Everything about Steampunk totally explained
Steampunk is a subgenre of
fantasy and
speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where
steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in
Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either
science fiction or
fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of
H. G. Wells and
Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the
computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain
alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as
dirigibles or
analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.
Steampunk is often associated with
cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously
dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.
Origin
Although many works now considered seminal to the genre were published in the 1960s and 1970s, the term
steampunk originated in the late 1980s as a
tongue in cheek variant of
cyberpunk. It seems to have been coined by the science fiction author
K. W. Jeter, who was trying to find a general term for works by
Tim Powers (author of
The Anubis Gates, 1983),
James Blaylock (
Homunculus, 1986) and himself (
Morlock Night, 1979 and
Infernal Devices, 1987) which took place in a Victorian setting and imitated conventions of actual Victorian speculative fiction such as
H. G. Wells's
The Time Machine. In a letter to the science fiction magazine
Locus, printed in the April 1987 issue, Jeter wrote:
prototypical steampunk stories were essentially cyberpunk tales that were set in the past, using
steam-era technology rather than the ubiquitous
cybernetics of cyberpunk but maintaining those stories' "
punkish" attitudes towards authority figures and
human nature. Originally, like cyberpunk, steampunk was often dystopian, sometimes with
noir and
pulp fiction themes as in cyberpunk. As the genre developed, it came to adopt more of the broadly appealing
utopian sensibilities of Victorian
scientific romances.
Steampunk fiction focuses more intently on real, theoretical or cinematic Victorian-era technology, including
steam engines,
clockwork devices, and
difference engines. While much of steampunk is set in Victorian-era settings, the genre has expanded into
medieval settings and often delves into the realms of
horror and fantasy. Various
secret societies and
conspiracy theories are often featured, and some steampunk includes significant
fantasy elements. There are frequently
Lovecraftian,
occult and
Gothic horror influences as well.
Influences
Steampunk was influenced by, and often adopts the style of the
scientific romances of the 19th century, by
Jules Verne,
H.G. Wells,
Mark Twain, and
Mary Shelley.
A rather dystopian British
alternate history featuring steam-based technology may be found in
Keith Roberts' 1968 novel
Pavane.
Science fiction and fantasy author
Michael Moorcock also made several early, and often overlooked, contributions to the genre. The most noteworthy of these are his
The Warlord of the Air and sequels (collectively republished as
A Nomad of the Time Streams). is often credited with bringing widespread awareness of the genre among science fiction fans (although, as mentioned above, the term was coined by Jeter in 1987.) This novel applies the principles of Gibson and Sterling's
cyberpunk writings to an
alternate Victorian era where
Charles Babbage's proposed steam-powered mechanical computer, which he called a
difference engine (a later, more general-purpose version was known as an
analytical engine), was actually built, and led to the dawn of the
information age more than a century "ahead of schedule".
Alan Moore's and
Kevin O'Neill's 1999
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic book series (and the subsequent 2003
film adaption) greatly popularized the steampunk genre and help propel it into mainstream fiction. There are also numerous instances of the Steampunk subgenre in
manga and
anime and Japanese
video games – famous examples are
Fullmetal Alchemist,; the aforementioned Michael Moorcock; as well as
Jess Nevins, famed for his annotations to
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Categories of steampunk
While most of the original steampunk works had a historical setting, later works would often place steampunk elements in a fantasy world with little relation to any specific historical era. Historical steampunk tends to be more "science fictional": presenting an alternate history; real locales and persons from history with different technology. Fantasy-world steampunk, on the other hand, presents steampunk in a completely imaginary
fantasy realm, often populated by
legendary creatures coexisting with steam-era or
anachronistic technologies.
Though this article only lists a few representative examples, a much more extensive listing can be found in the article "
List of steampunk works."
Historical steampunk
In general, the category includes any recent science fiction that takes place in a recognizable historical period (sometimes an
alternate-history version of an actual historical period) where the
Industrial Revolution has already begun but
electricity isn't yet widespread, with an emphasis on steam- or spring-propelled gadgets. The most common historical steampunk settings are the
Victorian and
Edwardian eras, though some in this "Victorian steampunk" category can go as early as the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution. Some examples of this type include the comic book series
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the Disney animated film,
There are also "Medieval steampunk" stories set in the
Middle Ages, in which steam and industrial technology is developed in the
Medieval era, such as
Leo Frankowski's
Crosstime Engineer series and
Mary Gentle's
Book of Ash series; and
Renaissance stories, such as Erik Svane and Dan Greenberg's
General Leonardo graphic novel, in which
Leonardo da Vinci's avant-garde war machines are used to start a new
Crusade.
Another common setting is "Western steampunk", being a
science fictionalized
American Western, as seen in the
television shows
The Wild Wild West,
Legend, and
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.; the films
Back to the Future Part III and
Wild Wild West This category is no longer in use (as well as its distinction from steampunk), with the exception of French fandom.
While not necessarily inspired by or a variation of the Steampunk genre, several other categories have arisen sharing similar naming structures. The most well known of these is
dieselpunk, but also includes
clockpunk and many others. Most of these terms were invented as part of the
GURPS roleplaying game, and are not used in other contexts.
» See also: Cyberpunk derivatives.
Steampunk as a subculture
Because of the popularity of steampunk with people in the
goth,
punk,
cyber and
Industrial subcultures, there's a growing movement towards establishing steampunk or "Steam" as a culture and lifestyle. The most immediate form of steampunk subculture is the community of fans surrounding the genre. Others move beyond this, attempting to adopt a "steampunk" aesthetic through fashion, home decor and even music. This movement may also be (more accurately) described as "
Neo-Victorianism", which is the amalgamation of Victorian aesthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies.
"Steampunk" fashion has no set guidelines, but tends to synthesize punk, goth and rivet styles as filtered through the Victorian era. This may include
Mohawks and extensive piercings with corsets and tattered petticoats, Victorian suits with goggles and boots with large soles and buckles or straps, and the
Lolita fashion and
aristocrat styles. Some of what defines steampunk fashion has come from cyberpunk, and
cyberlocks are used by some people adopting a steampunk look.
"Steampunk" music is even less defined, and tends to apply to any modern musicians whose music or stage presence evokes a feeling of the Victorian era or steampunk. This may include such diverse artists as
Abney Park and
Vernian Process.
Steampunk as an object style
Various modern utilitarian objects have been
modded by individual craftpersons into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style. Example objects include
computer keyboards and
electric guitars. The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, and wood) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.
The artist group
Kinetic Steam Works created a Steampunk Tree House for
Burningman 2007, and also brought a working steam engine to the event in 2006 and 2007.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Steampunk'.
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