Pyropunk

What is Pyropunk?

Pyropunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction that envisions a world dominated by fire, heat, and extreme environmental conditions. Unlike Frostpunk’s frozen wastelands, Pyropunk explores settings ravaged by volcanic activity, desertification, and uncontrolled industrial expansion. Societies in Pyropunk worlds often rely on fire-based energy, combustion technology, and survival tactics in a scorched and unstable landscape. It combines themes of destruction, rebirth, and resilience in an ever-burning world.

Why Does Pyropunk Exist?

Pyropunk emerges as a response to concerns about climate change, wildfires, and the increasing scarcity of water. It imagines futures where megacities operate on extreme heat, volcanic-powered civilizations thrive, and entire regions are turned into fire-ravaged wastelands due to ecological collapse or unchecked industrialization. The genre explores how humanity adapts to a world where fire is both a destructive force and a source of life.

Famous Pyropunk Authors

Although Pyropunk is a developing concept, several authors have explored fire-dominated worlds:

• Ray Bradbury – Fahrenheit 451, where fire is used as a tool of control and censorship.
• Frank Herbert – Dune, set in an arid, desert-dominated world where heat and scarcity define survival.
• Paolo Bacigalupi – The Water Knife, a novel about a future where water is more valuable than gold.
• Madeline Ashby – Company Town, exploring extreme industrial environments in a world ravaged by pollution.

Famous Pyropunk Works

Pyropunk themes appear in various books, films, and games:

• Books: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury), Dune (Frank Herbert), The Water Knife (Paolo Bacigalupi).
• Films: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Riddick (2013), Sunshine (2007).
• Video Games: Mad Max, RAGE, Scorched Earth.