In steampunk as well as dieselpunk, we tend to exaggerate history. Where by the turn-of-the-century, airships gradually began to enter service, in steampunk, by this time, the skies are congested with dirigibles. And where Nazi scientists performed the most dreadful human experiments, in dieselpunk, their work produces frightening creatures, half-man, half-machine, striking terror into the hearts of Allied soldiers.

In terms of aesthetics, the exaggeration is more subtle though equally significant. We augment Victorian style with design and technology the Victorians themselves perceived as futuristic in period Scientific Romances and Voyages Extraordinaires. Similarly, dieselpunk exploits the adventure and detective stories serialized in pulp magazines throughout its era, as well as the depictions of the future published in magazines as Popular Science and Modern Mechanix.

The building styles of the 1920s and 1930s in particular are an influence upon the look of the genre. The emergence of the skyscraper, along with the introduction of automobiles and aeroplanes, with petroleum replacing steam as the primary source of energy, define the urban dieselpunk world in which its pulp-inspired, neo-noir tales are set.

During the coming few weeks we will explore the world of dieselpunk architecture in more detail. Today we just bring you this fine artwork by Stephane Berlin. Stay tuned for more!