Solarpunk is a genre of speculative art and fiction centered on depictions of ecologically sustainable futures, related to hopepunk and conceived as a counterpoint to cyberpunk. In its name, solar signals both renewable energy and an optimistic view of ecological possibility, rejecting doom-oriented environmental narratives, while punk signals grassroots methods of creation and countercultural, post-capitalist and decolonial values in building the future the genre envisions.
Facts
Place of OriginNo fixed physical origin; the term first appeared online in 2008, with the term and its associated works gaining popularity online in the years that followed. 1 Notable ExampleBecky Chambers' 2021 solarpunk novel A Psalm for the Wild-Built. 1 Defining TraitA genre of speculative art and fiction centered on ecologically sustainable, solar-powered futures, combined with a do-it-yourself, countercultural ethic. 1 FAQs
Where did the word solarpunk come from?
A 2008 blog post called From Steampunk to Solarpunk coined it.
The term was coined in 2008 in a blog post titled From Steampunk to Solarpunk. Its anonymous author took the design of the MS Beluga Skysails, the first ship partly powered by a computer-controlled kite rig, as inspiration. The post imagined a new speculative fiction subgenre that, like steampunk, focused on specific technologies, but was guided by practicality and modern economics.
Connections
Sources
1. Solarpunk (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Lead section, first paragraph
The "solar" represents solar energy as a renewable energy source and an optimistic vision of the future that rejects environmental pessimism, while the "punk" refers to do it yourself and the countercultural, post-capitalist, anarchic and decolonial aspects of creating such a future.
Literature subsection, on gender in solarpunk fiction
Becky Chambers' 2021 solarpunk novel A Psalm for the Wild-Built included a main character who is non-binary.
Lead section, second paragraph
The term originated in 2008, with the term and associated works gaining popularity online over the following years.
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