Poll: Steampunk or cyberpunk?

[DazBurger]

I love the art styles of Steampunk... And the Victorian-era clothing!

 

[Mr. Mortiss]

Dieselpunk. It exists.

I'm with this guy.

 

[spartandude]

steampunk, but only because its closest to may personal favourate- Spaceage ClockWork

 

[RavenDrake]

I'm taking this opportunity to vent, so yeah...

I take exceptions to steampunk and its followups for one thing... they're almost always a purely visual aesthetic.

Cyberpunk got it's name from combining the futuristic science fiction element with the conceits of the Punk movement (power of youth, mistrust of authority and anti-establishment mentality, unrestrained freedom of expression and thought versus corporate and government mandates, etc). It was that use of science fiction to play allegory with society that gave it an edge as a sub-genre.

Steampunk, Dieselpunk, and the others almost always lose out on the PUNK aspect... they stick gears and vents and a monocle on it and say "Look, Steampunk". Worst offenders are the ones that have no business trying to separate themselves into their own little private genre islands... "I'm all about bio-engineering and genetic manipulation, I'm biopunk!" "I'm all about gears and springs and difference engines, I'm Clockpunk".

You're barely a sub-sub-sub genre, you don't need to be split off that far, it's not necessary. And it's pointless to tack "Punk" on the end of your name if you're riding on the coattails of sub-genre's that don't even do the "punk" aspect right to begin with.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Based on a quick Google Image search, I'm gonna have to say "Steam Punk".

Bioshock, ftw!

I'm going to go kill myself for using the phrase "ftw", now. Goodbye.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I'm more a steampunk kind of guy. Then again, I enjoy the fashion.

 

[micky]

Steam punk. There's something about overcomplicated arrays of cogs and pipes that really appeals to me on the asthetic level. Plus, many things designed with steampunk are made to look... pretty. As if technology is treated like an art. I don't know if I can explain it right.

i completely agree it, i like the look of bronze cogs spinning with cool designs.

 

[mr_rubino]

I like Steampunk better. It's more of "what we could have been" instead of "what we can be in the future maybe."

Well cyberpunk is usually post-apocalyptic and/or under worldwide dictatorship, so perhaps cyberpunk future isn't something to look forward to. =P

EDIT: Thank you, now I have an urge to go play Arcanum again...

 

[faceless chick]

whichever includes trigun. i'm there.

 

[drisky]

That's a choice between my two favorite table top things, Warmachine (steampunk and miniatures) and Shadowrun (cyberpunk and roleplaying).
I'm going to have to give it to steampunk for having an overall cooler aesthetic.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

I like punk punk

 

[Naheal]

Spellpunk. It can flit between steampunk and cyberpunk, but has the main addition of magic to the mix.

Examples would be FMA and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

Steampunk can be cool, but Cyberpunk is definitely cooler.

 

[Nohwear]

Steam punk. There's something about overcomplicated arrays of cogs and pipes that really appeals to me on the asthetic level. Plus, many things designed with steampunk are made to look... pretty. As if technology is treated like an art. I don't know if I can explain it right.

It is a common motif of that era, maybe all eras of humanity. When technology is expensive and hard to come by there is a desire to also make it a work of art. Just look at early pistols.

 

[Naheal]

I like Steampunk better. It's more of "what we could have been" instead of "what we can be in the future maybe."

Well cyberpunk is usually post-apocalyptic and/or under worldwide dictatorship, so perhaps cyberpunk future isn't something to look forward to. =P

EDIT: Thank you, now I have an urge to go play Arcanum again...

The low life aspect of Cyberpunk is almost a requirement. High tech, low life. If you see a setting where life's not so bad (GitS:SAC), you're dealing with post cyberpunk.

 

[clockout]

Steampunk means that we have to save Samla hayek from giant metal spiders, and i'm down with that.

 

[Nohwear]

It seems that people are forgetting that Shadowrunner is not a good example of "true" cyberpunk because it has magic. Dark near-future and modern with magic is shadowpunk.

 

[Quaxar]

Steampunk because... well, it has sexy stuff like this beauty!
http://www.designtavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/steampunk-guitar-11.jpg

 

[Neurowaste]

Went for Cyberpunk as I love stuff like System Shock and Deus Ex (And obviously Ghost in the Shell) but I do love the steam-punk style as well.

This just summed up my views, thanks! Cyberpunk has always had a hold on me because i grew up watching Blade Runner but Steampunk is just too damn cool to pass up, I'm reading Boneshaker by Cherie Priest and it's the best alt history/steampunk/zombie book i've read to date, and if that combination sounds ridiculously tacky, it surprisingly isn't.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Steampunk has some visual qualities that appeal to me, but overall I'd go with Cyberpunk any day.