Nanopunk refers to an emerging subgenre of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

that is still very much in its infancy in comparison to its ancestor-genre,

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and c ...

, and some of its other derivatives. The genre is especially similar to

biopunk Biopunk (a portmanteau of "biotechnology" or "biology" and "punk") is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on biotechnology. It is derived from cyberpunk, but focuses on the implications of biotechnology rather than mechanical cyberware and ...

, but describes a world where

nanites A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...

and bio-nanotechnologies are widely in use and

nanotechnologies Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

are the predominant technological forces in society. Currently the genre is mainly concerned with the artistic, psychological, and societal impact of nanotechnology, rather than aspects of the technology which itself is still in its infancy. Unlike cyberpunk, which can be distinguished by a gritty and low-life yet technologically advanced character, nanopunk can have a darker dystopian character that might examine potential risks by nanotechnology as well as a more optimistic outlook that might emphasize potential uses of nanotechnology.

Comics

*''

Scooby Apocalypse ''Scooby Apocalypse'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics, which began in May 2016. It re-imagines the characters from the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, particularly the 1969 TV series ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', setting them in ...

'' (2016–2019) reveals early on that a nanite virus originating from Velma's 'Elysium Project' experiment is the reason behind people becoming monsters.

Literature

* Kathleen Ann Goonan (''Queen City Jazz'' – 1997) and Linda Nagata were some of the earliest writers to feature nanotech as the primary element in their work. *Another example of this genre is Neal Stephenson's ''

The Diamond Age ''The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, set in a future world in ...

''. Some novels of

Stanislaw Lem Stanislav and variants may refer to: People *Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.) Places * Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine * Stanislaus County, Cali ...

, including ''Weapon System of the Twenty First Century or The Upside-down Evolution'', ''

The Invincible ''The Invincible'' ( pl, Niezwyciężony) is a hard science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem, published in 1964. In 2019, Rafał Mikołajczyk published the comic book ''Niezwyciężony'' 'The Invincible'' . Reviewers note the fait ...

'' and '' Peace on Earth'' as well as

Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict ('' Forge of God'' books), parallel universes ('' The Way'' series), c ...

's '' Blood Music'' could also be considered precursors of nanopunk. *Another example is the Michael Crichton novel ''

Prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

'' (2002). Another of Crichton's novels, '' Micro'' (2011), could also be an example, but it focuses more on the idea of size-manipulation/shrinking of objects rather than nanotechnology. More recently, Nathan McGrath's ''Nanopunk'' (2013) is set in an icebound near-future where almost half the world's population has been wiped out. Alister, a child when "The Big Freeze" began is now a teenager in a society slowly finding its feet. Unaware of his nano-infection he sets out to find his lost sister and is joined by Suzie, a militant cyber-activist. Their hacking attracts the attention of Secret Services and a ruthless private military corporation and their search becomes a deadly race for survival. *Linda Nagata's ''Tech Heaven'' (1995) is a futuristic thriller about Katie, a woman whose husband is about to die of injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. Instead of dying, he gets his body

cryogenically In physics, cryogenics is the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures. The 13th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration (held in Washington DC in 1971) endorsed a universal definition of “cryogenics” and “cr ...

preserved so that he can be reawakened when med-tech is advanced enough to heal him. The problem is that it winds up taking far more than the estimated few years for this to happen. *

Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...

' '' Chasm City'' could also be considered nanopunk.

Film and television

Film

* ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' (1989 film) * ''Osmosis Jones'' (2001 film) * ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (2008 film) * ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' (2009 film) * ''Transcendence (''2014 film) * ''Ant-Man'' (2015 film)

Television

* ''The Magic School Bus'' (1994-1997) *''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

,'' Treehouse of Horror VII, "The Genesis Tub" (1996) *'' Futurama,'' Parasites Lost (2001) *'' Doctor Who,'' The Doctor Dances (2005) * ''

Generator Rex ''Generator Rex'' is an American animated science fiction television series created by Man of Action for Cartoon Network, with John Fang of Cartoon Network Studios serving as supervising director. It was inspired by the comic '' M. Rex'', publish ...

'' (2010–2013) * '' Big Hero 6: The Series'' (2018–2021) * ''

Altered Carbon ''Altered Carbon'' is a 2002 cyberpunk novel by the English writer Richard K. Morgan. Set in a future in which interstellar travel and relative immortality is facilitated by transferring consciousnesses between bodies ("sleeves"), it follows t ...

'' (2018–2020)

Video games

* ''

Anarchy Online ''Anarchy Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) published and developed by Norwegian video game development company Funcom. Released in June 2001, the game was the first in the genre to include a science-fiction ...

'' (2001) * ''

Crysis ''Crysis'' is a first-person shooter video game series created by Crytek. The series revolves around a group of military protagonists with " nanosuits", technologically advanced suits of armor that give them enhanced physical strength, speed, ...

'' (2007–2013) * ''

Deus Ex ''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...

'' (2000) * ''Metal Gear Solid'' series * '' Supreme Ruler 2020'' (2008) * ''

Red Faction ''Red Faction'' is a series of shooter video games developed by Volition and owned by Koch Media. Originating in 2001, the ''Red Faction'' games have spanned Microsoft Windows, macOS and consoles, including the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, P ...

'' (2001)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Punk Cyberpunk subgenres Postcyberpunk Biopunk * Transhumanism 2000s neologisms