Dieselpunk

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An example of dieselpunk art

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Dieselpunk is a retrofuturistic subgenre of science fiction similar to steampunk or cyberpunk that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology<ref name=dailydot>Aja Romano (2013-10-08). "Dieselpunk for beginners: Welcome to a world where the '40s never ended". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2014-04-04.</ref><ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p3">Piecraft; Ottens, Nick (July 2008), "Discovering Dieselpunk" (PDF), Gatehouse Gazette (1): 3, retrieved 2010-05-23</ref> and postmodern sensibilities.<ref name="The Philosophy of Dieselpunk">Larry Amyett (March 1, 2011). "The Philosophy of Dieselpunk". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> Coined in 2001 by game designer Lewis Pollak to describe his tabletop role-playing game Children of the Sun,<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p3"/> the term has since been applied to a variety of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering.<ref name="Chronologia dieselpunku">Krzysztof, Janicz (2008). ""Chronologia dieselpunku" (in Polish)". Archived from the original on 2010-04-06.</ref>

Origin

The name "dieselpunk" is a derivative of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk,<ref name="SciFi Wire">Dellamonica, A.M. (2009-09-08). "Cyberpunk, steampunk and now stitchpunk? Your guide to 11 sci-fi punks". Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2009-09-28.</ref> and represents the time period from World War I until the 1950s, when diesel-based locomotion was the main technological focus of Western culture.<ref name="Diesel History">DW Productions. "A History of the Diesel Engine". Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-05-19.</ref> The "-‍punk" suffix attached to the name is representative of the counterculture nature of the genre with regard to its opposition to contemporary aesthetics.<ref name="The Philosophy of Dieselpunk"/> The term also refers to the tongue-in-cheek<ref>Sheidlower, Jesse (March 9, 2005). "Science Fiction Citations". Retrieved May 10, 2008.</ref> name given to a similar cyberpunk derivative, "steampunk", which focuses on science fiction based on industrial steam power and which is often set within the Victorian era.<ref name="Steampunk 101">Falksen, GD (October 7, 2009). "Steampunk 101". Tor.com. Retrieved 2009-10-07.</ref>

Differences from steampunk

Author Scott Westerfeld addresses the question of where to draw the line between steampunk and dieselpunk, arguing that his novel Leviathan (2009) qualifies as steampunk despite the fact that the technology it depicts includes diesel engines:

I like the word "dieselpunk" if you are doing something like 'Weird World War II'. I think that makes perfect sense. But to me, World War I is the dividing point where modernity goes from being optimistic to being pessimistic. Because when you put the words "machine" and "gun" together, they both change. At that point, war is no longer about a sense of adventure and chivalry and a way of testing your nation's level of manhood; it's become industrial, and horrible. So playing around with that border between optimistic steampunk and a much more pessimistic dieselpunk, which is more about Nazis, was kind of interesting to me because early in the war we were definitely kind of on the steampunk side of that.<ref name="Carrott">Carrott, Johnson (2013), p. 154</ref>

Jennifer McStotts, another author, considers the two genres to be close cousins. She defines steampunk as concerned with the Victorian era, and the shift in technology and energy generation that came with industrialization, and dieselpunk as combining the aesthetic and genre influences of the period of both world wars.<ref name="McStotts">McStotts (2014), p. 170</ref>

Science fiction editor and critic Gary K. Wolfe defines steampunk as primarily set in the Victorian era and dieselpunk as set in the interwar period.<ref name="Wolfe">Wolfe (2014), p. 65</ref>

Iolanda Ramos, an assistant professor of English and Translation studies at NOVA University Lisbon, argues,

Dieselpunk draws not on the hiss of steam nor on the Victorian and Edwardian aesthetics and cosplay but on the grease of fuel-powered machinery and the Art Deco movement, marrying rectilinear lines to aerodynamic shapes and questioning the impact of technology on the human psyche.

In addition, Ramos gives "noir ambience" as an element of dieselpunk.<ref name="Ramos">Ramos, Iolanda (2020). "Alternate World Building: Retrofuturism and Retrophilia in Steampunk and Dieselpunk Narratives". Anglo Saxonica. 17 (1): 5. doi:10.5334/as.23. hdl:10362/110398. S2CID 213685037.</ref>

Dieselpunk inspiration

Dieselpunk draws its inspiration from the diesel era and a characteristic referred to by dieselpunks as "decodence."<ref name=dailydot/> According to the online magazine Never Was, decodence (a portmanteau of "[Art] Deco" and "decadence"), "embraces the styles and technologies of the era; it rejoices in a prolonged Jazz Age ambience characterized by great enthusiasm and hopes about the future."<ref name="Decodence">Nick Ottens (January 1, 2010). "Decodence". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref>

The term "diesel era" is a period of time that begins with the start of the interwar period, which covers the time between the end of World War I and the start of World War II. The interwar era is central to one school of dieselpunk often labeled "Ottensian." In addition to the interwar period, World War II also plays a major role in dieselpunk, especially in the school of the genre referred to as "Piecraftian." (See § Common themes below.) The exact ending of the diesel era is in some dispute in the dieselpunk community. Depending on the source it ends either at the conclusion of World War II or continues until the early part of the 1950s with the advent of such cultural icons as the Golden Age of Television and the replacement of Big Band and Swing music with Rock and Roll in popularity.[citation needed]

As an art movement

Although the term "dieselpunk" was not coined until 2001, a large body of art significant to the development of the genre was produced before that. Artwork (including visual arts, music, literature, and architecture) created in the dieselpunk style are heavily influenced by elements of the art movements most prevalent in Western culture during the diesel era such as:

According to Tome Wilson, creator of the now-defunct website Dieselpunks, the term was retroactively applied to an already existing trend in literature. An alternative term was "low-brow pop surrealism". Writers of this trend blended traditional tropes and genres, such as Pulp Adventure, Film noir, and Weird Horror, with a contemporary aesthetic.<ref name="Wilson">Wilson (2013), Welcome to the Retro Future</ref> In his words: "They were creating a future fueled by the spirit of the Jazz Age." In their works, the reader could see Sam Spade in the era of smartphones and John Dillinger use a hovercar as his getaway vehicle. They were writing cyberpunk stories about the era of The Great Gatsby (1925).<ref name="Wilson"/>

In discussing punk genres, Ted Stoltz defines dieselpunk as the quasifuture from the Art Deco era. He argues that cyberpunk, steampunk, clockpunk, atompunk, and biopunk are all defined by their connection to their respective technological element. He found this does not apply to other related genres such as elfpunk, mythpunk, and splatterpunk where technology plays a minor role.<ref name="Stoltz">Stoltz (2011), p. 43-44</ref>

Fiction and literature

Alternative history and World War II feature prominently in dieselpunk literature. Len Deighton's SS-GB, Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle, Alan Glenn's Amerikan Eagle, Robert Harris' Fatherland, Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, Guy Saville's The Afrika Reich, Harry Turtledove's The War That Came Early series and The Man with the Iron Heart, and Jo Walton's Farthing are considered dieselpunk by some.<ref name="How to Change World War II">Ottens, Nick (May 12, 2019). "How to Change World War II". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref>

Other examples of dieselpunk novels are Hugh Ashton's Red Wheels Turning,<ref name="Red Wheels Turning">Heyvaert, Hilde (January 12, 2012). "Red Wheels Turning". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> David Bishop's Fiends of the Eastern Front, Anders Blixt's The Ice War,<ref name="The Ice War">Amyett, Larry (May 24, 2015). "The Ice War by Anders Blixt". Dieselpunk. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> Kevin Cooney's Tales of the First Occult War, Larry Correia's Hard Magic: Book 1 of the Grimnoir Chronicles, Richard Kadrey's The Grand Dark<ref name="Grand Dark">Doctorow, Cory (June 11, 2019). "Richard Kadrey's 'The Grand Dark' feels like a Tom Waits ballad in a diesel punk novel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-05-27.</ref> and J.W. Szczepaniak's Beyond Aukfontein.<ref name="Beyond Aukfontein">Heyvaert, Hilde (December 4, 2011). "Beyond Aukfontein". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref>

Common themes

A feature that was first identified by the online magazine The Flying Fortress is that dieselpunk can be divided into two primary themes or styles: Ottensian and Piecraftian.<ref name="The Dark Side of Dieselpunk">"The Dark Side of Dieselpunk". Flying Fortress. June 4, 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-24.</ref> The dividing line between the two themes is commonly acknowledged as the start of World War II.<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p4">Piecraft; Ottens, Nick (July 2008), "Discovering Dieselpunk" (PDF), Gatehouse Gazette (1): 4, retrieved 2010-05-23</ref>

One theme, named "Piecraftian" after its proponent author "Piecraft", focuses on the aesthetics of the world wars and speculates on how human culture could theoretically cease to evolve due to constant, widespread warfare.<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p3" /><ref name="The Dark Side of Dieselpunk" /> According to Ottens and Piecraft, this theme continues the aesthetics of the diesel era into later periods of history by describing a world where survival (largely based on a reliance on diesel power) is placed above aesthetical evolution (as seen in such dystopian movies as Mad Max<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p9">Piecraft; Ottens, Nick (July 2008), "Discovering Dieselpunk" (PDF), Gatehouse Gazette (1): 9, retrieved 2010-05-23</ref>).

A second theme, named "Ottensian" after its proponent author Nick Ottens,<ref name="Decodence"/> focuses on a setting where the decadent aesthetics and utopian philosophies of the American Roaring Twenties continued to evolve unhindered by war or economic collapse. Ottensian dieselpunk fiction is primarily concerned with a positive vision of technology, where the utopian ideals predicted by the World's Fairs of the times came to light.<ref name="Flavors of Dieselpunk: Conclusion">Amyett, Larry (January 1, 2011), Flavors of Dieselpunk: Conclusion, Dieselpunk, retrieved 2020-07-23</ref><ref name="Punk in Art">Gerakiti, Errika (July 28, 2020). "Punk in Art: Steampunk, Dieselpunk, and Cyberpunk". Daily Art. Retrieved 2020-07-28.</ref> As a result Ottensian dieselpunk incorporates "an enthusiasm for the predictions about the future,"<ref name="The Two Flavors of Dieselpunk">Ottens, Nick (May 15, 2008). "The Two Flavors of Dieselpunk". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> and often shares elements with retro-futurism.<ref name="Discovering Dieselpunk p5">Piecraft; Ottens, Nick (July 2008), "Discovering Dieselpunk" (PDF), Gatehouse Gazette (1): 5, retrieved 2010-05-23</ref>

Games

Dieselpunk features prominently in the gaming industry, in both tabletop role-playing games and computer and console video games.[citation needed] World War II is a popular theme in dieselpunk games. One of the more prominent of these was Activision's Return to Castle Wolfenstein,<ref name="Top 10 Games">sinisterporpoise (March 30, 2010). Hartman, Michael (ed.). "Top 10 Steampunk and Dieselpunk Games for the PC". Bright Hub. Archived from the original on June 5, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> as well as the sequel game to the 2009 game Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein: The New Order, which takes place in an alternate 1960s Europe where the Nazis have won World War II. Other dieselpunk games include Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996),<ref name="Top 10 Games" /> Crimson Skies (1998 board game, 2000 video game), Iron Storm (2002),<ref name="Iron Storm">Czyrnyj, Alasdair (March 1, 2009). "Iron Storm". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> You Are Empty (2006),<ref name="You Are Empty">Czyrnyj, Alasdair (September 1, 2009). "You Are Empty". Never Was. Retrieved 2020-07-22.</ref> Scythe (2016), Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (2008),<ref name="How to Change World War II" /> Sine Mora (2012),<ref name="Sine Mora">Brian Ashcraft (August 4, 2011). "A Diesel-Punk Shoot'em Up? Sure, Why Not". Retrieved 2011-08-19.</ref> Iron Harvest (2020),<ref name="Iron Harvest">"De setting van Iron Harvest 1920+ – Oorlog voeren in Dieselpunk". IGN Benelux. August 31, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-18.</ref> HighFleet (2021), Bioshock (2007), Bioshock 2 (2010) and Frostpunk 2 (2024).

Cinema and television

With regard to moving pictures, dieselpunk combines the tropes, character archetypes, and settings of diesel-era fiction genres such as Serial Adventure, Noir,<ref>Conrad, Mark T. (February 2009). The Philosophy of Neo-Noir. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813191812.</ref> Pulp, and War with postmodern storytelling techniques and cinematography. Inspirations for dieselpunk cinema include Metropolis (1927)<ref name="Punk in Art"/> and Things To Come (1936), thanks to their period visions of utopian culture and technology.<ref name=dailydot/> Even the popular film Star Wars (1977) has been noted as having strong dieselpunk influences, as it drew heavily on pulp and World War II iconography but mixed them with futuristic settings.<ref name="Star Wars">Janoski, Vincent (April 15, 2008). "Ancient Weapons and Hokey Religions: Steampunk Star Wars". Wired.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31. It's already pretty clear that Lucas was drawing from the dieselpunk styling of WWII ...</ref> Some even argued that the steampunk country named Steamland, led by an odd industrialist named Alva Gunderson voiced by Richard Ayoade, in the American fantasy animated sitcom, Disenchantment, created by Matt Groening for Netflix, was "dieselpunk inspired."<ref>Liptak, Andrew (December 16, 2020). "Netflix's Disenchantment Returns in January". Tor.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.</ref>

Some commonly referenced examples of dieselpunk cinema and television include:

Visual art

According to an article titled "Dieselpunk: Love Affair with a Machine", published in the online magazine Dark Roasted Blend, dieselpunk art "takes an interest in various bizarre machines, full of esoteric levers, cracked-glass meters – all visually intense and pretty sinister-looking, when photographed."<ref name="Dark Roasted Blend">A. Abrams (December 14, 2008). "Dieselpunk: Love Affair with a Machine". Dark Roasted Blend. Retrieved 2010-05-24.</ref> The article references Japanese artist Shunya Yamashita's having created one of the definitive examples of dieselpunk art with his work I Can't Explain.<ref>Bowkett, Giles (2008-12-28). "Giles Bowkett: Shunya Yamashita: I Can't Explain". Gilesbowkett.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> The article also references Kow Yokoyama as a dieselpunk artist with his figurine series titled Maschinen Krieger.<ref>"Maschinen Krueger Home". Maschinenkrueger.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref>

Other prominent artists in the dieselpunk movement include: Alexey Lipatov,<ref>"Lipatov on DeviantArt". Lipatov.deviantart.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> Stefan Prohaczka,<ref name="deviantart1">"stefanparis's Gallery". Stefanparis.deviantart.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> ixlrlxi,<ref>"600v on DeviantArt". 600v.deviantart.com. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref><ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: ixlrlxi">Tome Wilson (July 9, 2009). "Icons of Dieselpunk: ixlrlxi, Master artist of the Streamline style". Retrieved 2010-05-29.</ref> Keith Thompson,<ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: Keith Thompson">Tome Wilson (June 4, 2009). "Icons of Dieselpunk: Keith Thompson, Mechnical [sic] Art Genius". Retrieved 2010-05-29.</ref> Rob Schwager,<ref>"robschwager.com". robschwager.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> and Sam Van Olffen.<ref>Wilson, Tome (2009-08-27). "INTERVIEW – Sam Van Olffen". Dieselpunks. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref><ref>Lauren Davis (Jul 21, 2009). "WWII Leaders Get a Dieselpunk Makeover". io9.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.</ref><ref>"Art: WW2 Dieselpunk". The Awesomer. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-01.</ref>

As a subculture

A person defined as a dieselpunk draws inspiration and entertainment from the aesthetics of the diesel era to achieve independence from contemporary aesthetics by blending the literature, artwork, fashion, grooming styles, modes of personal transportation, music, and technology of the diesel era with contemporary sensibilities.<ref name="This Is Dieselpunk">Fisk, Eric Renderking (June 9, 2017). "This Is Dieselpunk". The Fedora Chronicles. Retrieved 2020-07-23.</ref> The "punk" in "dieselpunk" can be interpreted as a rejection of contemporary society<ref>"2.3 The Meaning of "Punk"". Dieselpunk Encyclopedia. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 2020-08-01.</ref> and contemporary styles.[citation needed]

Part of dieselpunk's postmodern nature can be seen in the important role that the internet as a tool of international communication plays in its development. In addition to two prominent dieselpunk online communities, Dieselpunks and Never Was Lounge, there are a number of online magazines dedicated to the genre, including Dieselpunk Encyclopedia, Dizelpanki, The Flying Fortress, Never Was and Vintage Future, and several blogs which are simply titled "Dieselpunk".<ref>"Dieselpunk". Dieselpunk44.blogspot.com. 1915-08-29. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref><ref>"Dieselpunk". Dieselpunks.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref>

While there are many websites dedicated to the history of the diesel era, a growing number of sites are dedicated to topics that tie directly into dieselpunk. One such website of note is RetroTimes Production,<ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: RetroTimes">Tome Wilson (March 19, 2010). "Icons of Dieselpunk: Carmen Johnson of RetroTimes Productions". Retrieved 2010-05-29.</ref> which is an independent film production company dedicated to creating documentaries about "retro living, retro design, and retro style." A few sites are springing up that have a retro pulp feel as well, including Captain Spectre and The Lightning Legion,<ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: Tom Floyd">Tome Wilson (July 31, 2009). "Icons of Dieselpunk: Pulp Artist / Creator Tom Floyd". Retrieved 2010-05-29.</ref> which is an online comic written and drawn in the classic serial pulp fiction style of the diesel era, and Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual,<ref>"Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual: Illustrated Interactive Fiction from Retropolis and Beyond". Thrilling-tales.webomator.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> an interactive Choose Your Own Adventure-style pulp serial.

In 2012, World Brews, a craft beer manufacturer in Novato, CA, began producing "Dieselpunk Brew", a beer line (IPA, Porter and Stout) inspired and influenced by the subculture of dieselpunk, and displaying art deco-inspired dieselpunk designs on the labels.<ref>John Staradumsky (August 7, 2013). "Dieselpunk Porter Beer Review". Bruguru.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.</ref>

Fashion

Dieselpunk fashion blends the styles commonly found during the diesel era with contemporary styles to create a fusion of both. The "punk" nature of the subculture comes from expressing a more complete presence in public akin to the fashion styles popular during the diesel era such as waistcoats, covered arms, hosiery, styles of shoes, and headwear. Dieselpunk emphasizes the inclusion of such accoutrements to render one's look "complete," in defiance of modern custom.[citation needed]

Music

Dieselpunk music,<ref name=dailydot/> which has roots in the neo-swing revival,<ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: Wolfgang Parker">Tome Wilson (May 12, 2010). "Icons of Dieselpunk: Wolfgang Parker, Pioneer of Punk Swing". Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> combines elements of blues, jazz, ragtime, cabaret, swing, and bluegrass commonly found during the diesel era with contemporary instrumentation, production, and composition.<ref name="Radio Riel Dieselpunk Channel">"Radio Riel Dieselpunk Channel". Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> Some commonly referenced examples of dieselpunk bands are: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,<ref name="BBVD">Larry (February 7, 2010). "Dieselpunk Music". Retrieved 2010-05-25.</ref> Cherry Poppin' Daddies (who released a song and music video entitled "Diesel PunX" in 2019),<ref>"Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Diesel PunX [Official Video]". YouTube. April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.</ref> Royal Crown Revue,<ref name="RCR1">Kevin M. Williams (October 27, 1997). "Royal Crown Revue, the Penthouse Playboys and the Nicholas Barron Trio at the Cubby Bear". Chicago Sun-Times. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.</ref><ref name="RCR2">Brett Stephens. "Interviews: Royal Crown Revue". Tom Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-31.</ref> Squirrel Nut Zippers,<ref name="SNZ">"Squirrel Nut Zippers". Mammoth Records. Archived from the original on 2010-09-10. Retrieved 2010-05-31. Hot was an unexpected hit that placed the Zippers at the head of a retro-swing revival that they didn't understand, much less belong to. For one thing, they didn't really play Swing Music, per se. They played 'Hot Music,' a perpetually evolving, hybrid-stew of Southern roots traditions that one critic aptly tagged, '30s punk.'</ref> The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Indigo Swing, Wolfgang Parker,<ref name="Icons of Dieselpunk: Wolfgang Parker" /> The End Times Spasm Band, RPM Orchestra, Big Rude Jake, and Lee Press-on and the Nails.<ref name="Lee Presson">Tome Wilson (January 28, 2010). "Icons of Dieselpunk: Brian Gardner of Swing Goth". Retrieved 2010-06-03.</ref>

There has been growth of a Dieselpunk music referred to as electro swing, which combines the styles of Swing music with Electronica. Prominent bands within the Electro-Swing include Caravan Palace, Good Co, and Tape Five.

Variants

Decopunk or coalpunk

Decopunk, also known as coalpunk, is a recent subset of Dieselpunk, inspired by the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne art styles of the period between the 1920s and 1950s. In an interview<ref>"Rayguns! Steampunk Fiction". Interview transcript. 17 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2015.</ref> at CoyoteCon, steampunk author Sara M. Harvey made the distinctions "... shinier than DieselPunk, more like DecoPunk", and "DieselPunk is a gritty version of Steampunk set in the 1920s–1950s. The big war eras, specifically. DecoPunk is the sleek, shiny very Art Deco version; same time period, but everything is chrome!"

Atompunk

A similar, related pop surrealist art movement, which overlaps with dieselpunk somewhat, is atompunk (sometimes called atomicpunk). Atompunk art relates to the pre-digital period of 1945–1965, including mid-century Modernism, the Atomic Age, Jet Age and Space Age, Communism and paranoia in the United States, along with Soviet styling, underground cinema, Googie architecture, the Sputnik, Mercury and other early space programs, early Cold War espionage, superhero fiction and the rise of the US military/industrial powers.<ref>Sterling, Bruce (2008-12-03). "Here Comes 'Atompunk.' And It's Dutch. So there". Wired. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2015-06-25.</ref><ref>Doctorow, Cory (December 3, 2008). "Atompunk: fetishizing the atomic age". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2010-06-03.</ref>

See also

References

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Sources

External links

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