Finished wiring and did a test fit on my Cyberpunk inspired wearable computer!
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I need more PoC in the cyberpunk tags please. All these white girls look the same to me. And can I get some fellow queers and spoonies while we’re at it?
Anonymous asked:
Does solarpunk negate or conflict with the ideals of cyberpunk or transhumanism?
solarpunk-aesthetic answered:
An interesting question, which I think has two distinct sides to it.
As genres, solarpunk and cyberpunk are certainly in contrast in many ways, but they do still share some central themes. One interesing core concept is the notion that human nature will tend to stay the same. The difference lies in the interpretation of that. I wrote about this before, so I apologise if I repeat myself at all.
Cyberpunk takes the cynical view that human nature is dominated by things such as greed and exploitation and that these are the immutable part of humanity. Consequently, dark and dystopian themes showing humanity’s dark side are heavy in cyberpunk literature. The original Blade Runner movie or any of the Ghost in the Shell animes illustrate this pretty well.
Solarpunk, on the other hand, takes the view that the central unchanging parts of humanity are positive traits like cooperation and coexistence. This actually seems more reasonable for a species like humans who evolved to live in societies because sharing and helping improves survival chances for everyone. Solarpunk fiction, then, would focus on more optimistic visions with a more eutopian (but not utopian) flavour.
In the meantime, one notable way in which the two genres differ is in their approach to the natural world. Cyberpunk settings are typically highly developed, urban, and full of neon lighting. Solarpunk settings, on the other hand, would emphasise nature, through an abundance of plants or natural sunlight, while not necessarily being any less developed or urban. In a sense, solarpunk could be seen as a subversion of cyberpunk, where technology and nature aren’t seen as being mutually exclusive.
This ties into transhumanism somewhat. In my view, as a fusion of natural humanity and technology, this fits well inside both genres. Transhumanism is a mainstay of cyberpunk, where characters like Motoko Kusanagi are pretty much archetypes of transhumanism. But both genres share a love for/fascination with technology and science.
For a real world example, consider Ravinder Dahiya, a scientist with a vision for using solar powered prosthetics to improve the lives of amputees. This is a good illustration of an idea which is simultaneously transhumanist and solarpunk.
Hmmm… That ended up being quite in-depth. Partly because I’m currently planning out a book for NaNoWriMo, which contrasts solarpunk with cyberpunk and explores a few ideas about transhumanism.
So your question was nicely timed. Thanks for making me think about it! ☀️
