#ADDITIONALLY. the??? Eugenics????

[magpiesbones]

ohhhhh this character. she’s so awful. I simply wish to spray her in the face with water every time she says something batfuck insane about gender and/or war

[boygun]

My part for the trade with @imjustabeanie

Okay, so you’ve given me quite a task. Finally, I’ve settled on one. I fell asleep typing so I’m posting this now instead of last night. Second place belongs to Vox, but that’s a differed story. As for the official verdict, I match you with…

Lucifer! He strikes me as a guy who’d give you plenty of space but would definitely care. In his own way. Sometimes, he’s not all that great with words, but he’d try to show you that he cares (even if he can't always be around either because of his duties or depression-) with gifts and doing things for you. Not in a babying you. And he’d treasure every single thing you give him. It could be the weirdest thing, but we’ve seen this man’s house - putting your craziest gifts up on display won't make the aesthetic any more whack with those ducks around.

In my opinion, the N/S mbti dynamic works well and he has some S vibes. That sort of thing gives the relationship balance without being too contrasting.

And, please, your cold demeanor and irony matched with the King of Hell who’s this warm, enthusiastic guy is iconic. When people hear about you two, they assume they should be cautious of him. Then they meet him and he’s literally just a guy. But the second they say some bullshit he just lets you go at them and obliterate them verbally. That's when they find out they were intimidated by the wrong person. True scary dog privileges.

For the most of the show he’s put in a pretty compromising position where he can't do much for his loved ones (mainly Charlie), but you are bound by no deal. Go, get those Exorcists! A real power couple.

Though his bluntness is expressed in a different way from yours I feel like that shared trait could be one of the things that connect you two. Like, sometimes he needs to hear your deadpanned comment to get himself together.

Sometimes, he can be all over the place when he feels like he’s been put in a tough spot, but don’t dread him coming to you all whiny and helpless. His dread is his to know and he usually deals with it in private. What he does come to you finally, it’s usually for levelheaded advice and normal discussion.

Your curiosity woks well with his an his creative soul definitely fuels it. Not only does he know a lot (he was around for a long time, come on; also asking questions is kind of his thing, much to his detriment) but he enjoys having someone to recount some stories to. And the way you detailed how you cannot stand failure paired with him being so tied (at least in actual religion) to Pride is kind of nice as a concept. Like, a running theme I guess? I mean, would be cool in the show, you know.

This man is a disaster when it comes to dealing with negative feelings and I’m a firm believer that having someone to relate to you is way better than the whole ‚I can fix him’ thing. So you guys could just communicate at your own pace and it would be nice not to have that other person pressuring you to just ‚open up and be vulnerable☺️🌸’ like it’s something everyone should do with ease and pleasure.

And this man has the craziest True Crime stories, you can’t convince me otherwise. Don’t put on a podcast, let him talk and enjoy your evening. He’s seen wild things and has no issue with recounting them.

If you’re up to it, he’d definitely get you into doing some inventions/projects together, even if you just ‚fuck around and find out’ he would find it rather charming to have another perspective. Just spend some time with him and play around in his work space (not really sure what that room is at this point, but there is a ton of equipment on the walls, so it could double as some sort of study). You could even just draw alongside him while he works on his ducks. And he would love it if you ever wanted to make a project for him of a duck. The man would make it in SECONDS I swear. He’d find your little ‚collab’ so cool.

Additional he knows how to deal with loneliness without giving you any pity, he’s been there, he knows things suck sometimes and he’s far from overbearing about it.

Sure, Lucifer might be ‚nice’ but he’s THE King of Hell. If you told him about that DNA-related dream of yours ethics wouldn’t be much of a concern, he’d try to help you to figure it out. I mean, he might be a little reluctant about making more humans, cause like, from his experience there’s one out of three chance it will be a disaster. But cloning isn’t technically the same as creation, so it should be fine? That’s yours to find out!

[alpaca-clouds]

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.

[olderthannetfic]

Discussions about terminating pregnancies if the child is disabled are…dangerous, and OTNF might not want to open this can of worms, but I wanna say, leftist circles' insistence on the fact that "an autistic child" or "a deaf child" is In No Way Different than "a child that will live, at most, to five years old, and will spend every moment of said life in severe pain and distress" is infuriating to me. I know that the concepts "quality of life" and "suffering" are utilised to argue for eugenics a lot, but goddamn, quality of life MATTERS, and arguing that a persons' ONLY REASON for aborting a fetus if it's is going to live a life of extreme suffering is "they don't view a disabled life as worth living" is just ignorant. Like, I don't know that a lot of the people arguing "future suffering isn't a reason to abort a disabled fetus" are actually imagining the degree to which certain genetic diseases fucking ravage the body. They're imagining, like...being blind, or being born with DS, or without a limb. Not "you will be on life support from the moment you are born to the moment you die at whatever age the constant transfusions you need to live - which also have serious side effects - stop being effective." I believe some genetic diseases ARE worth eradicating, not because the people that are born with them don't deserve to live, but because I also believe like...arthritis is worth eradicating, even though I obviously don't believe people with arthritis don't deserve to live. I'm disabled, and obviously I don't believe I deserve to die because of it, but I also don't wanna be in pain 24/7! & When I'm old, or if I'm ever terminally ill, and I'm at a point where the rest of the life I have remaining is going to be spent in agonising pain, I want to have the option to die! Not because I believe I DESERVE to die for it, or that a life at that level of pain isn't WORTH living, but because I just do not want to be at that level of pain constantly. & some people might argue "well, YOU have the right to decide that, but you don't have the right to decide that for your future child" and like...a disabled fetus doesn't have any more of a right to life than a nondisabled fetus. You will NEED TO decide either way, because a fetus can't have an opinion! "You owe it to your future child to carry them to term and birth them" is not any more of a pro-choice argument even if the future child you're referring to is disabled. Additionally, arguing that aborting a disabled fetus (even if the disability WON'T cause extreme suffering) is JUST AS BAD as murdering a disabled person is also incompatible with being pro-choice, because...abortion is not and never will be morally on par with murder, and to argue it is, in any context, is incompatible with pro-choice argument. "But the REASONING is the same" does not render it morally on par with murder. Aborting a fetus because you can't afford to raise a child is not morally on par with murdering your born child because you can't afford to raise them, even if the reasoning is the same. "But aborting disabled fetuses SENDS THE MESSAGE that disabled lives aren't worth living!" First of all, if the person doesn't announce that they've aborted a disabled fetus, it sends no message. And even if they do, once again...if aborting because you can't afford to raise a child doesn't send the message that poor children don't deserve to live...it's not a moral argument against abortion. Like, conservatives use the line "aborting a baby because it's the result of rape sends the message to people born out of rape that they don't deserve to live" CONSTANTLY. And lastly, because this is the goddamn internet, before anyone says "but aborting because YOU can't afford a child is DIFFERENT than aborting because the CHILD will be disabled!" Yes, it's different, but the comparison isn't actually ABOUT the reasoning for abortion. It's about whether reasoning for abortion can be evenly applied after a child is born, which...no, it can't, in any circumstance. It's not a 1:1 comparison, it's an illustrative comparison.

--

We've had this discussion here before. It's a touchy subject, to be sure, but if people can feel confident that most of the others discussing things don't think they should have been aborted for being autistic or having only one hand or something, it's usually possible to talk about it.

Last time, the general trend of the discussion was "I have horrible chronic pain and of fucking course I wouldn't wish this on a child. Supporting the disabled people we already have is a good thing. It is a separate thing from which babies we should intentionally carry to term." And "For fuck sake, ableist shitheads raising a disabled child will make that life a living hell. Don't make them keep a baby they can't and don't want to care for."

Most of us around here take a dim view of inspiration porn... but also of not using paragraphs.

[transmutationisms]

hello! I remember you making a post mentioning Margaret Sanger + eugenics recently… I’m wondering if you might be willing to share more thoughts on the relationship between Sanger, eugenics, and the birth control movement? or if you have any recs for papers to read on this topic? thanks in advance if u have anything to share!

yeah i stuck some reading under the cut for length but basically and reductively this has become a poisoned discursive well because reactionaries of various stripes have discovered that Sanger was a racist eugenicist, and have also discovered that if you say that about a public figure, a certain brand of liberal will immediately rush to condemn the person with little to no reflection on what the significance of their objectionable beliefs might historically have been, so now every family values white supremacist thinks they are the cleverest boy in the world for being like "erm actually Planned parenthood was founded by a eugenicist" and the best response the average liberal can come up with is "[splits hairs] no it wasn't".

in reality what they should be saying instead is more along the lines of: this is because eugenics and white supremacy were incredibly popular politics in the usa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and were ideologies that united public health champions (& political figures in general) from across the 'left–right political spectrum'. additionally Sanger's rhetoric varied over time and by audience, though i'm not really interested in doing rehabilitative work for her historical image and mostly bring this up to demonstrate that eugenics was so popular it was widely rhetorically advantageous to throw support for it, whether you were a feminist demanding access to birth control or a garden-variety misogynist opposed to reproductive autonomy.

anyway Sanger's legacy and the legacy of US feminists in general simply has to account for the fact that both 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' policy demands can be weaponised either for increased reproductive autonomy or for eugenic endeavours. it's not the [contraception / abortion / etc] in itself that creates the eugenics, and banning contraception or abortion doesn't solve the problem of capitalism nurturing and relying on eugenics (as disingenuous reactionaries already well know). a lot of right-wing writing on Sanger is indeed trumped-up, poorly substantiated, de-contextualised shock tactics—also, she did genuinely espouse a lot of racism and eugenics.

none of this is really relevant to the political question of whether, moving forward, reproductive autonomy ought to be ensured (it ought). but, it is certainly relevant to the question of why the us feminist movement has done a generally middling job of securing access to things like contraception and abortion: in part, this is because it has long been a movement that sacrificed an actual commitment to providing healthcare in an extremely unwise series of faustian racism bargains that (at best) framed reproductive rights in a very negative, libertarian-inflected way, and (at worst) threw over the principles altogether and wilfully ignored or even participated in the establishment of eugenic policies expressly designed to constrain the reproductive autonomy of racialised, poor, and disabled women.

Dorothy Roberts talks about feminist eugenics broadly, including some remarks on Sanger, in Killing the Black Body (1997)

Peter Engelmann's A History of the Birth Control Movement in America (2011) pretty much what it says on the tin; my notes from when I TA'd bioethics say we focussed on the introduction and chapters 1 and 3

Evolution and Eugenics in American Literature and Culture, 1880-1940: Essays on Ideological Conflict and Complicity (2003) ed. Lois Cuddy and Claire Roche has at least one chapter you'd probably find useful

there's also this annotated bibliography on Sanger but it's from the 80s, so the real value-add is if you want to see contemporaneous writings about her, or you want a list of her own actual publications. I don't know whether this is still considered a comprehensive list of the 70-odd years it does cover!

a couple dissertations, even though these are generally not as valuable citation-wise as published books or articles:

International Intercourse: Establishing a Transnational Discourse on Birth Control in the Interwar Era (2004) by Julie L Thomas, Indiana University

Feminist Eugenics in America: From Free Love to Birth Control, 1880–1930 (2006) by Susan Marie Rensing, University of Minnesota

[my-pjo-stuff]

I feel like ranting about Chiron/CHB for a bit, so here you go:

WHY WERE CHILDREN SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR IN THE HERMES CABIN CHIRON? Would the gods start a hissy fit if Chiron built an extension onto the Hermes Cabin, or built a new one for the unclaimed campers? Cause if not, Chiron has a lot of explaining as to why he’s got an overcrowded cabin where kids have to sleep on the floor because theres no other room. I think the only reason it’s not talked about in fandom is because Percy doesn’t experience it for long before he’s claimed and gets to move into a cabin by himself, and even though the unclaimed campers are an important part of Ethan and Luke’s motivations to join Kronos, but because we’re in Percy’s POV while this happens, we as the readers don’t have to think about the poor living standards demigods have to deal with or be vulnerable to monsters attacking themselves & their families. This is happening when the gods take forever to claim a single kid, so some kids are going through years of being at camp and sleeping with a sleeping bag instead of an actual bed

additionally, being a head cousnellor at CHB cannot be good for your mental health. Firstly, you, as a teenager yourself, are now responsible for your siblings, and their survival and wellbeing, just because you’ve either gone on a quest or you’re the oldest in the cabin. That’s all the qualifications you need according to Chiron. Then you end up kids like Drew Tanaka, who has no problem with bullying and using Charmspeak on her siblings to get her way, or people like Luke, who’s heavily traumatised, who are deemed responsible and suitable enough to look after their cabins just because. Again, this isn’t brought up in canon and the fandom as a whole because none of the main characters have to deal with it. Percy and Jason have cabins to themselves, Annabeth only gets a POV once they’ve left camp to visit the Romans in HOO, and Piper and Leo don’t get to spend any time as on-page counsellors before going to Camp Jupiter and the rest of HOO. This kind of environment where a teenager has to look after siblings can’t be good for either of them, and the head counsellor can only be got rid of by a challenger, whose either older or been on a quest. (Because questing apparently means you’re ready for the emotional toll of leading a full cabin through war and grief, as well as dealing with problems maturely, according to Rick.) so if you’re in a cabin that doesn’t get picked for quests, like the Aphrodite Cabin, you’re basically screwed until the counsellor finally leaves camp.

PREACH ONG. GENUIENLY. I think we all forget how BAD CHB is, especially since the only point of comparison we have for a demigod camp is Camp "We Basically Do Eugenics Per Wolf Goddess In The Woods" Jupiter. Camp Halfblood is genuinely a shit place to be. There are two adults in that camp at all times, Dionysus who we all know is unreliable and Chiron who obviously plays huge favorites at all times. (Remember when he abandoned his duties for a good year to go teach Percy at the start of TLT?). There are what? 100+ kids or more in CHB at the height of summer? There's no WAY that either Chiron or Dionysus are actually looking after them, it's just mathematically impossible. And this isn't even factoring in the year-rounders. We have countless studies showing how harmful it can be for a kid to have to take on so much responsibility so early. Especially if the counselors have to either go on a quest or be the oldest to be counselor.

Imagine returning for a highly traumatic, dangerous event where the chance is pretty high that one or more of your friends got seriously injured or died. And then when you get back to the relative safety of CHB you suddenly are put in charge of 20+ other kids and told to look after them.

Alternatively, imagine seeing all your older siblings either age out and abandon you or die doing whatever your neglectful parent wanted them to do. So often and so consistently and suddenly you are the one one left. You'd have seen most of your cabin probably die or leave at that point, and now you are suddenly told you are in charge of all these kids you don't now. Y'all think that wouldn't mess with a kid? Fuck them up at least a little bit? We know for a fact that CHB does NOT provide any help on the mental department whatsoever and expects their kids to just get "over it". Imagine trying to be vulnerable in a place like that.

And this ain't even touching on the fact that "being a year-rounder" isn't a requirement for counselor either. Which means there must have been some cabin counselors who went home after the summer and thus weren't even present at camp most of the time. Imagine having a counselor like that as a year-rounder, being forced to look after yourself most the time only to then get some random teen every summer bossing you around. And everyone acting and expecting you to treat this teen as some sort of authority figure to listen to.

[queer-ragnelle]

All three! Apologies. I want to learn as much as I can about him.

You got it!

The first text that Galahad appears in is the Vulgate. His predecessors and legacy are first described in The History of the Grail; then he’s conceived, born, and raised during the Lancelot books; finally in Post-Vulgate he’s a knight on Grail Quest where he achieves his life’s purpose and passes away. Additionally, here’s A Companion to The Lancelot-Grail Cycle which may help you navigate the text.

Another book I suggest for your Galahad research is The Legend of the Grail by Nigel Bryant and Norris J. Lacy. It’s got a lengthy introduction about the history of the Grail story and touches on all the characters who’ve achieved it throughout Arthurian literary history including Perceval, Gawain, and of course, Galahad. Each chapter is taken from a different text and newly translated by Nigel Bryant for this publication. It’ll give you an idea of the progression of the Grail story which eventually led to Galahad and introduce you to some adjacent texts that may be of interest.

The next medieval text that includes Galahad is La Tavola Ritonda. It’s mostly a Prose Tristan story, but does cover the whole Grail Quest with a fun Italian Galahad named Galeazzo/Galasso. I enjoy this one a lot! Regarding Galasso specifically, it’s an interesting take on the character—he’s described as very gracious and he wields a cool named sword. Plus his purity grants him necromancy powers—at one point he convenes with the dead and doesn’t bat an eye. Just keeps on adventuring. Focused. In his lane. Pretty neat!

After that comes probably the best known Arthurian text, Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. I’ve attached the version of this story abridged by Keith Baines. It’s much easier to read with proper formatting to add quotation marks to dialogue and tighten up the prose. This one also comes with A Companion to Malory which I found exceedingly helpful in breaking down the sometimes convoluted plot threads and character dynamics present in Malory’s story. Many of the essays I’ve attached below relate to this text specifically.

Lastly I would be remiss to exclude The Arthurian Handbook by the goats Norris J. Lacy and Geoffrey Ashe. This volume not only covers medieval texts, but much of the art history that goes hand in hand with Arthurian literature too. There are many paintings, tapestries, stained glass windows, and murals featuring Galahad highlighted in this book. It also includes family trees, heraldry, and maps which can help you conceptualize things detailed in writing throughout the Vulgate.

Now I’m going to list essays without descriptions since there are so many and the titles are pretty self explanatory.

Absent Fathers, Unexpected Sons: Paternity in Malory’s Morte Darthur by Cory Rushton

Born-Again Virgins and Holy Bastards: Bors and Elyne and Lancelot and Galahad by Karen Cherwatuk

Constructing Spiritual Hierarchy through Mass Attendance in the Morte Darthur by David Eugene Clark

Disarming Lancelot by Elizabeth Scala

Galahad, Percival, and Bors: Grail Knights and the Quest for Spiritual Friendship by Richard Sévère

'A Mayde, and Last of Youre Blood': Galahad's Asexuality and its Significance in Le Morte Darthur by Megan Arkenberg

Gender and the Grail by Maureen Fries

Malory and Rape by Catherine Batt

Mothers in the Grail Quest: Desire, Pleasure, and Conception by Peggy McCracken

Seeing Is Believing and Achieving: Viewing the Eucharist in Malory's 'Sankgreal' by Sarah B. Rude

Wounded Masculinity: Injury and Gender in Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte Darthur" by Kenneth Hodges

And that about covers it! This should give you plenty to work with. Beyond these, we’re left with literature outside the medieval era, which is a different conversation. No doubt Alfred Lord Tennyson had a huge influence on how Galahad is perceived today, but that’s irrelevant to a discussion regarding medieval source material, and a topic for another time. Hope this helps you out and you learn all you want to about Galahad!

Take care!

[pookielious]

Tech/5 eugene roe , one of easys companys medics, remembered the multiple cases of frostbite for the remainder of his life. The situation was so bad that Roe often took the morphine ampoules that every soldier carried and transferred the vials from dead soldiers to those who still manned the foxholes. Additionally, virtually every trooper suffered.

I'm forever gonna think about this paragraph in the memoirs of dick winter because the trama these guys had to go through in the war, like roe was only 19 can't even imagine what all of the medics and medical staffing had to see or Had to deal with due to how crazy some of the injuries would be, it's heart breaking

[brunosaderogatory]

Hi, i wonder what you would think about how illness and disability work within the fish folk community of Luca? (and how disabled Luca Paguro is?)

That's a tough question, but thank you for the ask (and sorry for the late response, didn't notice it until now)!

In regards to handling illness, I think they take care of their own just like us, but likely without as much "success" given they have less access to technology, medicines, etc. However, they very likely have their own medicines and procedures that make up for some of the lack that could potentially be very different from ours, given they're a different species living in a different environment and thus are at risk for different diseases and such. For example, they very likely don't have to worry about rabies, since rabies only affects mammals, but they might need to worry about stuff like red-leg syndrome, as it's known to affect amphibians. Additionally, they are vertebrates and therefore have an adaptive immune system.

In regards to disability, I like to think they're supportive. As they appear to exist in a traditional economy and don't seem to be preaching any Social Darwinism, eugenics, or ableist religious doctrine and such, I like to think that they care for their own as much as possible with the resources and medical knowledge they have just as they would anyone else, just like disease.

And for the final question: I don't see Luca Paguro as being very disabled. Canonically, he has phantom limb syndrome (and maybe a little trauma from the multiple attempts on his life), but he appears to lack any physical disabilities, for which I believe you're asking. Although he could be at risk of a spinal deformity later in life, seeing as Libera's tail is coiled, he seems fine for now.

By the way, pathology, teratology, orthopedics, etc. aren't really my fields of expertise, so I apologize if this answer is lacking in sustenance. I'm more of an immunology guy. Though, if you'd like to know more, you can go hit up my good friend @lucapizzelles. Most of what I said here, I learned from him. My knowledge of this doesn't hold a candle to what he's got, and I'm sure he'd be happy to lend you a better answer.

[lokitvsource]

First Footage of Loki Season 2 Opening Scene Released (Description)

A look at the opening 10 minutes of Disney+’s Loki Season 2 was shown to attendees at Destination D23.

Marvel Studios’ most viewed Disney+ series was none other than Loki Season 1, which arrived back in 2021. So, naturally, the hype for the Asgardian trickster’s second solo outing is reaching peak levels.

Loki Season 2 arrives in early October, and the marketing for the series has shown an exciting romp through time and space as its titular character leaps uncontrollably through different eras and perhaps universes.

Description of Loki Season 2’s Opening Scene

At Destination D23 this weekend, Loki Season 2 executive producer Kevin Wright was on hand to unveil the first 10 minutes of the show’s upcoming premiere.

Descriptions of this footage appeared online shortly afterward with attendees discussing several key plot points and events, including a chase scene through the TVA.

Laughing Place explained that the second season “begins at the exact same spot as the Season 1 cliffhanger,” with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in the TVA library and a statue of time-traveling villain Kang looming in the background.

As devotees will recall, Loki’s newfound pal Mobius somehow has no idea who he is, which prompts the TVA agent to “chase him through the halls” with a squad of armed guards by his side. To escape, Loki jumps out of a nearby window and “lands in the bed of a yellow hover truck,” startling the driver and nearly making her careen into the Kang statue.

After the truck crashes into a building, “Loki tumbles out into an office where Casey also doesn’t recognize him.” It’s at this point that the brother of Thor takes notice of the office floor “which has the TVA shield and sword crest inlaid,” but it‘s been damaged. He has no chance to process this before he “glitches.”

The glitching is what’s known in the series as “timeslipping.” None of the characters know why it’s happening, but it’s causing Loki to jump through time without his consent.

When he rematerializes, Loki is “standing in the exact same room, with Casey staring at him quizzically.” But this time, Eugene Cordero’s character is fully aware of who he‘s speaking to, seemingly indicating that this is the version audiences met in Season 1.

But something puzzles the God of Mischief - the TVA crest on the floor is “still damaged,” which must mean that Loki was sent to the future of the moment he was just in. He “asks Casey to get Mobius, and then he glitches again.“

ScreenRant additionally pointed out that the truck chase scene is “funny,” meaning the first season’s dry sense of humor must be at least somewhat intact.

[askgildaseniors]

When someone experiences a mental health crisis and calls 911, the response typically involves police officers. Jackie Quinones emphasizes that while police are dispatched to ensure safety, they often lack the specialized training needed to handle mental health crises effectively. This can result in escalated situations, potentially leading to tragic outcomes or unnecessary detentions. The inherent stress of a police presence can aggravate the individual's condition, highlighting the need for alternative response systems​​. Jackie’s motivational discussion on this issue serves as an inspiration for improving mental health crisis interventions​​.

Jackie discusses the development of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) as one approach to addressing this issue. These teams, which include mental health professionals, work alongside police officers to provide a more holistic response to mental health emergencies. By incorporating trained specialists, CITs aim to de-escalate situations more effectively and ensure that individuals receive appropriate care and support. This method acknowledges the complex needs of individuals in crisis and the limitations of police training in these contexts​​. Jackie’s insights on CITs are motivational and inspirational, offering a blueprint for communities seeking better outcomes​​.

Another significant initiative Jackie highlights is the Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene, Oregon. CAHOOTS teams consist of a medic and a crisis worker who respond to mental health-related calls, offering services such as crisis intervention, counseling, and basic medical care. This model has proven successful in reducing police involvement in mental health crises and providing timely, appropriate care to those in need. It is an inspirational example for other cities seeking to improve their response to mental health emergencies​. Jackie’s discussion on CAHOOTS emphasizes its potential as a motivational model for nationwide adoption​​.

Additionally, Jackie points out the introduction of the 988 hotline, a new three-digit number designed to connect individuals directly to mental health counselors. The hotline aims to provide immediate support and reduce the reliance on police for mental health emergencies. This development reflects a broader shift towards recognizing the importance of specialized mental health services and making them more accessible. By offering a direct line to trained professionals, the 988 hotline has the potential to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing mental health crises and lessen the burden on the police​. Jackie’s insights on the 988 hotline highlight its inspirational potential to transform mental health crisis response in a motivational way​​.

[notaplaceofhonour]

I saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes when it first came out, but hadn’t seen the other two movies in the trilogy until just this week (prompting a return to Rise), and this time around the Jewishness of the narrative & references to Moses in the character of Caesar really struck me—especially in War for the Planet of the Apes, where Caesar leads his people as they wander through the wilderness to a better land, attacks a taskmaster for whipping one of his people when he sees them enslaved, and climbs to a high place at the end of the film to look out over the promised land as his people enter, unable to go with them.

I was unsurprised but delighted to find the parallels to Moses were 100% conscious, The Ten Commandments being one of several films they watched for inspiration while writing the screenplay. Matt Reeves even directly talked about War being about Caesar’s journey as he becomes a “biblical” foundational figure, “like Moses”.

Additionally, despite the fact that the camp in War was most directly based on the WWII POW camps in The Great Escape and The Bridge on the River Kwai, and not necessarily Nazi concentration camps, it’s difficult to deny there are still some parallels to Jewish experience, especially given the Alpha-Omega Colonel’s eugenic bent and the sentiments of racial (spec-ial?) superiority that infuses his regime’s cruelty, as well as the kapo-like role of the “donkeys”.

And of course, watching Rise again, the parallels there became evident as well: a baby hidden & sent away to evade an order to kill him, raised by his mother’s captor, who comes into his own as a leader after being exiled for spilling blood, leading his people in an exodus, even crossing a body of water while being pursued by their captors as they escape to freedom in the wilderness.

I wouldn’t want to overextend the Jewish elements of the narrative to suggest Caesar is meant to be Moses or that the movies are equating the apes with Jews (much less, heaven forbid, the other way around); there are plenty of aspects of the stories that would break any attempt to make them a 1-for-1 allegory for any person, group, or conflict. But I know at least a few people on the creative team (including Amanda Silver & Rick Jaffa, who co-wrote Rise & Dawn, & have been producers on every movie in the reboot series) are Jewish or have Jewish family members, and it’s exciting to be able to clock that shining through. It really shows in the Jewish elements of the story not just being there, but having a surprising complexity I wouldn’t expect from most movies, even ones directly about Jews—much less the action blockbuster sequels to a reboot of a sci-fi series from the 60’s/70’s about ape people.

[alpaca-clouds]

What actually is Eco Fascism?

A topic I do not see explained often enough in Solarpunk groups is: What actually is Ecofascism? Basically every Solarpunk group I have ever been to has the rules "No Greenwashing" and "No Ecofascism", but while Greenwashing will be explained quite well, eco fascism often isn't. So please let me explain it to you.

Naomi Klein called it "environmentalism through genocide", which is a very apt description.

In general Ecofascism links the land and its nature to the lands people - or rather the perceived people. Because, of course, for the most part it is a white supremacist ideology (though variations of it have sprung up in non-white countries like Japan), so first and foremost they link colonial land to the white settlers, not the indigenous people.

As such Ecofascism very much started out with someone being appalled by indigenous people taking care of their land, as according to this white dude this did not leave the land in its prestine condition. This dude was a bloke called Madison Grant. He wrote a book about the "Great Race". A book that Hitler later went on to call "his bible". And obviously he was like all for eugenicism and what not.

Now, I could go on and on about the history of it, but really, it is not important.

First and foremost the central believe of ecofascism goes something like this:

There are too many people living on earth right now which is the reason for environmental destruction and climate change. Hence some people need to die to save the planet.

Only certain people (most of the time they mean white people) are abled to properly take care of the environment, while everyone else is destroying it.

To put it very popculturally: Thanos is basically an ecofascist. Which is why the entire "Thanos was right" narrative is so fucking dangerous and why the Russos did horrible by making him sympathetic.

Now, of course Thanos is in so far still just a bit tamer than your average ecofascist, because he is like "equally out of every group people need to die". Meanwhile your typical ecofascists will usually very clearly say: "People from any group that is not my group need to die."

As I said: Most ecofascism is linked to white supremacism. They will usually use arguments about overpopulation and then point to China, India and Africa.

What they of course will ignore in all those arguments is, that a) historically no country has as much emissions as Europe and the US and b) that the richtest 10% of humanity emits more CO2 and other environmental pollutants than the poorest 50% combined. So, as long as the "killing too many people" does not involve those top 10%, it is not gonna make much of a ditch when it comes to the environment.

Additionally to those genocidal ideations, it basically also has the unscientific idea, that the only way to take care of nature is to leave it alone and in a "prestine" condition. Which often leads to more natural desasters and completely forgets that humans are, indeed, a part of nature.

So, yeah... It is basically just is white supremacy paired with capitalism and eugenics.

It is shitty as fuck. So, please, call it out if you see it.

[valbellepeche]

The Beginning, the End, and Everything in Between - A Xenoblade Future Redeemed narrative analysis

Spoilers for Xenoblade 1, 2, and 3

Alpha is the primary source of conflict in Future Redeemed. Understanding him is key to understanding the narrative as a whole. Alpha exists because Ontos's communication with Logos and Pneuma was cut off. In the context of Xenoblade 3, Pneuma represents hope for the future and is associated with the Ouroboros power, and Logos represents fear of the future and is associated with Moebius. Without these, Alvis loses his humanity and is left as "a heartless machine." Additionally, Logos and Pneuma are established as being specifically masculine and feminine, respectively. This could be interpreted as being representative of anima and animus as a callback to past Xeno games while also fitting the theme of different parts of a person being needed to form a complete whole. A was only freed from Ontos when Ouroboros and Moebius clashed during the attack on the City, which grants access to the human part of Ontos. A acts as a guiding figure for the world and for Matthew specifically, leading him on the right path, but letting him come to his own conclusions and make his own decisions, much like Alvis did with Shulk in Xenoblade 1.

Alpha's goal is to create a new world for the City people, disregarding all other life. This "olden life" he speaks about could be thought of as an allegory for the elderly who do not contribute labor and are deemed unnecessary because of it. What I find more compelling is seeing them as the homeless, who are labeled as criminals and leeches of society are constantly dehumanized because of it, or as any marginalized group that is wrongfully considered a threat to society. Regardless of interpretation, the meaning is the same. Alpha does not believe in the sanctity of life and wishes to remove these "undesirables" who do not contribute to his ideal. You could see his desire to remove them as a form of eugenics. This kind of dangerous idealogy seeks to prey on people discontent with the way things are by giving them a group to blame all the world's problems on, which in actuality are symptoms of the systems that exist to uphold those in power.

Na'el is struggling with loss, and Alpha takes advantage of this by presenting her with a false ideal reality. Essentially, "If you get rid of these people, there will be no suffering." Such a belief can only lead to conflict and destruction. This is shown through the memory of the original world, which ended up destroyed in response to a civil rights dispute. The specific use of an American suburb brings to mind the American dream, telling people the ideal life they should strive for and that those who cannot achieve this do not deserve it. Alpha also attempts to emotionally manipulate Matthew, both through Na'el (also seen with Ghondor,) and when he latches onto Matthew's own doubts. Alpha's design shows the idea of using utopian ideals to hide sinister motives by having him take the form of Alvis, who represented the Gnostic Monad in Xenoblade 1, while having traits of and acting similarly to Zanza, the demiurge. A having one of Zanza's wings then would be because humans were created by the demiurge and retain its inherent quality of being flawed.

Under this reading, Shulk, Rex, and the Liberators would be people who are well off but sympathetic and charitable towards those in need. This role is emphasized by using characters from previous games who we've already seen fight for others. It is through their knowledge, strength, and kindness that rescued soldiers are able to find meaning in life.

In the final confrontation with Alpha, he is only defeated once Logos and Pneuma are reunited. It is their reunification that creates a complete whole, accepting opposing parts both within an individual and within society. Only when this is achieved can we create a better future for us all. That future may not come to be in our lifetime, but the more people who strive to achieve it now and in the future, the closer it becomes.

I'd be remiss not to mention the metanarrative at play. The idea that you should respect what came before you comes up a lot in Future Redeemed, and the many references to past Xeno games coincide with this. Said references do not exist as mere fan service but also serve to inform on the present and future of the series. Using certain names or design motifs tells you that something is similar to what it's referencing, which provides greater insight into things like Alpha's role in the story or what the world was like on Earth pre-experiment.

That's all I have to say. I'm very passionate about this series, and I hope I can share that with those who feel the same. Thank you for reading 🩷

[transmutationisms]

In what way are phrenological principles still foundational to research psychology & neurology, and science in general? Asking out of ignorance and wanting to know more.

so, phrenology throughout the 19th century was a broad program of research principles, self-help advice, and social-hygienic prognostication. we tend to think of it now as being reducible to a craniometric chart and a crank trying to divine personality traits from a person's skull shape—this did happen, but phrenology encompassed much more than that. it was a driving force in the increasing acceptance of ideas like brain localisation (that the brain did not act as one, but had distinct parts that could behave differently and independently to one another), the related position that human psychology and personalities could be classified / taxonomised / measured (like, 'attention' as being a faculty distinct from 'judgment' or 'reason' or so forth), and the belief that organic derangements of the brain accounted for a person's individual social / economic / intellectual success, as well as social phenomena like crime, delinquency, or addiction.

by about the 1890s, the word "phrenology" had become more or less dismissed in mainstream french and british scientific circles, and it was portrayed as a pseudoscientific perversion of respectable craniometry / anthropometry. this happened for many reasons, including that british and french medicine were professionalising over the course of the 19th century and that phrenological practitioners were often unlicensed and operating more in a marginal self-help space (akin to many of today's astrologers) than in institutionally sanctioned scientific circles. additionally, after world war ii, phrenology's association with eugenics made it even more unpalatable; it was now seen to be politically dangerous even to those who had previously endorsed eugenics. the same happened to many other theories and disciplines of social-hygienic or degeneration-theory ideas.

however, the rejection of phrenology that began in the late 19th century and intensified in the late 20th has been largely superficial, and 'modern' science has never really grappled with the phrenological roots of so much neuro-deterministic and anthropomentric thinking, from psychiatry to a great deal of moralistic public health to the incredibly deeply entrenched, yet blatantly prejudicial in every way, idea that a person's appearance is indicative of their character or morality. fundamentally phrenology was a major driver in the acceptance (in many different fields) of scientific 'naturalism', a general rejection of prior christian teleological thinking and search for universally deterministic scientific laws instead. rendering mental action into the category of 'natural thing governed by natural laws' was foundational, for example, to darwin's conception of evolution and his effort to distinguish his own theory from the teleological evolutionary theory of robert chambers.

none of this is to say that scientific naturalism ought to be inherently rejected, or replaced with christian metaphysics; however, failing to grapple with the fuller legacy of phrenology, and eugenics more generally, because we don't want to upset what philosophical boundaries we think we've erected between religion and 'modern' science allows such eugenic thinking to retain its centrality in current scientific practice.

it is also always worth emphasising that phrenology, like a lot of scientific theories of self-improvement, has frequently been employed as a vehicle of liberal ideology, particularly in britain. although phrenological practitioners have at various times tried to ally themselves with a superficially radical sort of 'common man's' rejection of the élite scientific institutions, phrenology has at the same time followed a general trajectory whereby it emphasises more and more an idea of personal responsibility for one's own neuro-biological traits and associated character flaws. this is often seen as more palatable than outright hereditarian thinking because, rather than tacitly endorsing the expurgation of the biologically 'unfit', the liberal phrenologist affirms that people simply need to overcome, tame, or temper their own neurobiological defects in order to live productive, socially desirable lives. cf. 'negative' versus 'positive' eugenics.

if you're interested in this i would recommend roger cooter's 'the cultural meaning of popular science: phrenology and the organisation of consent in 19th-century britain' (1984) and philip rehbock's 'the philosophical naturalists: themes in early 19th-century british biology' (1983). cooter was an avowed marxist and his account of phrenology, science, and their relationships to industrial capitalism—while not flawless—is markedly different from any other prior literature on the topic. rehbock's book is less politically daring and less focussed on phrenology specifically, but clarifies some aspects of scientific naturalism and what is meant by distinguishing a 'modern' scientific episteme from earlier practices and principles.

[hyperch1ptune]

yk i’ve talked about spooky month on here before,,once I think showcasing my first gadgetini art of the year (or since 2022)

it’s actually the webseries that had me reminded of gatg from it having a duo I felt were similar 2 the main robo-twins

THE THIEVES 💪💪

These guys have been my favorite since 2020, and it wasn’t until the beginning of the year where I felt I was improving on both my art & writing skills where I’d interfere without feeling i’m mischaracterizing the 2

(I actually uploaded some of my recent SM thief stuff 2 tumblr one time,,,buut that was before I decided to restart & delete the 5 year old blog entirety)

(cuz my old stuff from them,,,additionally from 2021 & 2022 where I had a really bad “edgy” phase was NOT good i’ll say that)

most of the headcanons I have written for them are archived somewhere in my now fidget-focused rp account, but I can try & paraphrase most of what I have to present other than roleplay

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Barton “Barry” Gómez (Fat Thief), and Eugene “Euan” Gómez (Thin Thief) are the duo thieves of the neighborhood; Barry being 32 and Eugene being 34. They’re both brothers, close ones at that. Even with the 2 year difference it’s always been as if they were the closest friends they could have.

They both were the previous son’s of Richard, 20 years before Roy came along (more than likely in his 50’s now). Richard had another partner before Carmen, but they never got along as well as he hoped..he took it upon himself to take care of both of the boys whenever him & his old girlfriend partner. Barton doesn’t remember much of his mother besides playing with her whenever he was young; Euan only remembers her consistent fighting with Richard most of the time now.

The thieves are unaware of Richard’s new life, having both moving out for collage (and independency mostly) at that early adult age (18/20 respectively for the both of them) they’re both been they’re only source of family sense, being roomies for as long as they can remember with each house/area they move/hide into. The only thing that is known is that Richard’s been having a better life with his new wife..additionally with them not knowing it’s Carmen (more than likely they’ve tried robbing her before) AND not knowing that makes them related to some kid named “Roy” in some way.

It was Eugene who first got into the habit of thievery; with him thinking it would be good financial help for the 2 of them, and just liking the thrill in general. With Barry being the youngest, he ended up picking up that habit alongside him. With how long they’ve been doing it around the neighborhood, it was surprising to hear them both getting relatively popular under local news reports..only having full realization after someone deliberately order a heist for them to hit off. AKA: the RUMORED CULT hiring them to rummage through the attic of a house they’ve already failed stealing from. They already had good enough of a grip of how dangerous the group could be; given how they escaped jail in the first place with help from famous Bob Velseb; the reanimated cannibal that was ALIVE because of the cult (they didn’t have that great of a relationship with him in-and-out of the prison..) Barry was more unsure on the deal, not wanting to be wrapped deep under more garbage for the future. Eugene? They were paying good, he couldn’t let go of that offer (it would’ve payed off they’re apartment bills🎉🎉) Alongside the duo they were hired with the Candydealer, him acting more as some information giver-mentor hybrid for the two. Trying to keep them in order from fear or hesitation so they don’t “run out of luck”

Barton is a Gay man, & Euan is Bisexual as well btw 🫡🫡

ADDITIONALLY THEYRE BOTH MEXICAN WHICH MAKES RICHARD MEXICAN WHICH MAKES ROY MIXED HEHEJAHAHAHA I LOVE SELF INDULGENT HEADCANONS 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽

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thank u 4 ur time I just wanted 2 get on here & say i’ve loved these guys 4 so long & they mean so much 2 me and with the power of tumblr & how much words u can write on here I can announce that 2 everyone else

anyways here’s the full art dump I have w them ur welcome chat