Eastercon Diary Easter Saturday 15th April 2017 Punk

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A fascinating science fiction panel item discussing the various SF sub-genres carrying the suffix ‘punk’. Participants included Ren Warren, David Wake, Theresa Derwin, Dr Anna McFarlane (who was moderating) and Penny Reeve of Angry Robot press. William Gibson’s Cyberpunk study Neuromancer came out, it proved to be the first major work to explore the future implications of the microchip revolution. It pictures a near-future dystopia where we can literally plug our minds into a computer like we attach a mouse or a flash drive, and our thoughts can be hacked by cyber-pirates, etc. Before Gibson, computers in SF were often getting a big as mountains. Few writers anticipated the home computer and cell-phone revolution. Gibson accompanied by Neal Stephenson, then created Steampunk, in their alternate history of Victoriana, The Difference Engine. This sparked a fashion trend and a whole new cosplay culture a well a a new literature. To all this there has been added Diesel-punk, transistor-punk, and many more variations. Some of the panellists felt that steampunk alone retains a true defiant political edginess. We were also reminded that true punk, as created by Malcolm McClaren was really just a cynical commercial venture for promoting his lover (Vivienne Westwood) and her clothing shops. Thoughtful, and thought provoking. Arthur Chappell.