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Steampunk

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Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. Fiction in the steampunk genre is set in the past, or a world resembling the past, in which modern technological developments occurred earlier in history, but were accomplished via the technology already present in that time period. The genre typically falls into the realm of science fiction.

Origin

The term "steampunk" was originally a tongue in cheek variant of "cyberpunk". The 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 typically dystopian, often with noir and pulp fiction themes, as it was a variant of 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, rather than the purely theoretical devices of cyberpunk such as nanotechnology. 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.

Early steampunk

Inspired by the Scientific Romances, Voyages Extraordinaires and Edisonades of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, Steampunk as a genre developed in the 1980s as an offshoot of, or reaction to, Cyberpunk.

K.W. Jeter's 1979 novel Morlock Night is sometimes cited as crystallizing the genre: It incorporates elements of Wells' The Time Machine, which Jeter expands with his own ideas. Other early examples include Robert Heinlein's 1980 novel The Number of the Beast --, whose characters travel between alternate universes that are realizations of classic SF stories, or Philip José Farmer's 1983 foray into the writing style of L. Frank Baum, A Barnstormer in Oz.

William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's 1992 novel The Difference Engine is often credited with inspiring the term "Steampunk". This novel applies the principles of Gibson and Sterling's Cyberpunk writings to an alternate Victorian era where Charles Babbage's mechanical computer was actually built. However, the earliest citation for the term belongs to Jeter. [1]

Some cite the origin of the Steampunk concept going back as far as Walt Disney's 1954 adaptation of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The film was a benchmark in its conscious choice to maintain a Victorian look and feel rather than updating the story (as was the case with the 1953 adaptation of Wells' The War of the Worlds).

The present and growing popularity of Steampunk is likely due in large part to Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's two League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic book series. Moore's concept and writing made the series popular, but reviews attaching the term "Steampunk" to it became many people's first exposure to the term.

Although it would be inaccurate to label the science fiction written during the actual Victorian era (such as the pioneering works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mary Shelley) as "steampunk", there is no doubt these works are a direct inspiration for modern steampunk authors. The term "classic steampunk" is rarely used to refer to these works.

Types of steampunk

There are two main sub-genres of steampunk: historical steampunk and fantasy steampunk. Historical steampunk tends to be more "science fictional": presenting an alternate history, presenting real locales and persons from history with different technology. Fantasy steampunk, on the other hand, tends to present steampunk in a completely imaginary fantasy realm, often populated by legendary creatures coexisting with steam-era or anachronistic technologies.

Although originally conceived as being Victorian-era science fiction only, the term has become common use for many related forms of speculative fiction set in the pre-Electric age era. Sub-genres include:

Historical steampunk

In general, the category includes any pre-electricity science fiction work with an emphasis on steam- or spring-propelled gadgets. This also includes many alternate history stories in the genre. 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 Industrial Revolution. Some examples of this type include the comic book series League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the novel The Difference Engine and the Dinotopia book series. The next most common setting is "Western steampunk", being a science fictionalized American Western, as seen in the television shows The Wild Wild West and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and somewhat disappointing films Wild Wild West and Back to the Future Part III. There are also "Medieval steampunk" stories set in the Middle Ages, in which steam and industrial technology is developed in the Medieval era.

Fantasy steampunk

Since the 1990s, the application of the steampunk label has expanded out of the pure science fiction realm into other forms of speculative fiction, including both steampunk science fiction alongside traditional fantasy or horror elements. Fantasy steampunk is any work of fantasy fiction that combines magic with steam- or spring-powered gadget technology. China Mieville is one of the better-known fantasy steampunk authors. Other notable examples of fantasy steampunk include the Castle Falkenstein role-playing game, The Vision of Escaflowne anime series, the Thief (computer game) first-person sneaker series, and many of the games in the Final Fantasy console role-playing game series.

Other forms

As a continuing play on the cyber/steam-punk naming convention, there have been a handful of divergent genres based on the general conceits of steampunk, each set further into the past. "Clockpunk" (so called because of the use of clockwork machinations, as opposed to steam-engine) is one of the more relatively prominent, set during the Renaissance era or a fantasy equivalent thereof. The term was coined in the GURPS role-playing supplement GURPS Steampunk, and is a relatively uncommon subgenre, appearing most famously in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, in which things we would consider "modern technology" are invented with a combination of Renaissance technology and, perhaps, magic. The genre is largely inspired by the "ahead-of-their-time" designs of Leonardo da Vinci. Clockpunk works include Pasquale's Angel by Paul J. McAuley and the comic book 1602 by Neil Gaiman.

The "sandalpunk" sub-genre posits a world in which ancient civilization never collapsed into the Dark Ages and instead saw rapid technological advancement after a few key discoveries are made or developed into industrial technologies, such as Hero of Alexandria's steam engine, built around 130 BC. One such example is Inne piesni (Other Songs) by Jacek Dukaj.

GURPS Steampunk also introduced several other variations on the steampunk theme, including "timepunk" (a general term covering any historical variation on steampunk), "bronzepunk" (steampunk set in the Bronze Age), and "stonepunk" (steampunk set in the Stone Age).

In between the historical and fantasy sub-genres of steampunk is a type which takes place in a hypothetical future or a fantasy equivalent of our future where some variety of steampunk-style technology and aesthetics dominate. Examples include the Neotopia comic and even Disney's Treasure Planet film. This could also be considered a type of Retro-futurism.

Steampunk as a culture

Because of the popularity of steampunk with people in the Goth, Punk and Rivet cultures, there is a growing movement towards establishing Steampunk as a culture and lifestyle.

The most immediate form of steampunk culture 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 synthesizing 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 Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat styles.

"Steampunk" music is even less defined, and tends to apply to any modern musicians whose music evokes a feeling of the Victorian era or steampunk. This may include such diverse artists as Rasputina, Thomas Dolby, Paul Roland and Sarah Brightman.

Bibliography

Modern steampunk

Quasi-Victorian science fiction

  • A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! by Harry Harrison -- an alternate history novel written and set in the 1970s in a world where the American Revolution failed and the British Empire is still going strong. It has a nice mix of technologies advanced or behind ours, with high powered lasers used for drilling, while Babbage engines are used to do calculations for sub-orbital flights.
  • Queen Victoria's Bomb by Ronald Clark -- in the mid 19th century; a physicist gets the idea of isotopic separation after seeing pebbles graded by size on a pebble beach, and makes an atomic bomb. He intends to use it to end the Crimean War, but it never gets used, and no difference is made to history.
  • The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson -- A cyberpunk adventure in a nanotechnological future, with much of the action in a neo-Victorian society
  • The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling -- Meteors devastate Europe and America in the 19th century, causing much of the British upper class to flee to India. The story is set in 2025 in a thoroughly Indianized Angrezi Raj (British Empire), with its capital in Delhi.
File:Journey to the Center of the Earth DVD.jpg
Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth has inspired many steampunk film, TV and book adaptations.

Classic SF novels, inspirations for steampunk

Comics / graphic novels

Steampunk role-playing game material

Filmography

Movies

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1935 film Bride of Frankenstein 1999 released in 1999 with this DVD cover
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Promotional still for the 2003 film, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Television

File:SAJV cast.jpg
The cast of The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

Games

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