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Portraying Cultures & Peoples In Speculative Fiction

10 Jul

Normally I only post on Wednesdays (every other), but…I came across a blog from a writer who was new to me and she had a very interesting article that really got me thinking about some things.

I was actually doing a search on Twitter for other writers who are into the dieselpunk aesthetic and found Sophia Martin’s blog by happenstance.  Not long ago she wrote a post on dieselpunk–which, of course, I couldn’t resist.  Though, there’s a whole lot more packed into her post than explanations on what dieselpunk is.

Sophia asks some really thoughtful questions, I think, that could easily apply to all sub-genres of speculative fiction.  A substantial part of her post regards the problem of Orientalism, which she describes as “the representation of [non-western] cultures (most often Middle Eastern, but it’s just as valid for various Asian areas as well as any other part of the world where people are predominantly brown, in my opinion) through the filter of western ideas, desires, opinions, prejudices, etc.”  It has a negative connotation because these portrayals of non-western cultures tend to be heavily romanticized, prejudiced and/or grossly exaggerated.  Sophia also lists some examples of where this has been done, namely in movies.

I started writing up a response to share some of my thoughts, but then I realized it was practically going to be an entire blog post in itself, haha.  So instead of making a ginormous post over there, I decided to just blog about it here in a question-answer format.

Sophia Asks Writers:

“How do you portray a culture respectfully while simultaneously making it mysterious, sinister, and, in many cases, somehow mystical?”

I actually think this is part of the problem: (1) some writers try too hard at attempting to portray an entire culture rather than the individuals that contribute to it, and (2) they automatically settle for lumping an entire culture into “good” or “bad” categories.  The problem is that real-life cultures, like individuals, are way too complex for such simple treatment, so I don’t see why it should be any different in fiction that aims for at least some measure of verisimilitude.

When writers attempt to do these things, it tends to get especially hokey when they develop gross caricatures to represent cultures or focus too much on certain (often superficial) aspects of characters and take things too far—i.e. the writer harps on the same point over and over again in attempt to establish the “otherness” of someone/-thing: “He had an Italian nose…” (Which I think is a terribly lazy description, btw!)  Then the reader starts thinking: “Okay pal, you mentioned his nose several times in the first, second and third chapters.  How many more times do we need to be reminded of his ‘Italian’ features?  What is this obsession?!  We are capable of remembering details, you know.”

That kind of focus is too narrow, imo.  There should be many different aspects about a culture (cuisine, gestures, common verbal expressions used, customs, etc.) and yes, even an individual (quirks, speech pattern, thoughts, beliefs, etc.).  Of course, within the confines of a novel, you can’t list too many of these aspects or else it gets out of hand–yup, that elusive art/design principle of balance.  Still, these aspects should be given ample thought by the writer, and I think peppering–no, that implies superficiality–placing them into a story over time, preferably at different times, and refraining from putting too much focus on any of them in any given scene (unless a plot point hinges on them for some reason) would help alleviate this problem.

So how do you make a culture seem mysterious to a primarily western audience?  Study non-western cultures (especially rare ones)–which may include interviewing and interacting with people from those cultures–to inform your portrayal of said cultures in stories set in our world.  Or, in the case of secondary worlds, use that gained knowledge of other cultures as inspiration in order to derive new ones that will then, hopefully, seem “different” to your target audience.  (Easier said than done, right?)

Those are my amateur-writer thoughts, anyway…

(You know, author Kameron Hurley actually writes some really good posts that are related to this, namely her worldbuilding posts (see Worldbuilding 201: Normalizing the Absurd for an example).  I really think this lady knows what she’s doing and talking about when it comes to creating and successfully portraying unique cultures.)

Sophia Asks Writers:

“But how do you write about exotic lands without othering those people the main characters, who by nature of being dieselpunk characters will be westerners, will encounter there?”

Well initially, when anyone encounters something (or someone) that is unfamiliar to them then that something will automatically be “other” until they can get past the newness and are able to accept it as just another aspect of their reality–or, in the case of fiction, the story’s reality.

But that’s the whole appeal of adventures like in Indiana Jones or Star Wars and lots of other speculative stories.  Viewers/readers are always being introduced to new worlds, characters and cultures that may be very “other” to them, but hopefully, after having experienced the entire story through the eyes of the locals (characters), they’ve gained a better understanding of these things (assuming they’ve been accurately portrayed to begin with) as well as an appreciation for them–lessening the “otherness” and bringing about a sense of familiarity.

Also, I think you could still write a main dieselpunk character(s) who isn’t a westerner, per se, in the same way that there can be Asian-influenced steampunk, for example.  It’s just not typical to see here in the West.

And then there’s the potential for racism—which, if it’s an important part of a story… I mean it isn’t really bad to incorporate it if you’re going for some realism, but it’s different when it stems from a character rather than the author, if that makes sense…  But yeah, I won’t even get into that right now, haha.

In the end, I think all of this comes down to, well, (1) knowing what you’re talking about in the first place, (2) learning how much focus to put on any one thing in a story and (3) figuring out how to tastefully and artfully balance all the elements of your stories—kinda like art.  Though, like with art, measuring the success of the execution of these things is pretty subjective, so what works for you may not work for others and vice versa…

So yeah, those are my thoughts. :)

What Do You Think?

Have you encountered Orientalism in your writing projects, or seen it in fiction you’ve read/seen?  How can it/should it be addressed?

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Introducing…Athena Voltaire!

31 Aug

This isn’t exactly “writing” stuff (more like inspiration), but…yesterday I was trying to hunt down this movie that, several years back, I saw either a trailer of or movie stills for (at least I thought I did) which involved either a Chinese or Japanese spy around the WWII era (I know! I can’t remember which)…and she was wearing this pilot helmet, and…that’s all I remember.

Not much to go on, I know.  That’s why I couldn’t find it!  (If it even exists.)

But that’s okay–because I accidentally came across something infinitely more amazing!

She’s a pilot, she’s handy with a pistol, she can kick some Nazi butt… Who is this chick?

Introducing: Athena Voltaire!

Athena Voltaire started out as an online web comic which, after earning a nomination for an Eisner Award and becoming a big success, carried over into print (available here).  In the creator Steve Bryant‘s own words during a Critical Mess interview in 2010, “Athena Voltaire is a book about a 1930s globetrotting aviatrix who fights Nazis and supernatural creatures. That’s the book in a nutshell.”  It was inspired by the likes of James Bond and Indiana Jones, as well as the real-life aviatrix Florence Lowe “Poncho” Barnes, and is described as a pulp adventure.  (Originally she was to be a space ranger, though I, for one, am glad for the change.)

Seriously, what’s not to love!  (Okay, she is portrayed as an obvious feast-for-the(-male)-eyes with a cleavacious 36-24-36 figure, but the concept is cool enough that I can get over this.)

You can check out some of the comics here (just click the images to progress through the story).  To learn more about the comics and the illustrator, check out these interviews on Westfield Comics and The Mighty Crusaders Network, as well as Bryant’s own blog.  (Interested but don’t feel like reading?  Well, check out this MTV Geek! video interview with Bryant instead.)

Lastly, here is a teaser video for Athena Voltaire: Flight of the Falcon when it first came out in ’06:

And if you really love it, you can even “like” it on Facebook. :)

In The Meantime…

I should get back to editing.  Though, coming across this while working on a rough spot in the manuscript was pretty inspirational.  A reminder of the kind of thing I’m working towards: good, old-fashioned adventurous fun.  Complemented by moments of introspective character study, of course.  I enjoy a bit of both.  (I also came across some really cool information about earlier aircraft models as well as modern-day fixed-wing VTOL aircraft, but…I won’t go into that.)

How About You All?

Have you come across anything recently that has inspired you with ideas or just provided that bit extra motivation you needed to push through something that wasn’t working out?

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I Think I’m In Love (Plus Thoughts on Pioneers & Unassuming Heroines)

3 Aug

No, not in love with a man.  (Or with a woman, for that matter.)  But rather, with a book.

…

Oh, come on, now, don’t give me that look!  Like it’s never happened to you.

Here, allow me to explain.

Pioneering OSS Agents (need I say more?)

While on vacation I was reading (studying, more like) this super interesting book called Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of World War II’s OSS by Patrick K. O’Donnell…and OMG, it has all sorts of information I haven’t been able to find about technology just before and during WWII.  (It’s the little things in life that make me squeal with delight, simultaneously rousing my muse to an uber happy place.)  This book talks about what kind of training their recruits had to go through, some key operations and also some of the gadgets spies used back then like knives disguised as pens, fairly elegant dart guns, and the “L” (lethal) pill, among other things.  (Whispers: it even has pictures!)

Quite fascinating, really, and I’m simply in awe by the amount of research that went into putting this book together.  Lots of riveting first-hand accounts.  (I haven’t read a book this interesting in ages, so I guess this says something about the fiction I’ve read in that time, eh?)

…And the whole time I’m reading it I’m mentally generating scene ideas for my next novel while meditating on how to improve various details in my current WIP to make them more life-like.

Entertainment, education, inspiration… What more could you possibly ask for in a historical novel?

Why Else This Book Rox My Sox

It’s especially lovely because it almost reads like a genre historical war/espionage thriller yet at the same time is so informative.  (The only big difference is that the author likes to tell you things before he reveals them via storytelling.  “Operation X would be his demise.  This is how it happened.”  He does it more elegantly than this, of course, and in more detail, but that’s pretty much how it goes down.)

Also, when reading the first-hand accounts, you really do get a sense of the character of a lot of these guys and the human aspect of being involved in a pioneer organization.  One of my favorite passages was regarding a mission to gather intelligence in Istanbul; surviving team member Spiro Cappony recalls:

I accepted the mission and was joined by two other team members, A. Georgiades and Mike Angelos, and they said, ‘Gus (they called me Gus), how the hell are we going to get to Istanbul?’  This is how new we were.  ’Who’s going to meet us?’  ’A guy by the name of Spurning, he’s a professor from Yale University.’  One of them said, ‘How the hell are we going to know who the guy is?’  I said, ‘Well, my orders say he’s going to show a ruby ring on his finger.’  ’Man oh man these guys are crazy,’ remarked one of the guys. (107)

I mean this is enough cause and inspiration for me to make parodies of the classic spy story or something.  I love it.

Here’s another brief passage that I just love about an operational group, comprising Greek-American and Greek national recruits, who were to be deployed in Greece:

At [Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia] our boys would march and sing, both in English and Greek, and the entire camp would say, ‘Who are these guys?’  We were dressed smartly, had new experimental clothing including jump boots, and we were the first unit to be assigned the new Eisenhower jacket.  We looked good, acted good, and the biggest thing, we felt good. (110-111)

Yeah, classic cocky guy talk and behavior.  I am just itching to write about more characters like this in my next novel who are new to some experimental endeavor.  (Much like America’s pioneering airmail pilots, who have also been a big inspiration for me; I guess you could say I have a thing for pioneers, heh.)

As it turns out, though, my heroine is more of a “sky spy” than a conventional field agent (kind of playing off those conspiracy stories that claim Amelia Earhart was spying on the Japanese here), so I’ll probably get more mileage out of this historical account after I start writing the next novel…like sometime next year, heh.  Still, it does help.

Learning Along With Your Characters

Sometimes I feel I’m at a big disadvantage in that I don’t have any experience in the types of things I want to write about, so reading books like this really helps to put things in perspective for me.

I remember when I first started doing drafts of my novel how I wanted to write about a heroine who was highly experienced in all of tasks she is hired to do throughout the story but then later decided to go the route of someone who was new to many aspects of her world.  T. S. Bazelli once wrote an article about Lost World Fiction in her Speculative Fiction Genre Glossary Project, and while talking about the Lara Croft adventures I mentioned how originally I wanted to write about an actiony Croft-type character who was not only adventurous and very knowledgeable in her field but could also kick some serious butt.  However, the more my story evolved and the more I learned about my leading character, the more I realized that this approach wasn’t right for her story because I was starting it at a point in her life where she didn’t (yet) have those kinds of qualities.  Instead, she starts off more like Evelyn from The Mummy, with some background in art history and pretty much zero experience as a treasure-seeker or gunfighter–thank you very much, Mr. O’Connell-types.

And as a first-time novelist I think there’s some advantage to not writing about a woman who is super kick-ass heroine right off the bat, but rather an unassuming heroine–one who is clearly not everything her employers need her to be though chooses to undergo transformation in order to become that person.  (This is a perfect place to start with a protagonist if you’re writing epic fantasy, I think, and I suspect my story could actually be classified as epic, though it is not traditionally so.)  For one, as she learns more about her world and is trained to acquire new skill sets, the reader also learns about the world and how things are supposed to work.  Also, as the author, such an approach allows you to learn things as you go along–especially during the editing stage when you’re trying to color in those little particulars you just kind of sketched in before.

…Which is kind of nice when you know just a little as your protagonist going in!

So Yeah, This Has All Been Extremely Fascinating…

But I really should get back to work now!  (Returning from vacation doesn’t make this easy, heh.)

Though, I do still need a prompt…

What are/were some major sources of inspiration for your current or most recent WIP?

Also, how has learning more about that source shaped the direction you chose to take your story in?

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Heads Up!

25 Jul

Hey, folks, just letting you know: I will be out-of-town this week, so I probably won’t get around to posting something new on Wednesday.  (Chillin’ out in Florida instead!)  Not sure how much I’ll be present on the Internet, either, checking out everyone’s blogs and whatnot–which means I’ll also likely get little editing done. :( (As T. S. Bazelli so kindly pointed out on Twitter, however, this is a time for relaxation.  So I guess I really shouldn’t be all that sad! lol )

Yeah, so if you don’t see me around writing longish responses to everything…that’s why, heh.  (Lucky you.)

What I can leave you with is a link to a neat little mix of old and new school music that’s sure to put anyone in a good mood. ;)

…Yuuuup, so that’s a wrap!  Hope you all have a good week!

 

~Tiyana

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Hugo

16 Jul

(No, I’m not talking about the awards!)

I love visiting the IMDb; they have such a clean way of advertising the latest upcoming films!  So easy to use.

I happened to be on there tonight, looking for info on the World War Z movie adaptation that’s supposed to come out in 2012 (has anyone read the book, btw?), and I came across a new movie due for November called Hugo.  Here’s how the IMDb describes it:

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

I find it interesting that though it’s set in the 30s it goes the more steampunk route with the automatons and whatnot, which is cool.  (Not really sure if Paris lends itself to the sleeker dieselpunk aesthetic anyway.)  Directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Aviator, Shutter Island).

Anyway, it looked interesting so I thought I’d share it, along with the trailer:

What do you all think?

Does this look like an adventure film you would watch?  I know I sure would!

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THE AVENGERS ARE COMING!

7 May

Okay, so tonight I just saw Thor.

It was pretty cool–funny, entertaining, action-y with a bit o’ romance (and explosions)…all the things you could possibly want from a movie (though, sorry, minus the classic car chase scene)–but I felt the ending was expected from the very beginning.  I never really got the sense that Thor was ever in that much danger.

But that’s just me.  (And I never read the comic books, so it’s not like I had any foresight into his character to begin with.  My dad, however, was a big comic book reader, so I have him to inform me of all the little ways the movies alters from the original stories or hits them spot-on–because he’s nitpicky like that.  So yes, Dad was the one who wanted to see the movie the most out of the family.)

And since I’m not really one to write full movie reviews…that’s pretty much all I have to say about Thor.

What I am excited to talk about is another upcoming movie with yet another classic comic hero who was featured during the previews: Captain America.

Okay–Confession Time

Again, I say I never read these comic books, folks.  It just wasn’t part of my life.  (If my dad still has his old comics books, he’s never shared them with me. So I blame it on him!)  My closest experience with Captain America was in the early Nintendo games.  I was really young then, and all I could ever manage to do in the one title I owned was throw his shield around and jump all over the place.

I think I had a better time with Kirby, to be honest.  (He was big, round and pink, and he incessantly puffed his enemies away.  *shrugs* What can I say?  He had that rare kind of appeal.)

Nevertheless, I’m still entirely excited to see Captain America.

Why?

Well, remember when we were talking about dieselpunk, and I was kind of whining about how nothing cool and set during that era (1920s to 1950s) was being produced in film or fiction?  (At least not that I know of; I’d love some updates if there are.) *ehem*

NEWSFLASH: TIYANA CAN COMPLAIN LESS NOW.

At least temporarily.

Because folks, the upcoming film Captain America is totally dieselpunk.  Check this, if you haven’t already:

(Okay, I just totally went all ecstatic inside while watching that, even though I’ve seen it several times before.)

Now, if I have to explain why this is dieselpunk, then you clearly do not understand what this movement is all about.  (All right, maybe I’m just being mean now.)

One of the coolest things, imo, that this movie has going for it–and I’m coming from the perspective of someone who has no attachment to the original comics–is the use of technology.  They’re using it to engineer a super soldier to fight Hitler and his Nazis, for one.

How cool is that?

And have you seen the automobiles?  They practically scream dieselpunk.  Not to mention the brief shot of that sleek-looking aircraft flying in.  And those costume designs…

Basically everything about this movie says dieselpunk.  (And holy moly!  I just learned Joss Whedon is contributing to the script.  Now I absolutely have to see this movie.)

So maybe my reasons for wanting to see this film are more stylistic than because I’m actually a hardcore fan of the character (which I’m not).  I’m a stylist at heart.  Though, don’t get me wrong: I appreciate substance just as much as the next gal.

With that said, I hope that when Captain America does hit the theatres it delivers on all levels.

What Do You Think?

Have you seen Thor?  What was your reaction to it?  Also, is anyone else looking forward to seeing Captain America, as well?

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Chiaroscuro: What Edward Hopper, Film Noir & Interwar American Literature Have in Common

5 May Hopper-1942-Nighthawks3

Nighthawks.  Edward Hopper, 1942.

Gee, I’m just on an art kick this week!  (Sorry, no post yesterday.  Busy day.)

I’ve been looking at some more art and remembered an American artist I learned about in school a few years ago: Edward Hopper.  And then a million thoughts started floating around in my head, which happens a lot when I’m browsing the internet.  Though, a couple of words and phrases kept popping up: black and white, stark, depression, momentary blindness, and chiaroscuro.

In order for me to make sense of the word soups my brain sometimes generates I either have to (a) talk myself through it, or (b) write myself through it.

Today, I feel like I’ve got to write my way through it.  Let’s see if I can’t make sense of this.

First, let’s define a term that may or may not be widely understood.

Chiaroscuro

Etymology: From Italian, from chiaro (clear, light) + oscuro (obscure, dark).  From Answers.com.

Chiaroscuro is an artistic technique in which the artist uses a stark contrast of bright lighting effects in combination with areas of deep shades.  It makes for an interestingly bold effect and lends itself well to both photography and cinematography (B&W especially) and other mediums, to be sure.  Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange is famous for her “stark” photographs (though not necessarily chiaroscuro):

 Here’s a famous example of chiaroscuro in a B&W film:

I think Edward Hopper used it fairly often in his work, as well–like in Nighthawks above.  Here are some other examples:

 Okay, now on to why I’m writing about any of this. Stark Opposition: Understanding the World through a “Black & White Lens”…So to Speak The world is clearly not black and white, but I find it difficult to understand without at first filtering it through this approach.  I think of the story of Adam and Eve and have wondered what it might have been like to never known sin, or that which was not deemed “good.” Complete innocence and ignorance.  (In their case, ignorance was bliss…until they sought out knowledge, right?) To understand the value and meaning of good, you must first be exposed to that which is not, and I don’t think Adam or Eve understood this so clearly as the moment they ate from the Tree. It moments like this that are so stark in the human experience, so clear in one’s memory, that they forever define the way a person looks at the world. You are almost blinded by the contrast between what you once knew and what you know now.  They are particularly powerful experiences. In a flash of a bright light you are momentarily blinded; it is impossible to perceive shades of grey during that time. I think this is what chiaroscuro is all about: capturing moments of stark (first) impressions–truths in their most naked forms.  Only, as a viewer, when you experience it in a painting as opposed to real-time media you actually get a still snapshot of the moment and therefore have ample time to really process it and consider any “grey” aspects in the artwork, as with Hopper’s Nighthawks (why does it seem so empty there?)–though, you do still experience that “momentary blindness” at first sight because you can’t take everything in all at once (and this is true with any complex, multi-layered piece). I happened to write most of these thoughts up to this point in a moment of ”stark impressions,” but as it settles in (and as I edit this) I find I want to explore those shades of grey as it pertains to fiction. Can Chiaroscuro Be Achieved in Literature? I think so. The Great Depression (or even just depressing themes) made an excellent backdrop for the practice of chiaroscuro in literature, thematically especially.  Two novels that inevitably come to mind, here, are The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath.  At one moment in The Great Gatsby Nick Carraway was looking forward to life in the big city; look how that turned out.  (Edit: I should acknowledge that this book wasn’t set during the Great Depression, but you still got this feeling of something rotten and corrupt happening in the city, a feeling of ruin and grit with references to ash, etc.  It was depressing, in a way.)  Similarly, in The Grapes of Wrath it started out as, ”We’re going to California–yahoo!”  Though, that excitement soon dissipated once they arrived and took in the reality of the “opportunities” out west. Blind, or perhaps just innocent, optimism (chiaro), met with stark reality (oscuro)…followed by disillusionment (grey–or grigio, as it is in Italian, according to Wiktionary, haha). I think another way to apply “chiaroscuro” in literature is using foils.  What better way to show the difference between good and evil than to have characters which personify both in complementary ways?  You can also have a chiaroscuro of setting versus context, where the setting reflects an opposite atmosphere or mood to what is actually happening in the story (a happy couple out on the town, having a pleasant stroll when two violent thugs come out of nowhere–an experience they’ll always remember afterwards); or a chiaroscuro of character (an ongoing internal struggle between two desires met with a moment in which the character is forced out of their “grey” understanding and expected to take a decisive stand). Of course, it could be executed literally, narrating how certain objects or persons are in shade and how others are illuminated in bright or harsh light.  (A nefarious interrogation room, anyone?)  It could also be accomplished with the clashing of themes: life versus death, hope versus despair, sanity versus insanity, truth versus lies… In the end, it’s about dichotomies: exploring the relationship between opposites and their effects on everything they touch.  It’s just one way to look at conflicts in stories. In any case, I do think chiaroscuro works best when darker, more serious themes are being used, but it doesn’t necessarily have to end on a negative note.  You could have a story that focuses mostly on despair and ends on an up-note, for example.  Switch things around. Why I’m Drawn to These Things As I mentioned, sometimes I have trouble understanding certain things unless I can compare them to their exact opposites.  “This is a boy; this is a girl.” “Ah…” Not that I’ve ever had trouble understanding the difference there, though if I were, say, a sexless alien I might have trouble grasping this simple concept until I saw it with my own eyes. I think as children we learn a lot this way.  “This is good; this is bad.”  Only difference is now that I’m older I don’t always say “okay” but sometimes, “Why?” *sighs* Yeah.  Life was much simpler as a kid.  There wasn’t a whole lot of room for greys.  Though, I’m pretty sure life would be boring if it were all black and white. So anyways… No writing prompt.  Not sure what I’d ask, to be honest.  Comments are still welcome, though, if you have any.

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Artwork by Jack Vettriano

2 May

Hey, turns out I’m getting a lot more done for school than I expected to!

Caught myself tonight revisiting an artist I discovered a while back.  I love the retro, sultry imagery he conveys in his paintings.  Some of these have inspired certain scenes in my novel–and lots of future ones to come.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite pieces from the artist:

After Midnight (Study). Jack Vettriano.

 Someone doesn’t want to go home tonight…
Woman: (coyly) “Say, I’ve never tried a cigarette before.  Is it safe?”
Man: “Well, it’s not like they bite, doll.  So go on…be the judge.”

Altar Of Memory. Jack Vettriano.

 Yeah, I totally based a character off that man–a not-quite-mad scientist who is madly in love.  (Will he ever cross the line?)  He even wears expensive suits and slicks his hair back.  Because that’s how he rolls: deep in dough.

The Drifter. Jack Vettriano.

Another image I’ve kept in mind while writing about another one of my characters (minus the cigarette); he’s a loner.  Kind of reminds me a little of “The Wanderer,” like a more modern version:

The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. Caspar David Friedrich.

And one last one from Vettriano: 

Angel. Jack Vettriano.

And now I can happily drift off into sleepy land…

*     *     *

Do you have any examples of artwork that inspire you?

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Dieselpunk!

20 Apr "Airship Station Building 2" by Alanise on Deviantart.

There were a few comments on Saturday’s post that mentioned steampunk in relation to the use of leather–which actually triggered some other thoughts that I feel I should cover today.

Though I’m not currently writing a steampunk novel, that style is something that very much appeals to me.  For a while I was on a Cherie Priest run, reading anything and everything that she wrote (and waiting eagerly for the next).  I must say I’m a big fan of her Clockwork Century series (first three in that link); it’s a whole lot of fun and features something that greatly interests me: airships!

Typically, though, steampunk is going to be set in Victorian England or some other place around that era.  I admire Priest in that she brought her steampunk story to America, making for a refreshing change of scenery.  Though, when it came to deciding what route I wanted to take for my first novel, I wanted a setting that was further along, historically, than steampunk but yet not so advance as to be modern-day–somewhere between the 1920s and the 1930s.

I knew what kinds of things I was inspired by in this era, though I had no idea, until the past year or so, that there was even a subgenre which lined up with what I was looking for.  Turned out it’s called dieselpunk.  And even though I know about it now, it’s been difficult for me to identify with and emulate it because there’s so little dieselpunk out there in the literary world!

I’m hoping that will change–and soon. (I know I’m working on doing my part!)

What is Dieselpunk?

Dieselpunk isn’t something I hear a lot about, to be honest, when it comes to popular media.  I guess that’s why I’m drawn to it because I love seeking out the unique, unconventional things in life.  (What is everyone else doing?  I tend to want to do the exact opposite.) 

Logically, one would assume that it simply combines the “punk” element of steampunk with the supplanted “diesel” instead of ”steam”–and I suppose that’s pretty much what it does.  However, the entire aesthetic of dieselpunk is completely different from that of steampunk.  (If the two were metals and I had to compare them, I’d say copper and brass are to steampunk as steel and chrome are to dieselpunk.)

Dieselpunk covers a good span of time, so think back first to what you learned about the world’s state during the 1920s and 30s.  What kind of stuff was happening back then?

Well, in America you had swing and jazz music, Prohibition as a major issue, skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building popping up, those fabulous flappers and swanky sheiks all about, the rise of noir films (which actually came later, though I mention it because it’s an influence of dieselpunk), and the publishing and rapid consumption of pulp magazines.  Literary classics such as The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath were written during this time, as well.  Also, Zeppelins were roaming the skies for a while and there were archaeological discoveries such as King Tut’s tomb, followed closely by the phenomenon of Art Deco…oh, and don’t forget the Great Depression.  Then later WWII came, and finally the advent of the mid-century modern era.

Initially, it was the best of times, followed by the worst of times–from glitz and glam to shacks and shambles (or Hoovervilles) for many.  Thankfully, however, it didn’t stay that way!

Of course, any time you try to summarize an era you run into generalizations and clichés, but this is basically the essence from whence dieselpunk was derived.  (There also seems to be a more bizarre, esoteric side to dieselpunk, as well–if not in the form of weird technology then the unearthing of unusual artifacts with divine, magical or supernatural powers.  Think of all the superstition that has been associated with grave robbing the mummies!)

Some Key Elements: Change, Progress & Technology

One of the things that sticks out the most to me when it comes to dieselpunk is that between those years considered canon (1920-1945, according to Wikipedia, and up until the 50s, according to TV Tropes and this site) there were periods of both great celebration and great suffering.  As such, dieselpunk works can reflect heavily on either one of these things, or both.  Overall, it can be optimistic and forward-looking like in the movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, or it can be fairly grim (or noir) like in the video game BioShock.  Strangely enough, though, dieselpunk mostly seems to have happily dismissed the Great Depression altogether and looks to other events for its grimness–like WWII, for example, or the abuse of some advanced, unusual form of technology or an artifact.

Speaking of technology, new or experimental technology is typically going to be a key element in dieselpunk stories.  You’ll see a lot of streamlined vehicles of transportation and even weaponry–vehicles which run off, you guessed it, diesel fuel.  Whether the technology is ultimately used for good or evil, though, is up to the storyteller.

Examples of Dieselpunk Works

This would best be done in a list.  I’ll keep mine brief:

Fiction

Movies & TV Shows

  • Batman (you can’t say Gotham City wasn’t Art Deco-inspired)
  • Hellboy (movies and comics)
  • Indiana Jones (though the last one may be classified as Atompunk)
  • Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
  • The Mummy series
  • The Rocketeer (lots of fun!)
  • Captain America (2011)

Video Games

  • Bioshock
  • Crimson Skies
  • LA Noire (maybe; it’s kinda pulp-ish)

Further Readings

If you weren’t familiar with dieselpunk and all that it entails or have become further interested in it after reading my take on the matter (yay!), then you might be interested in browsing some of the links below.  I think they are some of the best dieselpunk sites available on the web.  I will also put them under my “Links” page for future reference. :)

  • The Gatehouse takes a pretty detailed look into the subgenre of dieselpunk; very interesting.
  • TV Tropes makes a run through dieselpunk, listing all sorts of works which fall into this category and even breaking them down into sub-categories.
  • io9 has an article originally from dieselpunks.org (the hub for all things dieselpunk, as I see it) that details what is entitled “the tenets of dieselpunk culture” (though, funnily enough, the photo they use is totally steampunk, not diesel, imo).

Final Thoughts

All I can say is that though dieselpunk may exist (marginally, it seems), it isn’t really getting noticed.

I don’t know about you people, but I’ve been craving more and more movies, games, TV shows, and novels which take us back in time–not so far as to be ancient or obsolete but far enough that a modern sensibility may be brought to it to reflect on the possibility of the future as we don’tknow it.  A tasteful intertwining of the past and the future.  Like in Sky Captain, where there is a focus on “the world of tomorrow”.  I think that is, essentially, the heart of the dieselpunk aesthetic.

I think it’s certainly an area which speculative fiction might potentially thrive in, if only some were willing to go there.

Have you ever heard of dieselpunk before?  Is it something that interests you?  Also, do you think it has a future in the literary world, or is it obscure for a reason?

And if you know of other works that might qualify as dieselpunk, feel free to share!

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