retrofuturism

(ret.troh.FYOO.chur.iz.um)

n.

A return to the phrases and concepts characteristic of the futurism that existed in the 1950s and 1960s.

Example Citation:

Despite the tremendous technological leaps of the past several decades, in many ways our vision of the future remains just the same as it was 40 years ago. As we hurtle into 1999, a distinct nostalgia for the unfulfilled promise of the future — mostly the idea that we would one day be liberated from the mundane — lies at the core of much of our popular culture....Some call it "retrofuturism."

— James Sullivan, "Visions of Tomorrowland; How past concepts of the future are taking over pop culture," The San Francisco Chronicle, January 3, 1999

Earliest Citation:

Here are a dozen of the best-looking synthetic items: ...

10. Thierry Mugler's Vinyl Moon Suits. retro futurism from the showman of French fashion. Think of them as running suits for the cast of "Total Recall."

— Frank DeCaro, "The Real Thing...real nylon, real plastic, real vinyl, a real rethinking of synthetic's fashion appeal," Newsday, July 5, 1990

Notes:

This word was almost certainly coined by a group calling themselves the "Tape-beatles," who began a "Hypermedia Magazine" called "Retrofuturism" in 1987. See http://pwp.detritus.net/: http://pwp.detritus.net/.

Related Words:

food futurist

future-proof

legislated nostalgia

paradessence

posthuman

retrophilia

retro-sexism

technostalgia

visibility

Category:

Culture (General)