Read on Twitter
Please stop referring to every Asia-inspired fantasy or science fiction novel as silkpunk, send tweet
To clarify: "Silkpunk" is a term coined by the brilliant Ken Liu to describe a blend of sci-fi and fantasy inspired not by Victorian-era steam-powered technology ("steampunk") but by East Asian antiquity. It does NOT apply to every SFF story inspired by Asian history or culture.
Ken's novels feature fantasy tech such as battle kites, bamboo warships, and the like. The i09 article below provides a good overview in Ken's own words. Unfortunately, I've now this term repeatedly used as a catch-all for all SFF with Asian elements. https://io9.gizmodo.com/author-ken-liu-explains-silkpunk-to-us-1717812714
Leaving aside the issue of '-punk' being egregiously and erroneously overused *in general* - taking a term for a specific fictional aesthetic and lumping in all Asia-inspired works (or works by authors of Asian descent) simplifes, misrepresents, and flattens a huge range of work.
