Whatpunking?! A Guide for Steampunk Newbs

            In short, it’s historical science fiction. From there on, the explanations get far more complicated.

            Typically, it centers on the technology of the Victorian Era, although hints of other time periods can acceptably be slipped in. It focuses on the time when the modern era was forming and machines were big and cool-looking. Make those machines so big and cool-looking that they appear to have come from a science-fiction novel, and you’ve got steampunk.



An example of steampunk fashion.
(CC Image by Kyle Cassidy)

           Think of the earliest science fiction, like the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. You know, airships, submarines, massive steam engines… That kind of fun stuff. That was the beginning of not only the steampunk genre, but of science fiction as a whole. 

            The second wave of steampunk came in the 1980s with writers like James Blaylock and Tim Powers. This was also the time when the term “steampunk” was initially coined. “Steam” refers to steam power, and the “punk” is a play on the name of the already-existing cyberpunk genre.

            The third wave is now. Yes, now—start getting excited. And this time, it’s more than just books. There’s steampunk movies, steampunk TV shows, steampunk fashion, steampunk art, steampunk architecture, steampunk music, and, of course, steampunk blogs. Not only that, but an entire steampunk subculture. Pretty much anything that exists can be steampunked, depending how creative you are.

            All in all, steampunk is a world of contrasts. It’s about elegance and refinement, and about adventure and bad-ass-ness. (Care to go werewolf hunting after, tea, good sir?) It’s often political, perhaps even radical, but still lighthearted and fun. Sometimes it's dark and gothic, and sometimes it’s pleasant and whimsical. The largest of these contrasts, perhaps, is its way of paying homage to the past, while still acknowledging the present and, of course, looking forward to the future.