Dieselpunk

Synonyms:	diesel-punk
See also:	cyberpunk, retrofuturism, science fiction, steampunk
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Dieselpunk is a retrofuturistic subgenre of science fiction similar to steampunk or cyberpunk that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern sensibilities.

Origin

Coined in 2001 by game designer Lewis Pollak to describe his tabletop role-playing game Children of the Sun, the term has since been applied to a variety of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering.

The name "dieselpunk" is a derivative of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk, and represents the time period from World War I until the 1950s, when diesel-based locomotion was the main technological focus of Western culture. The "-‍punk" suffix attached to the name is representative of the counterculture nature of the genre with regard to its opposition to contemporary aesthetics. The term also refers to the tongue-in-cheek name given to a similar cyberpunk derivative, "steampunk," which focuses on science fiction based on industrial steam power and which is often set within the Victorian era.

Dieselpunk Canons

Though not perhaps as well known as its sibling genres steampunk and cyberpunk, dieselpunk sensibilities and aesthetics have nevertheless inspired a wide range of media from films to television and games. Though the term was only coined in 2001, it has been applied retroactively to canons that combine elements of art deco, jazz age, or World War I and II iconography with a more futuristic setting or advanced technology.

• Children of the Sun, a tabletop RPG whose creator coined the term "dieselpunk"
• Avatar: The Legend of Korra has been described as dieselpunk by a number of fans due to its use of the 1930s and 40s aesthetic and technology, later in its show run. Some have also applied the term steampunk to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which although it does not feature technology heavily, includes some examples of steam-powered technology.
• Final Fantasy VII
• BioShock (also described as retro-futuristic biopunk)
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (also described as post-apocalyptic steampunk)
• Porco Rosso
• Iron Sky
• The Rocketeer
• Captain America: The First Avenger has been said to have a "dieselpunk quality" to its imagery
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow a example of "Ottensian" (pre-WWII) dieselpunk