Wow, Jamie, I am SO SORRY I missed this comment. First and foremost, THANK YOU FOR taking the time as it means so much to me. Second, HOLY SMOKES! That sounds awesome. As you are probably aware, horror Westerns are a huge influence. It's that amalgamation of the unexpected that creates something magical. Thanks so much for sharing. ON IT!
A thought on Samuraipunk (from someone who worked on a game called Katanapunk that ended up vaporware): I think it very much does exist. "Blade of the Immortal" definitely has that vibe in places. "Samurai Champloo" as well, at least in my opinion. Give me more of that.
Something to keep in mind is that the -punk aspect is usually some sort of subversion, a movement against the status quo. OG punk was a reactionary movement against overblown progressive rock and consumer culture (there's a reason why punks shopped at thrift stores and wore clothes held together with tape and safety pins). There should be some sort of counter culture aesthetic to really make it work. -punk moves against the mainstream, against the status quo.
I think that's something that's been lost a bit with -punk being used as an suffix for all sorts of things that, well, aren't. I think creators also need to look at the cost of what happens when you move against the mainstream. Operating without a net carries its own risks.
Of course, but I don't think that's where the original short story "Cyberpunk" necessarily evolved from. It felt like Bethke was using the term "punk" as in "you, little punk". I practically expected the father to say it every time he knocked on his son's bedroom door. Of course, the element of rebellion is there -- the fight against "the system" (which to teens are their parental units). This is the "punk" I think most "cyberpunk" or "-punk" authors gravitate toward whether they realize it, or not. That's why all the attitude, but not necessarily the manifesto of OG punk. As for samuraipunk, it will probably follow in those very footsteps, however, there is the element of the samurai bucking the warrior class system to take on four clans in the name of revenge. It's all in how the reader wants to read it. Personally, I'm more interested in making my work about adventure, action and friendship.
Carl! Much obliged for your kind comment. I really look forward to this journey as well. You have tapped directly into my thoughts, I believe. Always feel free to share your thoughts -- I'm listening! =D
Thanks. I mean we have the so-called "street samurai" of cyberpunk games and fiction, but that, as you realize, is not the same. Literal samurai in the future. What would they be? What could they be? What would like look like, especially after an apocalypse? I hope to touch people's imaginations with this. Thanks kindly for tuning in.
Love the mashup of samuraipunk and feel combining different genres offers some of the most original fantasy and sci-fi worlds.
I've done something similar with my horror western world that has been partially inspired by Japanese mythology called Tales Of The Frontier.
It features regular short stories and world-building that might interest you.
https://talesofthefrontier.substack.com/
Wow, Jamie, I am SO SORRY I missed this comment. First and foremost, THANK YOU FOR taking the time as it means so much to me. Second, HOLY SMOKES! That sounds awesome. As you are probably aware, horror Westerns are a huge influence. It's that amalgamation of the unexpected that creates something magical. Thanks so much for sharing. ON IT!
A thought on Samuraipunk (from someone who worked on a game called Katanapunk that ended up vaporware): I think it very much does exist. "Blade of the Immortal" definitely has that vibe in places. "Samurai Champloo" as well, at least in my opinion. Give me more of that.
Something to keep in mind is that the -punk aspect is usually some sort of subversion, a movement against the status quo. OG punk was a reactionary movement against overblown progressive rock and consumer culture (there's a reason why punks shopped at thrift stores and wore clothes held together with tape and safety pins). There should be some sort of counter culture aesthetic to really make it work. -punk moves against the mainstream, against the status quo.
I think that's something that's been lost a bit with -punk being used as an suffix for all sorts of things that, well, aren't. I think creators also need to look at the cost of what happens when you move against the mainstream. Operating without a net carries its own risks.
Of course, but I don't think that's where the original short story "Cyberpunk" necessarily evolved from. It felt like Bethke was using the term "punk" as in "you, little punk". I practically expected the father to say it every time he knocked on his son's bedroom door. Of course, the element of rebellion is there -- the fight against "the system" (which to teens are their parental units). This is the "punk" I think most "cyberpunk" or "-punk" authors gravitate toward whether they realize it, or not. That's why all the attitude, but not necessarily the manifesto of OG punk. As for samuraipunk, it will probably follow in those very footsteps, however, there is the element of the samurai bucking the warrior class system to take on four clans in the name of revenge. It's all in how the reader wants to read it. Personally, I'm more interested in making my work about adventure, action and friendship.
I see a lot of potential in samuraipunk as a genre. The aesthetic alone is very powerful but there is more than only that.
The creatures of asian myths made real as mutated humans or mechanical monsters.
The stories of ronin and shinobi, now given modern/futuristic tools.
And the dynamic between a samurai and their lord enhanced by the dynamic between man and maschine, especially when man becomes more like a maschine.
I will be sure to put this genre to memory, cause this is one idea I don't want to forget.
Carl! Much obliged for your kind comment. I really look forward to this journey as well. You have tapped directly into my thoughts, I believe. Always feel free to share your thoughts -- I'm listening! =D
Thanks. I mean we have the so-called "street samurai" of cyberpunk games and fiction, but that, as you realize, is not the same. Literal samurai in the future. What would they be? What could they be? What would like look like, especially after an apocalypse? I hope to touch people's imaginations with this. Thanks kindly for tuning in.