#tfotdhs

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-02

IMAGE ID:

Seven full-color panels showing a trio of travelers parting ways with their guide as he carts away.

The first two panels have an old man and a traveler shaking left hands. He has a straw hat and maroon shirt, he is wrinkled and bearded. The traveler has a creamy white shirt and green scarf keeping her dark curly hair pulled up and out of her face. The background shows the upcoming ocean and town. The second panel specifically shows a detailed close up of their shaking hands.

The third panel shows an overhead view of a black steam train pulling colorful cars (primarily passenger cars, some cargo cars) cutting through green fields. In dark brown italics and off white speech bubbles, the man says “Train’ll be in soon. It’ll take you to Barrowport before you need to transfer.”

The fourth panel shows the travelers facing him. In addition to the dark haired girl, there is also a blonde girl with a teal top and a pinkish crossbody bag. Beside her is a brown haired person with a green long sleeve shirt and a purple backpack. The driver continues, “I’d catch it, I were you.”

The fifth panel shows the man. He finishes, “Ask me, it’s not near warm enough to try a boat. But no one else will be leaving for months.”

The sixth panel focuses on the brown haired person, who cocks their head and asks, “Why’s the train here now, then?”

Calling knowingly over his shoulder in the seventh panel, the man answers with an exaggerated glint in his eye, “School rush…” He raises a hand halfway in parting and leaves.

END ID.

[dreamtofswallowingcoins]

April and the extraordinary world fits in with steampunk/clockpunk(/and biopunk?) and starts to turn Solar by the end

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a manga I’m working on that has some good solarpunk elements

treasure planet is pretty steampunk-y. Also ocean/pirate punk for sure

I think Stardust would definitely fit in ocean/pirate punk too, at least for a significant portion of scenes

The Punk-Factor of Punkpunk Genre

So, when I posted my history of Solarpunk, someone (probably not in good faith) asked: “So, what about the punk in all the other punk genres?!” towards my request to put the punk back into Solarpunk. And given that my autistic brain obviously cannot just let that stand… You know what? Let me talk about the other punk genre and in how far they are “punk”. I tried to be as exhaustive as possible, though there is a good chance, that I might have missed some of the punkpunk genre. So feel free to add.

Trying to judge the punkiness I do not assume punk as simple counter culture, but a specific ideology. Quote from Wikipedia:

[Punk ideology] is primarily concerned with concepts such as mutual aid, against selling out, hierarchy, white supremacy, authoritarianism, anti-consumerism, anti-corporatism, anti-war, imperialism, conservatism, anti-globalization, gentrification, anti-racism, anti-sexism, class and classism, gender equality, racial equality, eugenics, animal rights, free-thought and non-conformity

Most of the artwork here has been taken from concept art of either of the examples listed.

Sorted from most futuristic to pre(historic). Yes, the list is long.

Cyberpunk

We start with the OG punk genre, the one after which all other punk genre were named. Yes, you could argue that in fact the two genre following are more futuristic – but Cyberpunk kinda just had to start the list.

As a genre: Given that Cyberpunk had its start completely in literature it is the best defined in this regard. Taking place in a late stage capitalist dystopian world in which most is owned by megacorps who don’t follow anyone’s laws but their own, the protagonists usually are social outcasts fighting against their own oppression, trying to keep themselves alive in a world hostile to them. With cybernetics always being a core of the genre, it also tends to deal with the question of humanity in a “ship of Theseus” sort of way. How much can the human body be altered, before the human vanishes?

As an aesthetic: Cyberpunk is the most punk in terms of aesthetics, really. There is a lot of punk and grunge going on in terms of character design. Neon hair colors, fishnets and thorn up jeans jackets can be found here. As well as of course cybernetics on the characters. The world usually is a megacity with a stark divide between rich and poor, tons of neon signs, a slight Japanese influence, flying cars and somehow a constant downpour of rain.

Punk-Factor: Cyberpunk is the one punk genre, where the “punk” was chosen very knowingly as a name. Usually the protagonists are ��punks” fighting for their place in the world against a suppressive capitalist system. (Also, they usually fit the punk aesthetic, if they don’t wear leather dusters.) It should be noted however, that especially in newer western Cyberpunk often the punkiness vanishes more and more – for the same reason we have so little Solarpunk: media that outright confronts the problems of capitalism is just less supported.

Examples: Neuromancer (1984), Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology (1986), Snow Crash (1992), The Matrix (1999), Dredd (2012)

Biopunk

As a genre: As a genre biopunk is still fairly ill defined, as it mostly shows up as a subsection of Cyberpunk. Rather than the characters having cybernetic implants (or additionally to it) they are augmented on a genetic level. This can be all sorts of augmentations, changing anything from appearance to giving characters higher strength and agility, giving them claws or night vision, or in some cases even “magic” powers. Usually the genre tends to be set in worlds similar to Cyberpunk. In fact it might well be set in a cyberpunk world, only that characters with bioaugmentations exist parallel to those with cybernetics. Additionally, though, there is a subsection of this genre, that concerns reproductive rights.

As an aesthetic: Ironically biopunk is even less defined as an aesthetic. There is not a lot of biopunk art out there and most that exists can go in different directions. As such it often mixes elements from other punk aesthetics – like Cyberpunk, Steampunk or Dieselpunk – with an assortment of bodyhorror elements.

Punk-Factor: It is hard to define the “punkiness” of a genre, that barely exists for the most part. Usually, when it is set against a Cyberpunk backdrop, it might be very punky, but in other settings those punk elements vanish.

Examples: Ribofunk (1995), Altered Carbon (2002), Bioshock (2007), The Windup Girl (2009)

Nanopunk

As a genre: Like Biopunk Nanopunk mostly exists as a subsubgenre to Cyberpunk, often being set in a mostly Cyberpunk world, only that instead of or additionally to Cybernetics, the technology used to alter the human body is nanites. These serve the same function as the genetic manipulation in Biopunk, giving the human in question more strength and agility and at times more or less magical abilities. There is one common plot that comes up again and again, with an AI or megacorp turning the nanites against the people they inhabit or trying to control them.

As an aesthetic: Aesthetically Nanopunk does not have much in terms of its own identity. Most artworks relating to Nanopunk feature a similar aesthetic to Cyberpunk, with megacities and lots of neon.

Punk-Factor: This genre is so small, that it is kinda hard to judge the exact punkiness.

Examples: The Diamond Age (1995), Prey (2002)

Solarpunk

As a genre: Being another genre, that started as such, Solarpunk is a bit better defined. Solarpunk usually takes place in a world post-strive. It is post-capitalist and decolonial in its settings, usually featuring a world that has either formed against the backdrop of preventing climate collapse or in the aftermath of it. A lot of it features people rebuilding – or alternatively building communities. It always features elements about living in harmony with nature or trying to do so. So far, the genre is mostly defined by short stories, partly because there is still disagreements within the movement, how far a conflict can be taken to still qualify as Solarpunk.

As an aesthetic: Solarpunk has a very strong aesthetic definition, mostly featuring all sorts of cities and urban areas, that incorporate natural elements into the urbanity, with greenery growing on roofs and concrete car-centric streets being replaced with more natural, walkable areas. The character design aesthetic is not quite as clearly defined, but usually features natural materials and patterns usually seen within indigenous art.

Punk-Factor: Contrary to what many say, Solarpunk is fairly punk, as it very much embraces the entire anti-hierarchical, anti-capitalist mentality. With the big difference, that the punk mentality is no longer counter culture, but the mainstream culture.

Examples: The Dispossessed (1974), Nausicaä (1984), Laputa – Castle in the Sky (1986), Princess Mononoke (1997), The Summer Prince (2013)

Lunarpunk

As a genre: Lunarpunk is pretty much a subsubgenre of Solarpunk, just as Nanopunk and Biopunk are sprung off from Cyberpunk. It is so far ill-defined as a genre, but the general consensus is, that it is set in solarpunk-esque worlds, but with a heavier focus on mysticism or spiritualism, at times outright including magic. It also tends to feature a lot darker places, being set in underwater or underground settings – or alternatively at night.

As an aesthetic: Lunarpunk is far more of an aesthetic than a genre so far. It features dark places, often with bioluminescent elements in it. Often featuring a mixture of black and dark blue with lighter blue, violet or light green elements shining in the middle of it. Mushrooms – especially glowing mushrooms – feature repeatedly in artwork.

Punk-Factor: Given that Lunarpunk is barely defined as a genre it is hard to estimate the punkiness in it. If it gets more stories, will those still feature the anti-capitalist and anti-hierarchical messaging we see in Solarpunk? This should be the defining factor. Some of the artworks use little aesthetics from the punk scene, but nothing much more.

Examples: Bioluminescent: A Lunarpunk Anthology (2023)

Hopepunk

Honestly, I had no idea where to put this one, given that it might technically be set at any time and place.

As a genre: Hopepunk is very much a genre, not an aesthetic. It has been defined as the opposite of grimdark by its “inventor/name-giver” Alexandra Rowland. The basic idea is to create fiction that instead of taking a dystopian, defeatist and violent approach, takes one defined by hope and to some degree pacifism. As such the genre can be set in any setting, real or fantastic. It mostly is defined by the protagonists taking opposition to cruelty and violence, fighting for a better world and, crucially, also partly archiving it. Other than in usual Cyberpunk, where the best possible ending, tends to be, that the protagonists get to live a somewhat better life themselves, Hopepunk aims to better the life at least for groups of people.

As an aesthetic: Being fully a genre, Hopepunk has no aesthetic associated with it.

Punk-Factor: Hopepunk is punk less in the sense of the protagonists or things happening within the story, which might or might not be punk, but was named such rather because it is considered counter cultural towards the gross of media at the moment, that often strives for a “realistic, gritty, grimdark” outlook on the world. Basically it is saying: “Hope is punk.” I will not make any judgement on whether or not this is true.

Examples: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (2014), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), The Good Place (2016)

Mythpunk

As a genre: Another one, that does not really fit into a temporal sorting system, because once again it can be set anywhere between the stone age and the far future. The basic idea is, that the story interweaves postmodern storytelling with elements from mythology or folklore. This can mean mythological, genre-traversing retellings, but it can also mean, that mythology seeps into any given story bit by bit. As such the genre with probably the most media in the subgenre is Urban Fantasy, which often borrows from mythology and incorporates these elements.

As an aesthetic: Mythpunk as an aesthetic is a bit strange. There is definitely a mythpunk aesthetic that exists, often mixing familiar elements with elements from mythology and folklore (at times also including quasi-folkloric works of literature, such as Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz). Often just a bit dark and twisted.

Punk-Factor: To be perfectly frank, for the most part, there is not a lot of punk to be found in this genre. While there have been definitely punky stories told within the genre, this is more a story decision than something inherent to the genre.

Examples: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Over the Garden Wall (2014), Inscryption (2016)

Dustpunk / Rustpunk / Desertpunk

As a genre: Kinda grouping those above all together, because people argue about what they might entail and in some interpretations they kinda are similar: Post-apocalyptic stories set in a world of sand and rust. Often featuring a loner character, having to go up against everyone to ensure his own survival – and at times being forced to learn, that the lonerness might not win him (and most often it is a him) anything.

As an aesthetic: Aesthetically this tends to be very much post-apocalyptic, maybe in some cases with some more classical punk elements added to characters and surroundings.

Punk-Factor: Given that there is neither a system to rage against – nor a new, less hierarchical system – usually there is not that much punk outside of some aesthetic choices. Neither tend those stories go into constructing worlds of mutual aid or working against oppression.

Examples: Anything Mad Max should count for this.

Atompunk

As a genre: Atompunk usually deals with themes connected to the cold war – in some cases directly, in some indirectly. Often it overplays the American ideals that were pushed for during the cold war era and portrays scenarios in which American Exceptionalism slowly reveals itself as the dystopia most punks already know it to be. Outside of this vague idea for the setting, the genre is less described, as there is less of a clear script an Atompunk story might follow. So, little description of who might be the protagonist and what their role is.

As an aesthetic: The aesthetic of Atompunk borrows heavily from the Raygun Gothic aesthetic. So, futurism, as it was imagined in the 1950s and 1960s, with heavy influences from late pulp age science fiction art.

Punk-Factor: The aesthetic in this is definitely not punk. The stories often have some vague punk ideas of recognizing how fucked up the world has become, but given the genre is fairly wide in terms of stories, it is hard to give a definite answer to how “punk” it is. One can definitely tell punk stories within this genre, though.

Examples: Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (1978), Fallout (1997), Futurama (1999)

Dieselpunk

As a genre: Dieselpunk is once again an example of “strong aesthetic, but no clear genre identity”. Generally, Dieselpunk is concerned with the interwar period, but might cover either of the world wars. In some cases the genre features alternate timelines, in which one war happened and not the other, or in which another faction won, with the technological development being influenced by this as well. But as a genre it is not much defined. A lot of stories building on Lovecraft’s legacy feature Dieselpunk in some regards. And there is definitely a subsection of Dieselpunk stories centered around “what if Nazis won” or “what if Nazis somehow went underground and did their own technological development after the war”. Also, there are a lot of stories about pilots of war planes in this genre.

As an aesthetic: As an aesthetic Dieselpunk is more clearly defined. A lot of bare metal and the sorts of technology you would expect from this era, often with retro-futurist and art noveau elements in between. A lot of the fashion within the genre is defined by pilot and military clothing of the times, but at times also dipping into “roaring 20s” fashion styles.

Punk-Factor: In this genre I would generally say: “If the story involves punching Nazis, you might get a couple punk points – but otherwise this is not really punk.”

Examples: The Iron Dream (1972), Brazil (1985), Dark City (1998), Iron Sky (2012), Bitter Seeds (2010)

Teslapunk

As a genre: Yet another one of these, that exists mostly as a vague idea, with no clear definition. The basic idea is a world, that works on Tesla’s inventions. And as those of you, who watched Doctor Who, might know, Tesla sorta, kinda already invented the internet or had an idea of what it could be and how it could work. So a Teslapunk world is based in an alternate timeline, but might in fact go into light futurism. There is not much in this genre though with a unique thematic identity, as stories that use Teslapunk as a backdrop rarely have coherent themes.

As an aesthetic: The aesthetic of Teslapunk is basically “Steampunk, but with Tesla-coils and electricity”. Which is not a big surprise given that Tesla came from the same era that would also be the inspiration for Steampunk. So, we have a lot of Victorian fashion, maybe some light augmentation, airships, and – again – all the tesla coils you can muster.

Punk-Factor: As, again, I think punk is more about themes than aesthetic, this is once more not really possible to judge, because there do not seem coherent themes within the genre so far.

Examples: The Prestige (2006), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), Bioshock Infinite (2013)

Arcanepunk

Another one of those that do not neatly fit into the timeline…

As a genre: Arcanepunk takes place in a world, where both magic and technology have developed. In some cases both developed side by side, in others, we might have a technological world, that suddenly discovers magic by some happenstance. The fact is, though, that both exist parallel to each other or might at times be intertwined, with technology being powered by magic. This can exist at different technological stages, usually featuring settings inspired by the late 19th or early 20th century. But usually futuristic stuff that includes magic might be considered Arcanepunk, just as might stories that mix 18th century technology with magic. While also a vague genre, there is a repeating theme of magic being hoarded by those in powers and the poor and downtrodden finding ways to still use it in their own advantage.

As an aesthetic: Given that Arcanepunk’s setting is defined by the co-existence of magic and technology, rather than a specific technology, Arcanepunk has less of a defined aesthetic. Never the less, we have a part of punk aesthetics that often come up, as a surprising amount of Arcanepunk features characters with neon colored hair.

Punk-Factor: Another genre that is rather thin, yet, there is a surprising amount of stories featuring some punk ideas of fighting against an oppressive system and being counter culture to a main culture build around suppression.

Examples: Too Many Magicians (1966), Shadowrun (1989), Bartimaeus (2003), Arcane (2021) duh

Steampunk

Steampunk was the second genre to pick up the “punk” suffix and hence is as much responsible for the punk-punk as Cyberpunk as the originator.

As a genre: Being named as early as it has been, Steampunk kinda suffers the same issue as Cyberpunk itself. There is a lot of ideas there, but some are only vaguely defined. In general, though Steampunk always takes place in a world where the steam engine became the defining technology and was never replaced with the combustion engine. As such cultural aspects from the steam era, especially Victorian England and the Belle Epoche, still carry over for longer, than they did. So often we will see noble households based around similar values as the puritan Victorian English families, while the very poor are made to work in workhouses. At times we might also see themes of colonialism here. In some cases magic might exist in these worlds, as might electricity for some aspects. There is often a heavy inspiration from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Though it is still hard to define the “stereotypical steampunk story”, given that Steampunk offers a wide variety of stories, from adventure stories and romances, over to stories where people rise up against the Victorian-esque society.

As an aesthetic: Steampunk as an aesthetic is very much influenced by Victorian aesthetics and the time period of the late 19th century, mostly in the USA, Great Britain and France. But as all other punk genres it knows very well: “If it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing,” so steam-related elements are added to everything. Could

Punk-Factor: In the original idea for Steampunk was a lot of punk. “What if we took Cyberpunks ‘rage against the unjust system’ and made it 19th century” they asked. But given that the genre branched out so much, it is not necessarily there in all the stories. There is a ton of stories where people rage against that steam powered Victorian machine – but also a ton in which the Victorian world gets idealized and romanticized.

Examples: Thief (1998), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999), Wild Wild West (1999), Clockwork Century (2008) – also half of all Sherlock Holmes adaption made after 2000 in any medium usually use Steampunk elements

Silkpunk

As a genre: Silkpunk is hard to define, despite there being a clear definition. The reason for this is, that the person who coined the term – Ken Liu – had a very specific idea in mind. He explains that the idea is of a world that has technology as language. In which form is as important as function, is made to speak a language all of its own. Inspired by ideas from W. Brian Arthur and Chinese philosophy. However, what the wider Science Fiction and Fantasy community made from it was “Steampunk but East Asian!” But given he coined the term (and also the alternative feels vaguely racist) I am going to go with Ken Liu for this. While Silkpunk will usually be set in an East Asian inspired world, the central idea is about the duality of technology, which will also be addressed within the stories.

As an aesthetic: As said above, the idea Liu had for it was a world that features some technology, but technology that is as much about form and communication through it, as it is about function. So the technology here has strong visual ideas. At least that was, how Liu intended it. Once again, the wider community made “Steampunk, but East Asian” out of it.

Punk-Factor: There is not a lot of stuff in this genre for now – however so far I do not manage to see a lot of punk ideas in it, even though some of Liu’s stories definitely feature the concept of challenging a higher power.

Examples: Dandelion Dynasty (2015), The Black Tides of Heaven (2018), The Tea Master and the Detective (2019)

Clockpunk

As a genre: Once again storytelling in this genre is not really defined, but the worlds diverge a bit before the wide adaption of steam, instead featuring mechanical devices powered by coils and springs and somehow kept alive, often at least implied through some form of arcane magic that gives “live” to these mechanical inventions. Most examples of Clockpunk, however, tend to show up as settings for parts of fantasy stories. Any fantasy world might have this “Clockpunk” area, where protagonists might travel. Especially games tend to feature this. While there is definitely a trope of the “mad inventor” often going along with this, few other tropes stand out.

As an aesthetic: The aesthetic of Clockpunk tends to take some inspiration from the early 19th century, but tends to add a lot of gears to everything, with even city wide gear constructions keeping things working. We often will find mechatronic characters, such as wind up soldiers or wind up dancers.

Punk-Factor: Once more, there are so few stories told, that it is kinda hard to speak about how punk this is. Most stories told so far, however, do not feature punk elements.

Examples: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Hugo (2011), Clockwork Planet (2017)

Whalepunk

Please note: This is one of those genre, I would love to see more in, though so far it is barely explored.

As a genre: And you might ask: “Why do you even name those genre, that exist mostly in theory?”, to which I might answer: “Because I am a nerd.” As all these retrofuturists genre, Whalepunk imagines mostly an alternate historical timeline, where the technology that became defining was based around whale oil. This means that in Whalepunk often whalers or harbors play a big role, though as the genre is again very thinly spread, it is hard to say what “THE whalepunk” formular is. It seems there is a tendency, to mix some mysticism or magic into the genre, though, as the idea of hunting sea monsters often plays into it as well. Good chance that it could at some point merge with Cthulupunk (which I did not name separately, because most of it is either covered in Whalepunk or Dieselpunk).

As an aesthetic: The aesthetic of Whalepunk is basically “Steampunk, but with more sailors, ships and sea monsters”. There is definitely a bit of Oceanpunk mixed into it as well, with some aesthetics being somewhere between Steampunk and Dieselpunk. (Which is kinda ironic, because whale oil was mostly used in the early 19th century.)

Punk-Factor: And again. There so far is not a lot of connective thematic tissue within that genre, so exploring themes is kinda hard.

Examples: Dishonored (2012), Dredge (2023)

Oceanpunk / Piratepunk

As a genre: It really is hard to divide the Piratepunk out of the Oceanpunk, though some might call it different. The idea here is that this genre features stories mostly set on the ocean and often more heavily leaning into fantasy, than science fiction. While the worlds might feature technological elements, they will almost certainly feature magical elements of some sort. The characters will usually be seafaring one way or another and stories might involve any sort of adventure. There might be a storyline, though, about one company or nation trying to control the seas – often times through magical means – with the characters often unwillingly being made to oppose them. This genre might also take place in a post-apocalyptic setting with a flooded planet.

As an aesthetic: While the aesthetic is not clearly defined, there is a good chance that it borrows heavily from the late 17th and early 18th century and the golden age of piracy, when it comes to both ships and fashion sensibilities.

Punk-Factor: Pirates, at least as far as modern media imagines them, tend to be very punk, as they tend to inherently oppose any sort of government and what not. While the punk is not there in all of the stories, a lot of the most popular stories from the genre will feature at least lightly punky elements.

Examples: One Piece (1997), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)

Dungeonpunk

As a genre: So, the idea of the genre is basically “What if Cyberpunk, but Dungeons & Dragons?” Usually set in a vaguely medieval world, this world still shows the same corporate corruption as your usual Cyberpunk world. Adventurers are just another resource to be exploited by the system, their day job involving going on yet another dungeon crawl. For this there might be some technology entirely powered by magic, with those magic items taking over the same functions technology might have in a Cyberpunk world. And yes, indeed some brave dwarf, elf or halfling might rise up and challenge the corporate dungeon syndicate. (As you might sense: Yes, this genre tends to be at least partly a bit of a parody of the punkpunk idea. Though it also can be played straight as “Cyberpunk conflicts, just that all technology is somehow magic.”)

As an aesthetic: This is once again one of the examples, where there is a clear idea behind it – but absolutely no clear aesthetic, as this genre might cover anything from medieval settings to a lot more modern stuff.

Punk-Factor: The base idea, being heavily inspired by the base idea of Cyberpunk, just from a very different perspective. But too many people read the genre as “Magic Technology, yay”, in which case, no, it is not punk.

Examples: Dungeons & Dragons can be played this way, also Final Fantasy VI – XIII definitely counts.

Sandalpunk

As a genre: I mostly include this for the sake of it, because this genre tends to boil down to “fantasy set in ancient Greece or Rome, but with vaguely anachronistic elements”. It might also include alternate history stories (even going so far as Science Fiction) based on the idea “What if Ancient Rome/Ancient Greece never fell?” There is no real overarching themes, even though I could imagine some interesting way one could build those up. So far, though, it is mostly a vague gesture towards: “SciFi Fantasy, but with more ancient civilizations.”

As an aesthetic: The aesthetic is usually just Ancient Rome or Ancient Greece, but with more magic or anachronistic elements.

Punk-Factor: Given the super vague nature of the genre and the fact that it seems more like a genre of hindsight (with most media being declared this having been released even before 2000)… Nobody wrote those stories to be punk. The one punk thing I can see about several of these stories is people challenging Gods, but… That’s about it.Examples: Hercules: Legendary Journeys (1995), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), God of War (2005)

Stonepunk

As a genre: The basic idea of Stonepunk is, that it is set in a stone age world, but with the technology being pressed towards a very anachronistic end, which is often played for laughs. Basically it gives stone age people a modern seeming world, though not really. Often enough this is used to make a point about the modern world and parody it in some regard. An argument can be made for stories, that feature stone age technology people being somehow subjected to modern technology (for example through time travel or space travel) also possibly falling into this genre.

As an aesthetic: Usually the aesthetic of Stonepunk is one of an overplayed stone age setting. The clothing characters might wear are not what we know is historically more accurate but really just “everyone wears a pelt around their shoulders”. Meanwhile stone age tools get spun to be used as all sorts of modern technologies.

Punk-Factor: The genre does usually not feature punk themes. However, the nature of parodying and challenging the modern world tends to be punk in its own merit, I assume?

Examples: The Flintstones (1960), The Croods (2013), Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017)

That's it. That's the list.

Feel free to add to it.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-03

IMAGE ID:

Four full-color panels show three travelers finishing their trek to a nearby seaside town from the windy field they were dropped off in.

The first panel has all three characters gathering themselves and deciding what to do next.

On the far left, a young woman faces away from the viewer, gazing out and scratching the back of her head. She has blonde hair pulled up in a bun, a teal turtleneck tank-top, a pair of brown pants, a pinkish crossbody bag, and a large, dark blue case at her feet. She echos the man from the previous panel, "End of the line, indeed." The text is in dark brown italics and off-white text bubbles.

Beside her, the middle character faces the viewer and digs through the purple backpack in their hands. They have curly brown hair, a green long sleeved shirt and greenish gray shorts.

In the foreground, facing the viewer and looking at the town, the other woman responds, "Mmn... Drinks?" She has dark hair pulled up out of her face with a green scarf and wears a long sleeved linen shirt, purple breeches, and a green coin bag at her waist. She is leaning on a dark blue cane in her right hand (viewer's left).

The second panel flips the camera so the blonde woman and brown haired person are in the foreground, and the dark haired woman is in the background. The blonde woman continues, "Taverns'll be open into the night, inns won't."

The dark haired woman responds, "We'll get a room first," the text gets smaller, "then drinks?"

Between the two girls, the brown haired person finds the object they were searching their bag for: a reddish-maroon thermos.

The third panel shows the brown haired person, having slung their bag onto one shoulder, fiddling with the lid of the thermos and adding, "If you're not too tired by then to find a place for 'em."

To which the dark haired woman responds, "Excellent!" and begins to lift her own suitcase.

Finally, the fourth panel shows an overhead shot of the group making their way towards the ocean and town. We see a calm dark sea with a distant red-and-white lighthouse and clear, light blue sky. The dark haired woman finishes, "Then let's see about this 'school rush' before it comes, there's no way he'd be mixed up in that mess." She is in the lead, the brown haired person has fallen slightly behind, putting their backpack back on after putting their thermos away.

END ID.

[poststormjitters]

Trying a new format for an old project. Come along the ride.

IMAGE ID:

A stylized comet shoots behind a dark blue anchor that is dripping a gold substance. These stand against a cloudy night sky with yellow pinprick stars. Comic title “The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker” sits above the anchor in a typewriter font with an off-white text bubble. END ID

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-1

IMAGE ID:

A distant yellow comet shoots across a clear, dark blue night sky with yellow stars. The text “Everyone knew to watch the sky” sits in the bottom right corner in a typewriter font and off-white text bubble.

END ID.

[dreamtofswallowingcoins]

buncha graduates consensually and non-consensually pull some kidnappings after the sky falls on some dropout nerd and everyone gets invested. Jesse and James are there

EVERYONE QUICK describe your oc story in the worst way possible

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-5

Image id incoming.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-01

IMAGE ID:

Five full-color panels show a trio of travelers disembarking from an old man’s horse drawn cart.

The first panel centers the man, he is wearing a straw hat and maroon shirt. His skin is tanned and wrinkly and he has a long graying beard. In a dark brown text, the man informs the group that it’s the “End of the Line.”

To his right (viewer’s left) we see a young woman sitting in the cart behind him. She rests one hand on her luggage and wraps her other arm around her cane. She has a creamy white shirt and purple breeches, her curly brown hair is pulled up with a green scarf.

Across from her, a second young woman sits with her legs pulled up. She has a bright teal top and brown pants, a pinkish bag is slung across her shoulders. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a tidy bun. Next to her, we see just the top of the head of the third person sleeping against a barrel.

The second panel shows the cart from the side as it shudders to a halt. This wakes the sleeping person, they have a green long sleeved shirt and curly brown hair. In the background, there are some sheep frolicking in the distant fields.

The third panel shows the women getting off, the tailgate pulled down. The blonde girl is pulling down a dark blue case. The brown haired girl is readying herself to get down.

The fourth panel has the brown haired girl counting coins for a tip to the driver while the blonde girl helps the sleepy third person crawl out.

Finally, the fifth panel shows the brown haired girl speaking with the old man, who is pointing to the seaside town below them. We see a distant lighthouse, green ocean with several sailboats, and a colorful town flanked on either side by sand and field.

END ID.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-3

IMAGE ID:

Four panels, colored in blues and cool toned grays, show scenes of a graduation party held on a mountain at night. In a dark brown typewriter font and two off white text bubbles, the text in the first panel reads, “Fresh graduates,” and the text in the fourth panel reads, “few students among them.”

The first panel shows the sun setting between peaks of a mountain.

The second panel is in the upper corner of the first, and shows people cheering with and greeting one another. Two people on the left hold up drinks, two in the middle hug through a glomp, one on the right waves to someone on the right in the foreground, and one person smiles from the left foreground corner.

The third panel shows more of the grad party. People gathered around a campfire cook, eat, and burn various treats. Others chat and gaze at the sky on a log bench. A boy in the background fiddles with a blanket. And players laugh during a card game at a picnic table. There are five tents scattered around, three of them with people peeking out of a window or door to watch the sky.

The fourth panel focuses behind the boy with the blanket. Viewers see his back, some of the nearby tent and graduates, and his view of the sky. He has dark hair, glasses, and vitiligo along his face and neck. He is sitting cross-legged on the grass and has a mug of tea on a book beside him. His hands are outstretched to drape the blanket he’s holding across his lap.

END ID.

[dreamtofswallowingcoins]

PLEASE

NOT ONLY do i want more m/f friendships in media where there's nothing romantic between them, but i want m/f friendships where both characters are SINGLE so that there's no reason there to "justify" why those two can't date. i want the platonicness of their relationship to be something that stands on its own merit.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-2

IMAGE ID:

Four panels, colored in blues and cool toned grays, show scenes of people in summer clothes gathering or focusing to watch the sky as it gets dark. In a typewriter font and an off white text bubble in each panel, the text reads “They flooded the roofs,” “Sought friends,” “Swarmed the local piers,” “And found purchase in the tallest trees they could climb” The first panel focuses on a girl with long hair set up on a roof gazing through a telescope and writing in a notebook balanced on her thigh. She has books, her telescope case, and the lens cap within reach next to her. Other people have gathered on an adjacent building—one straddles the roof, one lays back on its slant, and an adult and child peek and wave through an open upper floor window.

The second panel shows a person with dark curly hair lounging on a picnic blanket at the edge of a fenced, grassy area with nearby stepping stones. They are with a sleeping cat and two friends who sit beside them on the blanket and against a tree trunk, respectively.

The third panel shows a girl with her hair tied up standing on a dock pointing away and out to sea with her left hand. She supports herself with a cane in her other hand. Two people sit on the end of the dock next to her, one gazing in the same direction, the other facing away. There’s a rowboat in the water on the opposite side of her, its oars are laid on the dock.

The fourth panel overlooks a distant mountain range. There are several stylized trees in the foreground, one has a man with long hair perched on its branches. There’s a hot air balloon floating further away.

END ID.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-6

IMAGE ID:

Four panels, colored in blues and cool toned grays show a boy on a mountain being hit, unawares, by a gold comet. In a dark brown typewriter font and off-white text bubbles, the text in the first panel reads, “And, from behind,” followed by the text in the fourth panel reading, “he was struck.” The first panel shows a mountain range. There are gold stars and comets in the distant background, but one is angled downwards, much closer. The second panel shows the back of a boy from above and behind. There is a long, long shadow in front of him. The third panel shows the boy from the side, he has dark hair, glasses, and vitiligo along his face and neck. He is holding his arms around himself. The comet is right behind him, about to hit his head. The fourth panel shows him head-on, the comet lighting him starkly from behind. He has straightened up and his glasses glint with gold.

[poststormjitters]

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-4

IMAGE ID:

Eight panels, colored in blues and cool toned grays, show a boy leaving his spot at a graduation party and climbing further up the mountain where it was hosted. In a dark brown typewriter font and off-white text bubbles, the text in the first panel reads, “Wary of the height, he hoped the elevation would be worth it.” The text in the three vertical panels in the middle reads “They didn’t notice his disappearance,” He didn’t notice the switchbacks,” and “He didn’t notice the end of the trail.” Two panels overlaid on these middle three read “He spared no cares for his trousers,” “Nor for his boots, new and muddied.” And the text in the bottom right panel reads “He didn’t notice his hands, clawing and bloody.”

The first panel shows the front of a boy wrapped in a blanket and touching his face. He has dark hair, glasses, and vitiligo along his face and neck. There’s a mountain and tree line behind him. Golden stars twinkle in the night sky.

The three middle vertical panels show the progression of his disappearance. The left shows his blanket, tea mug, and book left where he had been sitting. The middle shows a series of simplistically drawn switchbacks. And the left shows him climbing over a fence, directly in opposition to a sign indicating the correct way. He is facing the sky as he does so.

There are two panels between and overlapping on top of the middle three. The panel on the lower left shows one of his boots, which is dirty and digging into the ground. There are various plants and vines snagging on and around him. The upper right panel shows further up his body as plants catch on his pants and shirt. He is holding his arms above his torso.

The bottom panel shows him at the top of the mountain, hunched over and heaving. He is no longer focused on the sky, which has even more stars than before.

The rightmost part of the entire comic is partially covered by an un-contained image of the boy in profile facing towards the viewer’s left. His face is upturned and his glasses glare, obscuring his eye with a reflection of the sky and the stars shooting through it. The last panel is merely the suggestion of a dark blue box—it is almost complexly covered by his stiff, scratched-up hand.

END ID.

[poststormjitters]

Oh hey it’s Sunday

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker is on a planned break until I build up a backlog again. Several personal things have come up, not all of them are expected or easy to manage atm. It will probably take me some time before I’m able and ready to bounce back, but I have no intentions of abandoning this project. The next part has more characters and (hopefully) more exciting backgrounds, so I expect it will just take longer, too

It’s also just good for me to have a break and keep this from becoming an obligation so I can continue to engage with it as something fun to do. In the meantime, I’d like to make more one-off pieces and fanart. And I’m hoping to upload a speed draw of the panels I’ve shared so far (“the prologue”) to YouTube. If/when I figure that out, I’ll be sure to post it here Stay tuned!

[poststormjitters]

Consolidated story progress 2022-23

I'm bringing my updates onto one post instead of taking up most of what I have on this blog. Art should be the majority! Not repeated walls of text as I try to track some data. Having it all on one post should also make it easier for my brain to look back at my patterns from *checks notes* nearly two years ago (whoof). I haven't really been writing for myself very much this past year, but I would like to get back to it (and more art) soon. The blogger may be constantly tired, but the blog isn't abandoned!

Thank you to anyone who reads my notes, much appreciated :)

---

Dec 21 2023 (today as of writing): 46334 total. 105 pages.

<2023: no updates b/c very little writing. Did not, in fact, finish this draft and start second draft this year>

Dec 19 2022: +443 words. 44544 total. Notes: It’s been kind of a while since I’ve sat down with intention, though I’ve caught some opportunities for a few sentences here and there. I’m trying a new POV and having some extra free time helps. I am on (I believe) the final third and I have my outline in a good place. Resolutions and wrap-ups, ~50 pages left. All the respect to nanowimo writers. There’s only a few more days left in December, but I hope to finish this draft and start my second draft next year. 

July 18 2022: +5,236 words since last update (plus uncounted planning). 33,565 total (more than 30k, woah!). 75 pages. Notes: Not sure how much I'll sick to it, but I've been thinking the story will be "segmented" into three parts. The first 50 is my setup, the next 50 is the body and building off the set ups, the final 50 will be the climax and payoffs/end. I'm halfway through the second "arc." I recently read that 30k is about a third of a novel, which is validating and puts me right about on track. They're small enough chunks that I can have goals and planning, but they're big enough that I don't feel constrained so I can still stretch and play. I stopped reading to my friend about 50 pages in because we just caught up to where my writing left off, and I do so infrequently enough that it seemed silly to read to them only every couple of nights (and have the pressure to keep up with it like that). We agreed that where we left of was actually a really good place. “Like a season cliffhanger” and thinking about it like that-- three sections with their own arcs set within an overall story--has been super helpful to how I’m choosing to pace. It’s just my first draft, so it only has to exist, but this way of thinking about it is new for me and I like the way it sits in my brain.

June 22 2022: +1,909 words. 28,329 total (almost 30k, wow!). +5 pages. Notes: this is from two days, but they’re getting one update because I forgot. Working title achieved!

June 10 2022: +1204 words +3 pages :)

June 6 2022: +617 words. 52 pages.

May 18 2022: +499 words. 24019 total.

May 9 2022: +1,472 words in planning. Notes: Wanted to put down the progress :) Reading to my friend has caught up with how far I’ve written, and I’ve been a little stuck on what comes next. But I think I have a direction again. It’s still a little rough on what’s directly next, but I’m feeling good for what’s generally after. 

April 25 2022: +608 words. 22,055 total. 51 pages. Notes: I deleted a couple paragraphs. Things are amping *up*! 

April 25 2022: +972 words. 21,331 total. 50 pages. Notes: I just did a crush scene and I feel all blushy, aw

April 18 2022: +3,979 since last update. 20,337 total (20k!). 48 pages. Notes: Plot is coming together. I don't quite know what is coming after this next bit, but it's the first draft and we'll figure it out as we go. It just has to exist. We’re gonna get dramatic slice-of-life-y here soon!  Reading to a friend is definitely helping me be motivated. The internal sense of "needing to write more because we're going to run out of story to read" keeps a deadline feeling going. Plus, though there's a lot that's still up in the air (ha), it’s fun and encouraging to share with someone and re-read things without the time or intention to edit.

March 4 2022: +594 words. 38 pages. 

Feb 21 2022: +459 words. 36 pages.

Feb 5 2022: +958 words. Notes: Also character work/ brainstorming.

Feb 2 2022: +613 words. 33 pages.

Feb 1 2022: +359 words. 13,734 total. 32 pages.

[poststormjitters]

IMAGE ID:

Eight panels, colored in blues and cool toned grays, show a boy stargazing on a mountaintop and becoming spooked when he gets too close to the edge.

In a dark brown typewriter font and off-white text bubbles, the text overlaying the first two panels reads, "The sky roared with lights that filled his eyes with color." The third panel has no text. The text in the fourth panel reads "Entranced, he crossed the plateau, turning about to a dance only he seemed to know." The text overlaying the fifth and sixth panels reads, "The spell broke when he strayed too close to the brink." And the text overlaying the seventh and eighth panels reads, "He turned back for the safety of the middle,".

The first panel shows a boy laying supine in a grassy area and gazing up at the sky. He has dark hair, glasses, and vitiligo along his face and neck. Yellow-toned light bounces off him and some plant stalks.

The second panel shows his arm reaching up for the sky, where several gold shooting stars are passing. One is framed by his outstretched hand.

The third panel is a close up of his right eye, the angle shows it unobscured by the lens of his glasses. The iris and pupil are lit up with warped reflections of the stars, utterly filling his sight.

The fourth panel shows the area and nearby edge that the boy is nearing. There are five panel-like boxes that show him lifting from a crouch, doing a full turnaround, and lifting his arms skyward as he gets closer and closer to the cliff drop.

The fifth panel shows him finally looking down with a startled expression, sweaty and alarmed. A blue line in the background shows his heart metaphorically skipped a beat.

The sixth panel shows his boots teetering off the edge mid-step.

The seventh panel shows him standing straight and rigid, having stopped himself from falling.

And the eighth panel shows him gingerly stepping away from the edge, now hunched over and hugging himself.

END ID.

Sorry for the delay, unexpected stressors have taken some bandwidth, but we (try to) stay silly ᕙ(ノ﹏ヽ;) ﾟ.*・｡ﾟ

The Falls of the Divine Horizon Seeker-5

Image id incoming.