This might need to be moved, but I felt it was at least partially relevant here:
I couldn't sleep last night and I got to thinking about all the "-punk" suffix subgenres of alternate history, (or fantasy, as you like it). There is bronzepunk, clockpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, etc. but I've never heard of anyone imagining a world in which the culture and society of the mid-20th century Cold War-era is given a widespread boost with earlier, more primitive version of the technology we had in the 1980's-1990's.
Cold War punk? Coldpunk?
For example, a 1950's-1960's with earlier and more widespread computers, video games, internet, etc.
The POD would have to be in the 30's at the latest and would have to not actively effect the course of history until the middle to the end of the Second World War, but the idea is to have at least a primitive form of the internet, video games (as primitive or as advanced as you like but it has to be partially realistic, i.e. Arcade games), music downloads, satellite radio, personal computers, chordless phones, etc.
Earlier and cheaper televisions and household computers followed by an earlier (possibly joint Soviet-American) Space Program? I would guess the tech boost finally occurs in the late forties and it takes until the late fifties for it to be eighties level, leading to a sixties with internet and music downloads.
I'm not a technophile by any means and have little to no idea what would entail something like this but:
A. Is anyone interested in fleshing this out with me?
B. Is this at all feasible and how?
and
C. Does this already exist and I just don't know about it?
I was envisioning rock and roll being the first to latch on to the new medium and the fates of the two are tied. Waiters in a Soda shop talking on their Nochord phones, kicking an archaic 3D cine-game of "The Angry Red Planet" while kids run off with the 3D glasses required to play it. Radio stations emitted by satellite fear obsolescence as The Beatles release Revolver (with an adventure game for an extra dollar) for download to your HJB (Home Jukebox) via your Cablephone line. Operators are standing by, kids...
That kind of stuff.
If I get positive responses and a little help from my friends I'll write something.
I couldn't sleep last night and I got to thinking about all the "-punk" suffix subgenres of alternate history, (or fantasy, as you like it). There is bronzepunk, clockpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, etc. but I've never heard of anyone imagining a world in which the culture and society of the mid-20th century Cold War-era is given a widespread boost with earlier, more primitive version of the technology we had in the 1980's-1990's.
Cold War punk? Coldpunk?
For example, a 1950's-1960's with earlier and more widespread computers, video games, internet, etc.
The POD would have to be in the 30's at the latest and would have to not actively effect the course of history until the middle to the end of the Second World War, but the idea is to have at least a primitive form of the internet, video games (as primitive or as advanced as you like but it has to be partially realistic, i.e. Arcade games), music downloads, satellite radio, personal computers, chordless phones, etc.
Earlier and cheaper televisions and household computers followed by an earlier (possibly joint Soviet-American) Space Program? I would guess the tech boost finally occurs in the late forties and it takes until the late fifties for it to be eighties level, leading to a sixties with internet and music downloads.
I'm not a technophile by any means and have little to no idea what would entail something like this but:
A. Is anyone interested in fleshing this out with me?
B. Is this at all feasible and how?
and
C. Does this already exist and I just don't know about it?
I was envisioning rock and roll being the first to latch on to the new medium and the fates of the two are tied. Waiters in a Soda shop talking on their Nochord phones, kicking an archaic 3D cine-game of "The Angry Red Planet" while kids run off with the 3D glasses required to play it. Radio stations emitted by satellite fear obsolescence as The Beatles release Revolver (with an adventure game for an extra dollar) for download to your HJB (Home Jukebox) via your Cablephone line. Operators are standing by, kids...
That kind of stuff.
If I get positive responses and a little help from my friends I'll write something.