11-06-2023, 09:08 PM
I will start by setting the mood with Anthony's description:
What I'm talking about here is the conspiracy genre rather than the culture. Bransle's post explains the difference. The culture should also be discussed as well but I would rather focus on the media.
It came out of a time when major scientific breakthroughs were occurring, especially in space and the body (which are two subjects a lot of stories in this genre are about). The Hubble telescope, the ISS, GPS, the World Wide Web, the Human Genome Project, GMOs, the first cloned animals. All of these were on people's minds at the time. They appeared a lot in popular culture. Like Jurassic Park being about cloning. And there were a lot of theories about these things.
The genre is very much a pre-9/11 thing. It deals extensively with fears of the unknown. It's mysterious. It's romantic. There is a coziness to it beyond just nostalgia:
Here are some of the best works from this genre:
The X-Files
The X-Files is the most influential piece of media in this genre. It is 'The Conspiracy Show'. Anthony explained it better than I can:
Drowned God
While The X-Files is the most influential piece in the genre, Drowned God is the ultimate work. It is a collage of all the most abundant theories in the 90s. It's a complete vision. I highly recommend playing it. It's free here (download the automatic version).
Further reading:
PH51 thread
Interview
Spriggan
This genre wasn't just confined to America, Japan was involved too. Spriggan is an excellent manga about 'OOParts' with supernatural powers and a group that protects them. It's inspired by Chariots of the Gods and the concept of ancient aliens.
(09-21-2023, 05:02 AM)anthony Wrote: [ -> ]The 90s [conspiracy culture] was light and mist spilling through open doors at night, lights in the skies, spooky pine forests, serious looking men in dark suits.
What I'm talking about here is the conspiracy genre rather than the culture. Bransle's post explains the difference. The culture should also be discussed as well but I would rather focus on the media.
It came out of a time when major scientific breakthroughs were occurring, especially in space and the body (which are two subjects a lot of stories in this genre are about). The Hubble telescope, the ISS, GPS, the World Wide Web, the Human Genome Project, GMOs, the first cloned animals. All of these were on people's minds at the time. They appeared a lot in popular culture. Like Jurassic Park being about cloning. And there were a lot of theories about these things.
The genre is very much a pre-9/11 thing. It deals extensively with fears of the unknown. It's mysterious. It's romantic. There is a coziness to it beyond just nostalgia:
Here are some of the best works from this genre:
The X-Files
The X-Files is the most influential piece of media in this genre. It is 'The Conspiracy Show'. Anthony explained it better than I can:
(09-21-2023, 05:02 AM)anthony Wrote: [ -> ]Something I've been discussing with people is how the 90s conspiracy culture was such a complete aesthetic, or at least looks like one in retrospect. The X-Files seems like it was able to emerge naturally from what was already there and fill the shoes. The tastes and inclinations of actual conspiracy theorists (typical 90s conspiracy theorists are even regularly somewhat lionised in The X-Files, get to be friends with Moulder, etc) were able to combine with the genuine concerns of the time (rather mild because 90s), the things which actually were popularly talked about underground (urban legends and UFOs, safe but intriguing stuff), and the tone of the 90s (beginnings of darkness and moodiness creeping back into popular culture, early high tech fascinations that were not yet zogged).
Drowned God
While The X-Files is the most influential piece in the genre, Drowned God is the ultimate work. It is a collage of all the most abundant theories in the 90s. It's a complete vision. I highly recommend playing it. It's free here (download the automatic version).
Further reading:
PH51 thread
Interview
Spriggan
This genre wasn't just confined to America, Japan was involved too. Spriggan is an excellent manga about 'OOParts' with supernatural powers and a group that protects them. It's inspired by Chariots of the Gods and the concept of ancient aliens.