history-steampunk-rococopunk-0141206/ | title = The Alternate History of Steampunk: Rococopunk | work = WONDER HOW TO: STEAMPUNK R&D | date = 7 January 2013 | publisher = wonderhowto.com | access-date = June 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nguyen |first1=Tim |title=The RococoPunk Project is a love letter to Calgary's performing arts community |url=https://timnguyen.co/rococopunk |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> Also, the term Stonepunk has been used to refer to settings based in which characters use [[Neolithic]] technology,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Toiati |first1=Luigi |title=The History of Science Fiction and Its Toy Figurines |date=21 December 2023 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-3990-0555-5 |page=281 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aq3YEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> such as the 2017 videogame ''[[Horizon Zero Dawn]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bosman |first1=F. G. (Frank) |title=The Sacred & the Digital: Critical Depictions of Religions in Video Games |date=18 April 2019 |publisher=MDPI |isbn=978-3-03897-830-5 |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvSSDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref>

A large number of terms have been used by the ''[[GURPS]]'' roleplaying game ''Steampunk'' to describe anachronistic technologies and settings, including clockpunk ([[Renaissance technology|Renaissance tech]]), and transistorpunk ([[Atomic Age|Atomic-Age]] tech)—the latter is analogous to atompunk. These terms have seen very little use outside ''GURPS''.<ref name="GURPS steam">Stoddard, William H., ''GURPS Steampunk'' (2000)</ref>
<!-- Please do not add other "punk" genres without a citation from a reliable source. The page is watched, and they are quickly removed. -->

=== Raypunk ===
[[Raygun gothic|Raypunk]] (derived from "[[Raygun Gothic]]") is a distinctive (sub)genre that deals with scenarios, technologies, beings or environments, very different from everything that is known or what is possible here on Earth or by science. It covers space [[surrealism]], parallel worlds, alien art, technological [[psychedelia]], non-standard 'science', [[Parallel universes in fiction|alternative]] or distorted/twisted reality, and so on.<ref name="Gemma Thomson">{{cite web |last1=Thomson |first1=Gemma |title=Cyberpunk and Raypunk |url=http://www.raygungoth.net/blog/cyberpunk-and-raypunk/ |website=RaygunGoth |publisher=WordPress |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727120755/http://www.raygungoth.net/blog/cyberpunk-and-raypunk/ }}</ref>

It is a predecessor to [[atompunk]] with similar "cosmic" themes, but mostly without explicit [[nuclear power]] or definitive technology. It is also distinct in that it has more archaic/schematic/artistic style, and that its atmosphere is more dark, obscure, cheesy, weird, mysterious, dreamy, hazy, or etheric (origins before 1880–1950), parallel to [[steampunk]] and [[dieselpunk]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/raypunk/about/|title=Raypunk – definition|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}</ref><ref name="Broken Sci-Fi">{{cite web |last1=Konstantinou |first1=Lee |title=Hopepunk can't fix our broken science fiction. |url=https://slate.com/technology/2019/01/hopepunk-cyberpunk-solarpunk-science-fiction-broken.html |website=Slate.com |date=15 January 2019 |publisher=Slate |access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref>

While not originally designed as such, the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' series has an aesthetic very reminiscent of raypunk. The comic book series ''[[The Manhattan Projects]]'', the animated film ''Fantastic Planet'' (''[[La Planète Sauvage]]'') and the pre-WWII [[Buck Rogers]] and [[Flash Gordon]] comics and serials would be examples of raypunk.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

=== Solarpunk ===
{{Main|Solarpunk}}
Solarpunk is a movement, a subgenre, and an alternative to cyberpunk fiction that encourages optimistic envisioning of the future in light of present environmental concerns, such as [[climate change]] and [[pollution]],<ref name="longreads">{{cite web|url=https://longreads.com/2018/12/12/solarpunk-review/|title=At the Very Least We Know the End of the World Will Have a Bright Side|last1=Boffa|first1=Adam|website=Longreads|date=12 December 2018|access-date=7 May 2019}}</ref> as well as concerns of [[social inequality]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grist.org/business-technology/this-sci-fi-enthusiast-wants-to-make-solarpunk-happen/|title=This sci-fi enthusiast wants to make "solarpunk" happen|last1=Jacobs|first1=Suzanne|website=Grist|date=10 November 2015|access-date=7 May 2019}}</ref> Solarpunk fiction imagines futures that address environmental concerns with varying degrees of optimism.

==== Lunarpunk ====
Lunarpunk is a subgenre of solarpunk with a darker aesthetic. It leans [[science fantasy|toward fantasy]] and its themes include night settings – often featuring [[bioluminescence]] and purple colors, [[spirituality]] or the occult, green cities, sustainable technologies,<ref>{{cite web |last1=P. |first1=Lorna |title=Lunarpunk and Solarpunk: Environment-Focused Aesthetics Explained |url=https://utopia.org/guide/lunarpunk-and-solarpunk-environment-focused-aesthetics-explained/ |website=Utopia |access-date=31 March 2025 |date=9 February 2023}}</ref> and a more introspective side of solarpunk [[utopia]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Justine |first=Norton-Kertson |date=17 October 2021 |title=What is Lunarpunk? |url=https://solarpunkmagazine.com/what-is-lunarpunk/ |website=Solarpunk Magazine}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Mythpunk]], a subgenre of mythic fiction
* [[Urban fantasy]], sometimes referred to as elfpunk
{{clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}



{{Cyberpunk and derivatives|state=expand}}
{{science fiction}}

[[Category:Cyberpunk subgenres|Derivatives]]
[[Category:Postcyberpunk| ]]
[[Category:Science fiction genres]]
[[Category:Dystopian fiction]]