So like the eternal Pirate vs. Ninja debate, I always find myself on the less popular side (I am always a
Ninja at heart, you guys - IT'S THE MIDI! <3) -- except now it's with the Steampunk vs. Cyberpunk thing. Although, this one is more in-depth than good old Pirates vs. Ninjas. On the totem pole of the Punk Suffixes (of which wiki tells me there is four, but there is like a billion), Steampunk just ends up being my least favorite. :( Here is where I break down my braindom for you.
My -punks, let me show you them.CYBERPUNK: [wiki: set in a futuristic (usually dystopic), highly technological world]
"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." Mmm mmm good! Blade Runner! Hackers! The Matrix! Omikron! Anachronox! Dreamfall! Fifth Element (I guess that's more Postcyberpunk, BUT YES)! Hell, even parts of the Megami Tensei series. HUZZAH DYSTOPIA! Dirty neon lights and grungy backwired alleys and holy crap I CANNOT PROFESS MY LOVE ENOUGH and you know I love me some loners:
"Protagonists in cyberpunk writing usually include computer hackers, who are often patterned on the idea of the lone hero fighting injustice: Robin Hood, Zorro, etc. They are often disenfranchised people placed in extraordinary situations, rather than brilliant scientists or starship captains intentionally seeking advance or adventure, and are not always true 'heroes'..."So yeah, this one is my crack right here.
NOT TO MENTION I WOULD TOTALLY DO HIROAKI FROM SNOW CRASH AND TATTOO "POOR IMPULSE CONTROL" ON MY FOREHEAD.BIOPUNK: [wiki: set in present or in a future time, where genetics have advanced significantly]
"Biopunk stories explore the struggles of individuals or groups, often the product of human experimentation, against a backdrop of totalitarian governments or megacorporations which misuse biotechnologies as means of social control or profiteering. Unlike cyberpunk, it builds not on information technology but on synthetic biology."Oh baby oh baby -- Bioshock, Galerians and Final Fantasy VII are three of the most beautiful things EVAR and they all fall here because THE HUMANZ ARE BEING TOYED WITH. HERE HAVE SOME DRUGS, KIDS. I can't tell you how bad I would love being a depressed loser in Rapture/Michaelangelo City/Midgar -- JUST DON'T TOUCH ME WITH THE EFFING NEEDLE, I JUST WANT TO WATCH. Hell, I will be a part of Andrew Ryan's ADAM posse/the G Project/ShinRa Corp. and HELP WITH THE EXPERIMENTS. D: I WANT TO MAKE THE NEXT SEPHIROTH, HOOOBOY!
SPLATTERPUNK: [wiki: themes relating to horror fiction] UNF UNF UNFUNFUNFUFNUFN! When I was younger, about 13 maybe, I bought
this book. Oh my god. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever read in my life -- yet I have reread it roughly 20 times. It is amazing. I was all, "Yeay! Horror book!" I didn't know I would get what I got when I bought it. Seriously. It gave me nightmares when I was younger but it kept drawing me back.
I think it's time for a reread!"Splatterpunk short stories and novels are almost always intense and intentionally disturbing, grotesque, and even disgusting, marked by a lack of adherence to what the writers saw as clichéd conventions of best-selling works by Stephen King, Dean Koontz and John Saul. Rather than the usual suburban setting of bestselling horror, splatterpunk is usually located in the grim, gaudy environs of New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago, or even rundown trailer parks. Antiheroes are more prevalent than more conventional heroes found in traditional horror fiction, or the "everyday folks" of King's works. Splatterpunk characters are often marginalized, alienated, drug-prone and generally anti-social."I mean, you know how much I love Stephen King, but King does focus a lot on the "everyday folks" -- which I adore, unless I just want to read something totally WRONG AND DIRTY. D:
So unsettling and gross and ew but I CAN'T STOP ONCE I PICK SOMETHING UP. I love it. The collection of Splatterpunk stories makes me sick to my stomach everytime I have reread it -- but I KEEP READING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Also, Poppy Z. Brite (STEVE/GHOST OTP) and Ryu Murakami (
Coinlocker Babies was so horribly pretty)!
AND LIKE ME AND HIROAKI ABOVE, I WOULD TOTALLY NOT HESITATE TO MOLEST NOTHING/JASON FROM LOST SOULS BECAUSE HE IS THE HOTTEST VAMPIRE EVER OMG JKFKLJSDFK I WANT ZILLAH TOO.STEAMPUNK: [wiki: set during an alternative or secret history Victorian era, English Regency, Industrial Revolution or Edwardian period or else highly reminiscent of them] I like the fashion sense in this whole dealio and the ideas/cleverness behind some of the gadgetry, but there's nothing I totally squee my pants over here. Which is why I'm on the losing side of this vs. thing. XD
Although, I loved Disney's
Treasure Planet (mmm, Disney Steampunk), it's one of my top five Disney movies. I liked the anime Trigun too. The other closest thing I have in my fandom-list to Steampunk is Myst -- and that's only cause:
Many of the settings and puzzles in the classic game series Myst have a clear influence of Jules Verne and other steampunk styles -- which is true.
But that's about it. D:
So if there was a big four-way war between Cyber/Bio/Splatter/Steam... I think Splatter- would just try to bash lots of heads in with guitars and such (and get nowhere cause they were too high and/or tripping), Bio- would attempt to give some horrendous virus to everyone and then wring their hands and laugh a la Hojo, Cyber- would pull out some crazy phaser, futuristic robot shit and attack everything everywhere with their full blown LONER EMONESS and Steam- would hit people with their mechanical walking stick canes that have random mirrors and gears on them or something. Then pirates and ninjas would come in and kick everyone in the face and plunder and pillage everything. IT WOULD BE AMAZING. SOMEONE GET ME HOLLYWOOD ON THE PHONE.