When two people get to know each other, they often want to find out about each other’s interests and preferences. In conversations with my friends, there’s one question that really bothers me. “I like your taste in music” or “I hear you’re an avid reader” and then the question comes: “Can you recommend any song/music/books?”
No, mate, I can’t recommend anything. I don’t know what kind of things you like. You need to give me some examples so I can tell you who you are! You punks!
Well, now that I have started with a harsh tone, in keeping with the title, I can get back to my writing. Our subject is a bit complex, so it’s better to understand the definition well. Punk has become a movement that represents individuals who have reached a breaking point, who have realised that society — whether local or global — is putting pressure on them. It is a collection of thoughts formed by taking a stance against existing impositions, without seeking support and dealing with things on your own.
I think it has been quite successful in unleashing the wild spirit within us. If we look at it from a primitive perspective, our ancestors were quite energetic and had to do everything themselves before they developed organisational skills: Survive!
So the emergence of this rebellious spirit — which I read first appeared in the 1970s — was not difficult. Although the use of the word has diminished today, there are still places where it can be found. This movement, created by anarchist thought, did not only affect one aspect. It has managed to leave its mark on various fields such as fashion, music, literature and games.
When it comes to fashion, we all think of the same characters when we hear the word “punk”. Surprising hairstyles in bright colours, kaleidoscopic clothing, the extravagance of piercings and other body accessories, and free and unique music that resonates with an intensity beyond the norm.
As far as music is concerned, we can still see its influence from the past to the present, and that is the least surprising part. Music, in my opinion, is one of the fundamental factors in spreading an idea. It is easy to share, it is easy to produce — without discussing its quality — it touches the soul and its accessibility is much easier.
To do this in fashion, you first have to adapt yourself and then encourage others to follow. But if you apply this to music, you can even do it anonymously. Without forcing anyone, you can make a statement with the work you present. One of the best examples I think is Rage Against the Machine. You know what I mean? If you want something softer in the genre, look at Green Day.
When I try to approach the punk movement and its implications in literature, I see it somewhere in the middle. It is not as easily distributed and consumed as music, nor does one feel the need to share it with everyone. You can write it or read it, but nobody asks you why you dared to write such a work. What is this, the Royal Society of Literature?
Interestingly, I think the structure within literature has softened the spirit of punk. What I mean is that writing itself has its own spirit. Two spirits cannot exist in one body, but maybe they can merge. I think that is what happened to punk in terms of literature. The rebellious and uncontrollable spirit was divided and compartmentalised for the sake of definitions.
As we said before, the idea that punk brought with it spread in a complex way, metamorphosing with different ideas. As a result, punk began to fade under the influence of new ideas from different periods and generations. But one thing is certain: punk is not dead.
If we look at the best known examples, with the interesting advances in technology and the dystopian and hopeless atmosphere that the future brings, the most prominent subgenre of punk should be cyberpunk. While writing about it, I will give some examples for better understanding and consistency. Well-known series, films and books such as “Altered Carbon”, “Neuromancer” and “Ready Player One” are the best examples.
Although it may seem a little dated, another genre you may be familiar with is steampunk. As the name suggests, it combines steam-powered technology with fantastical elements, mixing retro-futuristic worlds with the Victorian era. I think you will understand what I mean when I mention films like “The Golden Compass”, anime series like “Fullmetal Alchemist” or the book “Leviathan”.
A final example is dieselpunk, which deals with the period between the major wars — before the 1950s — and has a darker atmosphere. Yes, it is also retro-futuristic, but it is specifically about the diesel engines that gave this punk genre its name. This gives us ideas about technology and social life in fictional worlds.
To be honest, the more detailed the genres become, the more confusing they can be. As a result, related works either do not become mainstream or inevitably get mixed up with other genres. I think someone with no previous knowledge of punk could easily confuse steampunk with dieselpunk, for example. If the only goal of the creators is to convey their work in an unadulterated way, they should be more careful. Just as a band doesn’t have to stick to a single genre or style, a director or writer has the freedom to do so. However, this can sometimes make it difficult for us to understand the parameters of the genre.
I will also mention, without going into detail, other punk subgenres. If you find them intriguing, I suggest you research them. Here are some punk genres: Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Biopunk, Splatterpunk, Atompunk, Clockpunk, Solarpunk, Nanopunk, Stonepunk…
Literary works are already named and categorised on the basis of their narrative style. Thus we can distinguish between poetry and memoirs, scientific articles and biographies. Furthermore, the subgenres created by subcultures place them in a position similar to that of the eldest child in a family or the student sitting in the back. As you can see and expect, punk genres are also treated in this way, which is why their categorisation is primarily based on specific periods that are incorporated into the fiction. Atompunk deals with the atomic age, while Stonepunk explores primitive times.
Nevertheless, there is one undeniable truth: there is a punk genre for everyone. You just haven’t discovered it yet.
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