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BEN FREUND
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Ben Freund is a
FORMER VIDEO GAME LITERARY PROFESSIONAL
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FEATURED POST
I don’t want to make any grand claims about the rules or limits of gamepunk, but I want to suggest some elements that mark the genre as distinct from cyberpunk, and particularly appealing to the gamer-for-life.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 |
Comments (10)
POST BY THIS AUTHOR (3)
There's a problem that all iPhone games share, yet everyone seems to ignore: Our fingers.
Friday, October 28, 2011 |
Comments (6)
Flashy graphics and bloody gameplay aren't the only things that draw young minds to gaming.
Thursday, October 20, 2011 |
Comments (7)
COMMENTS BY THIS AUTHOR (8)
"Glad you liked it! I really should get around to reading Cloud Atlas..."
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
"I suppose the answer is that as long as there is an audience that wants to define its preferences as distinct from others, there will be terms created to allow that audience to communicate those preferences.
I don't see anything wrong with dogpunk and plantationpunk if they develop as genres and have certain distinct themes. But then, I used to work in the genre fiction publishing industry, where the goal is often to do whatever it takes to identify and satisfy an audience, and we were pleased to jump on buzzwords that would help match the right book to the right customer (okay, to any customer).
So, your lazy language is somebody else's efficient communication. I'd rather not channel the freshly-released soul of Andy Rooney and complain about the kids today and their made-up literary genres; if somebody out there likes dieselpunk more than steampunk I'm glad they've got a handy term to use to find suitable books and like-minded fans."
I don't see anything wrong with dogpunk and plantationpunk if they develop as genres and have certain distinct themes. But then, I used to work in the genre fiction publishing industry, where the goal is often to do whatever it takes to identify and satisfy an audience, and we were pleased to jump on buzzwords that would help match the right book to the right customer (okay, to any customer).
So, your lazy language is somebody else's efficient communication. I'd rather not channel the freshly-released soul of Andy Rooney and complain about the kids today and their made-up literary genres; if somebody out there likes dieselpunk more than steampunk I'm glad they've got a handy term to use to find suitable books and like-minded fans."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Well, if that's the case, I think books like For The Win, Ready Player One, and Rainbows End definitely qualify as having strong anti-authoritarian themes and direct action by the characters to challenge the establishment. So it appears they may be suitable for a -punk descriptor by your definition.
It's fine if you have a personal code as to what you are willing to accept as appropriate use of the suffix "-punk," but the wider market appears to have expanded to include other elements and will doubtless continue to do so.
It's fine if you have a personal code as to what you are willing to accept as appropriate use of the suffix "-punk," but the wider market appears to have expanded to include other elements and will doubtless continue to do so.
I have little preference for what term arises to define books like these, but I think it's more likely that the accepted term will arise organically rather than be defined by proscriptive genre boundaries.
This little article was intended to increase awareness of these types of gamer-as-hero novels, not to specifically advocate for a certain terminology. I needed to come up with something because I'm not aware of an extant term.
I think there may be a more etsablished term soon enough, and I share your hope it is sufficiently divergent from cyberpunk. But given the current trend of punkifying offshoot fantasy/sci-fi/historical genres, I'd say it's as likely that it will jump on the bandwagon."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Hm, I guess this seems like a fairly restrictive definition to me. I don't doubt that Gibson drew HIS influence from '70s punk, but today many works that are recognized as cyberpunk have no such connection. The genre has grown and changed, but the term has stuck.
I don't believe I've yet read a so-called steampunk book that appeared to have overt punk influences. I'm sure they're out there, but when I read Girl Genius, Mainspring, or The Japanese Devil Fish Girl, I'm not seeing it.
There is a disconnect, but I think that's inherent in any of these genres. If they were all tied to a punk aesthetic, there wouldn't be much variety or vitality in the genre. A more accurate term could be devised and popularized, but in actual usage I don't think punk culture has been a focal point in these genres for more than a decade. Teslapunk, clockpunk, nanopunk... these genres have nothing to do with actual punks, but we can immediately understand what they imply."
I don't believe I've yet read a so-called steampunk book that appeared to have overt punk influences. I'm sure they're out there, but when I read Girl Genius, Mainspring, or The Japanese Devil Fish Girl, I'm not seeing it.
There is a disconnect, but I think that's inherent in any of these genres. If they were all tied to a punk aesthetic, there wouldn't be much variety or vitality in the genre. A more accurate term could be devised and popularized, but in actual usage I don't think punk culture has been a focal point in these genres for more than a decade. Teslapunk, clockpunk, nanopunk... these genres have nothing to do with actual punks, but we can immediately understand what they imply."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"A lot of books considered "cyberpunk" tend to be more about hackers than headbangers, and very few "steampunk" works have any logical connection to punks.
As I understand it (Okay, okay, as Wikipedia tells me), "Cyberpunk" was actually the name of a short story that simply caught on as a genre classification.
So, I wouldn't take the term "punk" literally in any of these cases, it's just a handy label."
As I understand it (Okay, okay, as Wikipedia tells me), "Cyberpunk" was actually the name of a short story that simply caught on as a genre classification.
So, I wouldn't take the term "punk" literally in any of these cases, it's just a handy label."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"iPad sounds nice! But here I am with this little screen and fingers the size of a Melon-pult."
Monday, October 31, 2011
"Oh man, then you'd have to watch out, because past you would probably be out for vengeance against future you. In fact, don't turn around... you're right behind you!"
Friday, October 21, 2011
"Thanks, good read!
I thought the kids didn't have much patience for story in games either, it seemed like they always wanted to skip past cutscenes. But when they actually played a game on their own at home I guess they took more time with it, because they'd come back knowing more about Cole McGrath or Niko Bellic than I did."
I thought the kids didn't have much patience for story in games either, it seemed like they always wanted to skip past cutscenes. But when they actually played a game on their own at home I guess they took more time with it, because they'd come back knowing more about Cole McGrath or Niko Bellic than I did."
Monday, October 17, 2011
