/r/RetroFuturism

Photograph via snooOG

This subreddit focuses on the futurist visions of eras past. However posts may also contain contemporary art with a retrofuturist theme.

Futurism was born out of humanity's sudden thrust into technological revolution. To the many that witnessed the dramatic, rapid change, it seemed a technological utopia was fast approaching. This unbridled optimism caused the collective imagination to run wild.

Dreams of the future reveal more about the mind of the dreamer than the future itself.

This subreddit focuses on the futurist visions of eras past. However posts may also contain contemporary art with a retrofuturist theme.

Futurism was born out of humanity's reaction to a sudden thrust into technological revolution. To the many that witnessed the rapid change, it seemed technological utopia was fast approaching. This unbridled optimism caused the collective imagination to run wild.

Although many of these visions seem almost comical now - the spirit in which they were created is part of the reason you are currently looking into a glowing rectangle with unlimited, instant access to the sum of all human knowledge.

POSTING GUIDELINES:

Vintage =/= Retrofuturism

Vintage Sci-fi =/= Retrofuturism

Please avoid posting vintage technology, unless it has a intentionally and obviously "futuristic" design.

I will work to prevent default sub syndrome: clickbait titling, meme-ification, etc. So please watch the titling and try to be as informative as possible! Vast majority of submissions have been perfect for the sub and the community is great. Just want to nip any trends in the bud. I reserve the right prune low-quality and/or questionable content to keep the frontpage looking good!

Post only:

1. Futurist visions from eras past.

2. Contemporary art with a retrofuturist theme.

3. Discussion threads related to retrofuturism.


Related Subreddits:

r/ImaginaryTechnology - Sci-Fi and Fantasy art featuring robots, cyborgs, mechanisms and spaceships.

r/FuturePorn - A subreddit for futuristic concept designs.

r/WorldOfTomorrow - Present day predictions of what the future might hold.

r/ImaginaryHistory - If the infinite multi-verse theory turns out to be true, all of this actually exists.

/r/RetroFuturism

1,241,565 Subscribers

277

Astronauts on the moon, oil painting by me

8 Comments
2024/12/01
02:21 UTC

296

Retrofuture Smart Watches

Render of a smart watch I would love to create. includes front and back cameras as well a curved touch screen and tactile buttons/knob.

12 Comments
2024/11/30
07:40 UTC

386

Did anyone ever try to watch TV back in the day on this? (Sony Watchman)

53 Comments
2024/11/29
00:34 UTC

58

retrophyll

3 Comments
2024/11/28
23:40 UTC

348

Mars mission, oil painting by me

18 Comments
2024/11/28
08:58 UTC

839

if WORLDS of SCIENCE FICTION (October, 1954)

96 Comments
2024/11/27
17:52 UTC

618

Departure of the Borealis by artist Christophe Vacher

7 Comments
2024/11/27
16:55 UTC

354

Machine learning.

25 Comments
2024/11/27
09:11 UTC

422

Where to find 'Mars Arrival' by Robert McCall, 1987?

5 Comments
2024/11/27
02:40 UTC

208

Jack Houston and the Necronauts by artist PReilly (Patrick Reilly)

11 Comments
2024/11/26
13:23 UTC

891

Classic-style scifi cityscape illustration by Grun (Ludovic Dubois)

12 Comments
2024/11/25
17:18 UTC

607

Man on the Moon by artist Klaus Bürgle

10 Comments
2024/11/24
21:07 UTC

14

What do you call the retro futuristic style of Wizard of Oz?

I saw Wicked last night. It was spectacular and just glorious to look at. I’m wondering if there’s a name for the subgenre of retro futurism that Oz represents? It’s a 1930’s steampunk but without all the copper look.

Where else can I find examples of that era of RF? Because boy, does that style tickle my brain!

15 Comments
2024/11/23
23:33 UTC

52

Red Perspex digital clock by Jonas Damon

2 Comments
2024/11/23
14:48 UTC

5,139

The Apartment of Tomorrow

25 Comments
2024/11/23
11:38 UTC

127

Mecha 890 Unloading Gatlin Cannons - A Cyberpunk Dystopian Skyline Scene

My Unfinished Office Diorama

4 Comments
2024/11/23
06:23 UTC

33

A tribute to 90's computing and the golden age of CD-ROMs, multi-media, point-and-click adventures, dial-up and cover disks

0 Comments
2024/11/21
12:37 UTC

20

Does anyone know any good references for late 1990s retro futurism?

I'm working on a project and want it to have a late '90s retro-futuristic vibe and wanted to find some media to pull references from, I say late '90s specifically because most of the examples I've seen of '90s futurism tend to lean into trends of the early-late 90s, which I feel like were pretty culturally different to the later part of the decade (I'm basically looking to create what someone living in 1999 would think the future would look like).

I have a few ideas floating around my head, like optical media such as CDs and DVDs still being the norm, and a lack of touch screens (I know touch screens have been around in some capacity since the 80s, but it doesn't seem they started to be viewed as actually practical until the 2000s), and no holograms (though that's more of an independent stylistic choice as I personally think holograms are a bit overused in sci-fi).

The only pieces of media that come close to what I'm looking for are Batman Beyond, the game Stray, and both Simon Stalenhag's The Electric State and Things from the Flood.

Any recommendations for other media that fits what I'm looking for or general thoughts on the ideas I have already are appreciated

28 Comments
2024/11/21
05:04 UTC

1,755

Retrofuturistic Door Dash

25 Comments
2024/11/21
00:57 UTC

83

"Wanted: 7 Fearless Engineers!" illustration by Robert Fuqua, 1939

1 Comment
2024/11/20
19:07 UTC

455

[OC] A retro-futuristic watch I’ve been working on is finally shipping to customers!

47 Comments
2024/11/19
14:33 UTC

475

1939 Delahaye 165 Figoni-Falaschi

5 Comments
2024/11/19
00:21 UTC

443

Humble homage to the great Ron Cobb, by ne.

15 Comments
2024/11/18
17:14 UTC

540

Prototype of Yamaha Frog 750 by Hartmut Esslinger, 1985

5 Comments
2024/11/18
05:10 UTC

1,551

Homage to Syd Mead, the great futurist by me.

23 Comments
2024/11/17
16:10 UTC

Back To Top