Punk—steampunk, cyberpunk, biopunk, dieselpunk—stories where technology is the main focus. Your stories should be dark and gritty with an element of rebellion.

Some reading examples;

• Necromancer by William Gibson
• The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• Synners by Pat Cadigan
• Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
• Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
• The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
• Blood Music by Greg Bear
• Tin Can Tommies by Mark C. Jones
• The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett

Your characters might be human or speculative fiction—vampires, werewolves, androids, aliens—but they must live in a world (past, present, parallel, or future) with a futuristic twist. Can include romance elements and comedy, but, as always, must err on the very dark side.