Solarpunk

it is an artistic and literary movement, has emerged as a counterpart to the dystopian world of Cyberpunk, presenting the idea that a peaceful, harmonious society may be within reach. With the climate crisis escalating, Solarpunk offers a vision of sustainable living, balancing nature and community.

• About Solarpunk: A literary and art movement rooted in science fiction, exploring what a sustainable civilisation may look like and how to achieve it.

o Traced back to a 2008 blog post titled From Steampunk to Solarpunk, inspired by the hybrid cargo ship Beluga Skysail’s maiden voyage, which achieved 20% fuel savings using renewable energy.

• Core Elements & Ideology: Best captured in a 2014 manifesto by Arizona State University’s Project Hieroglyph, founded by Neal Stephenson.

• Inspired by: Jefferson’s yeoman farmer ideal, Gandhi’s Swadeshi and Salt March, and Traditions of innovative dissent.
• Key themes: Ingenuity, generativity, independence, and community

o Repurposing infrastructure and leveraging jugaad-style innovation

• Relation to Cyberpunk & Other Subgenres:

o Cyberpunk (1980s) originated from Bruce Bethke’s short story "Cyberpunk", combining cybernetics and punk.

o Cyberpunk portrays a dystopian "low-life, high-tech" society with late-stage capitalism, inequality, neon-lit cities, high-tech weapons, and crime.

o Other offshoots include Steampunk, Biopunk, Dieselpunk, and Solarpunk.

• Solarpunk vs. Cyberpunk:

o Optimistic counterfoil to Cyberpunk, focusing on - Green tech systems, Sustainable development, Anti-speciesism, Multicultural coexistence, and Actionable solutions for a secure future.

o Project Hieroglyph’s manifesto calls this "infrastructure as resistance", aimed at improving life today and for future generations.