Weedpunk

Weedpunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1960s and early 1970s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where weed is widely used as a power source—usually the 21st century, and often set in urban America—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, including fictional technological inventions such as DARE robots, or real societal developments like the weed bar occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of Weedpunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as weed powered vehicles or computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.

Weedpunk is often associated with an oppressive government and features underlying themes of rebellion. Unlike the other punk genres, Weedpunk developed almost completely separately from Cyberpunk et al. While Steampunk focuses on steam power and Biopunk has a strong focus on advanced biological technology, the Weedpunk genre has interconnecting themes such as the use of weed smoke and bong water to power machines. Weedpunk is generally thought to be dystopian, however many elements of Weedpunk stories contain elements of hope such as laughing at topics most people would consider frightful and having periods of deep introspection.

Origin
Evidence of weed usage has been dated as early as 2700 B.C. in China, and not long after that the Weedpunk genre was born. Although the movement as we know it today was not started until the 1960's at the height of the drug's popularity, artifacts with Weedpunk references can be found as earlier as 1922.

Blowin' in the Wind
How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man? Yes and how many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand? Yes and how many times must the cannonballs fly before they're forever banned? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.
-- Bob Dylan.

The preceding quotation is commonly believed to be a reference to a Weedpunk society where giant weed machines blow weed smoke into the air for all to breathe. Parallels can be drawn between this reference to a Weedpunk world and the common Weedpunk stories of today. Bob Dylan espouses themes of anti-authoritative questioning, introspection, thinking everyone is your friend, and being high 24 hours a day by breathing in a weed-saturated atmosphere produced by artificial means.

Another early weedpunk author was Philip K. Dick, most notably in his short story The Days of Perky Pat. Soon after, Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson wrote ' which were three of the more popular early Weedpunk novels.

Present day Weedpunk stories are often written as essays of an individual living in a Weedpunk universe and writing about his observations and beliefs. Carol Moore's recent Weedpunk short story is a famous example of writing in this style and using quotations from fictional literature to create an alternative history as the basis of the story. Other authors employ similar styles, such as writing in a blog style and revealing key plot points on different dates in the near future.

Weedpunk Themes
Common themes inherent in Weedpunk literature include:

*Weed as a form of currency
*Weed powered vehicles
*Clothes made of weed
*A large central weed machine, blowing weed smoke into the air creating a permanent "Cannabis Winter" effect
*Laughing at things that most people fear
*Themes of loss or forgetfulness
*Deep introspection
*World hunger
*A common array of heroes who were prominent during the drug culture such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Daniel Geduld.
*Weed bars - areas of relative safety for rebellious weed smokers, due to the fact that the establishments are protected by contracts which must be signed by all entrants which has a "no law enforcement" clause

Weedpunk as an object style

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual craftpersons into a mechanical "Weedpunk" style. Example objects include computer keyboards and electric guitars. The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as iron, weed, and brass) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the drug culture.

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