What Is Steampunk, Anyway?

the lost heirBefore we left on vacation, my son wanted to download a new book to his Kindle.  Like a good Word Nerd Mama, I read the description first.  (See my post on The Maze Runner to learn what happened when I wasn’t such a good mama.)

The book in question, The Lost Heir, is the first volume in a new fantasy series by E. G. Foley.  Amazon describes it as a “historical fantasy adventure with a hint of steampunk.”

My son looked at me and asked,  “What is steampunk?”

The husband chimed in from across the room.  “Steampunk?”

Several months ago, a friend tried to explain steampunk as “the world if electronic or digital technology never happened.”  But when I used that line with my family, I got a lot of raised eyebrows.  And so a Google search ensued.

Steampunk = a complicated term

Steampunk can describe many different things: literature, design, or a philosophy.  It usually includes 19th century elements (think steam power and the beginning of the industrial revolution) with a deconstruction of accepted history (that’s the punk).  After reading several articles on the subject, I’ve generated a list of basic steampunk characteristics:

  • set back in time, but with advanced machines; usually involves an “alternative history”
  • OR set in an post-apocalyptic future,  with renewed emphasis on steam power
  • supernatural elements (sometimes)
  • cool contraptions and gadgets, usually powered by steam or springs (“retro technology”)
  • Victorian style with hints of technology and adventure
  • an emphasis on creativity, self-reliance, and adventure 

You can find steampunk most often in science fiction, “speculative fiction”, and fantasy, but it’s making it’s way into other genres, like romance.

Examples of Steampunk

Wikipedia says that the term was first used in the late 1980’s, but we can trace steampunk influence as far back as the 19th century authors Jules Verne (Around the World in Eighty Days), H.G. Wells (The Time Machine), and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein).

I’ve never heard of most of the modern books identified as steampunk, but here are some examples:

  • The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
  • Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
  • Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
  • The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

 

sherlock holmesA few movies come up in the discussion of steampunk, and these mean more to me:

  • Wild, Wild West, with Will Smith
  • Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey, Jr.  (I love the S.H. movies for the music and the great chemistry between Holmes and Watson; my 13-year-old son likes the gadgets and the fighting!)

 

 

 

 

For a more in-depth explanation of steampunk, see this great article on steampunk.com, as well as the rest of the site!

How do you describe steampunk?  Can you suggest any other books or movies that fit the steampunk image?  

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia 

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

8 Comments

  1. One of my writing friends in real life is working on a steampunk comic book. He got his funding from Kickstarter. I didn’t know what it was until he started this project.

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