History Main / DesertPunk

** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''; The third game however, takes place in Washington D.C. Not only is the entire region experienced desertification, there is no explanation given for why it never rains there. The exception is [[DownloadableContent Point Lookout]], which is mostly radioactive swampland.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum''. The protagonist is not a plucky 10-year old, but an [[RedemptionQuest ex-Pokemon thief]] that rescues the female protagonist, [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/archive/6/62/20121231043747%21Colosseum_Rui_3D.png who looks like a cheap, under-age hooker in the Japanese version]]. Together they fight their way through the post-apocalyptic badlands of Orre, [[MyHorseIsAMotorBike driving a rusty hover-cycle]] [[EnormousEngine with an engine presumably stolen from a Top Fuel dragster]]. Reinforced by the near-total lack of Pokemon (read: organic life) in the desert areas. The only real exceptions are Agate Village (a lovely green village built high in the mountains) and Phenac City, a veritable oasis city [[spoiler:whose mayor is secretly the BigBad]].

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' and its sequels, by Frank Herbert, may be the ur-example of desert planet sci-fi, though thematically it resembles a HeroicFantasy more than DesertPunk. Except that in ''{{Dune}}'' it's not so much TheWildWest [[RecycledInSpace In Space]] as [[UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast The Middle East]] ([[RecycledInSpace In Space]].)

* The [[TabletopGames RPG]] ''Burning Sands'', being ([[WordOfGod by the author's admission]]) heavily inspired by ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', is another example.

->"''Allow Me to explain. About 50 years ago the foolish practices of the humans combined with natural disasters to destroy most of the world except for this terrible desert...
->...Not that a little global holocaust discouraged the humans from pursuing their foolish wars. Then when we thought everything had calmed down, the single river that sustained this world, the life of our desert, suddenly stopped...
->...With absolutely no chance of rain, as usual, more deaths are predicted.''"

->Allow Me to explain. About 50 years ago the foolish practices of the humans combined with natural disasters to destroy most of the world except for this terrible desert...

->...With absolutely no chance of rain, as usual, more deaths are predicted.

* Despite being set in the present day, {{Fair Game}} (1986) and {{Film/TheCarsThatAteParis}} (1974) have elements of this trope, most notably {{cool car}}s, arid Badlands, {{sociopath}}ic hoons in {{punk punk}} inspired clothing, and deserted settlements.

** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout: New Vegas}}''; Justified in this case, as the game takes place in the post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert. The exception is [[DownloadableContent Zion Valley]] which is lush with life, clean flowing water, and a rain cycle.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''. Justified in the first two games and New Vegas, which took place in post-apocalyptic Southern California and the Mohave Desert. The third game takes place in Washington D.C., however and no explanation is ever given for why it never rains there. The exception is Point Lookout, which is mostly radioactive swampland. The Fallout universe as a whole is designed around the popular conceptions of future technology and the effects of nuclear war that the American public had in the 1950's. Many aspects of it are intentionally unrealistic.

* Reversed on ''Series/TerraNova''. The general feel of desert punk is there, especially with the Sixers but it's set in the jungles of the Mezozoic. This promises to become even more so if there's a second season [[spoiler: now that they're cut off from the 22nd century and on their own.]]

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

* ''Anime/GunXSword''.
* ''{{Zoids}}'' has a considerable amount of this, seeing that the planet Zi is mostly desert

* ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' Pre-timeskip, everything is desert with giant freakin robots and beastmen. Can't really say the same for post-timeskip though.

* China Mieville's ''Railsea'' takes place in a world where the "oceans" are barren, monster infested wastelands crisscrossed by railroads

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''. Justified in the first two games, which took place in post-apocalyptic Southern California. The third game takes place in Washington D.C., however and no explanation is ever given for why it never rains there. The exception is Point Lookout, which is mostly radioactive swampland. The Fallout universe as a whole is designed around the popular conceptions of future technology and the effects of nuclear war that the American public had in the 1950's. Many aspects of it are intentionally unrealistic.

When life becomes hard, and on such a world, it usually is, morals are the first thing you throw away. Law and order are swift to break down, and suddenly we have TheWildWest [[RecycledINSPACE on another]] [[SpaceWestern planet]].

* {{Deadlands}} is set in a very strange version of the wild west that qualifies as this with a bit of magic thrown in for kicks.

* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' for the entire first season, plus some.

* ''Manga/DesertPunk'', natch.

* UrExample and TropeCodifier: The ''MadMax'' sequels, especially TheRoadWarrior.
* ''[[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Terminator Salvation]]'' seems to have this as the setting outside of cities.

* ''TheBookOfEli''

* In Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}, the Land of Sand and Zephyr.

* Pandora in VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}.
** Partially averted in the sequel, where Pandora is shown to be a dual-biome planet at least - arctic climate zones feature prominently, i.e. as several maps. They are also quite barren, though, so "desert" probably still applies. However, at least there are definitely large bodies of water on the planet (as seen in the arctic-type maps as well). It's quite likely a potential second sequel will contain jungles and such.

* Rage

* TheMovie of ''KamenRiderKabuto''

* ''[[Anime/{{Xabungle}} CombatMechaXabungle]]'' straddles both types and plays the trope for a surprising amount of humor, but really falls here due to it being EarthAllAlong.

* Rage (soon to be released)

* Motavia in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV''. It's naturally a desert planet, but in between ''VideoGame/{{PhantasyStar|I}}'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'', it was fully terraformed into a GhibliHills world that borders on CrystalSpiresAndTogas. However, Climatrol was destroyed in ''II'', and since then, the world has been slowly desertifying and monsters have been taking over the wilds, with only the Hunter's Guild to fight them back. Thus, this crosses over with the Burned-Out Earth variant. Obviously, it was a desert planet in the original ''Phantasy Star'', but it was far less "punk" back then.