#oceanpunk

I made a poll on Instagram to ask about my next design and manta ray earrings won! So here you have them!

Manta rays always make me think about the vastness of the ocean. These are made in brass and shaped with the technique of fold forming. The ear wires are made in sterling silver.

I’m David M. Snow. I write science fiction and fantasy with queer characters who must make impossible choices in fractured worlds, and where people are stubborn enough to keep hoping anyway.

I’m currently working on the Amaranth series (book 3!), where every answer seems to raise a more dangerous question.

This blog will mostly be:

• snippets from works in progress

• worldbuilding

• character thoughts

• research rabbit holes

• occasional existential crises about writing

I've never actually seen anyone do the punk part of seapunk so here's my vest.

Barnacles, sea shells, and (fossil) shark teeth instead of spikes.

"Punk" as a suffix is inherently about anti-establishment. Therefore:

Cyberpunk -> Mega-corporations control the media and hoard resources and anyone not consuming mindlessly is a threat

Desertpunk -> Water is hoarded by either petty warlords or mega-corporations and the hero is often someone fighting or existing outside the system. Mad Max comes to mind but Tank Girl also. Basically, any setting where drinking water is treated as crude oil and all the conflict that entails.

Oceanpunk -> Not quite the opposite of Desertpunk. Instead of arid deserts, it's vast swathes of ocean with little islands (floating or stationary). An authoritarian regime controls or wishes to control the waters and its inhabitants. Land can be a resource or ancient technology from the "old world" can drive the conflict. One Piece, Waterworld, Flapjack, any setting where boats are used frequently as transportation and the setting. I wanna see more submarines in this genre.

Actually punk steampunk and such definitely exists, but if the story is just set in a world with that tech / aesthetic without any real punk themes, I feel there should be another term for that.

I had the thought that -technic could be used for tech-centric “-punk” aesthetics instead (ex. “clocktechnic”). I’m not sure what the equivalent would be for terms like desertpunk and oceanpunk, though.