Post-apocalypse Condominiums

            Poking around Discover Magazine, I came across an article on an underground, nuclear-war-proof living complex, sort of like a real-life City of Ember. It’s capable of self-sufficiency, with hydroponics farming, fish tanks, and zombie-proof defense mechanisms. Unfortunately, however, the steampunk pretty much stops there. While I appreciate the effort to make such a usually dark place pleasant, the “brand-name kitchen appliances,” and “window-like HDTV panels” would probably detract from the overall steampunkness. Nonetheless, this might be in interesting setting in a post-apocalypse tale: a world where a lucky few live in safety and luxury below the ground, while the rest of the world’s population must fend for itself.    

            Since, due to copyright issues, I was hesitant to include pictures, I’ll put in a link to the official site: http://survivalcondo.com/index.html

Professor Elemental

A rap about tea? Two words: Epic win.

Official site: http://www.professorelemental.com/fr_home.cfm

Last Exile

            I’m going to be nerdy today and talk about anime. Last Exile, to be specific, which is one of my favorite steampunk stories of all time. Plot-wise it’s fairly basic—two ordinary young pilots getting caught up in a planet-wide rebellion against an authoritarian empire—but it’s a story well-told, and don’t even get me started on the animation and world design…

            I’ve posted episode three, since the first two are of lower quality than the majority of the series and have little to do with the overall plot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DiUQF1LUXU

DIY Clothing Tutorial: T-Shirt to Tank Top

            I realized, a little belatedly, that I failed to mention the do-it-yourself aspect of steampunk in my intro post, so I thought I’d introduce it here with this simple tutorial: converting old T-shirts into tank tops. It takes almost no materials and just a few minutes, and it’s a great way to steampunkify a distinctly modern but all-too-common clothing item.

http://www.crafterhoursblog.com/2011/08/tee-to-tank-tutorial-by-jen-from.html

Abney Park

            Now that I’ve got the obligatory “let’s-define-steampunk” post done with, it’s time to start in on the real stuff. A good place to begin, I believe, would be Abney Park.

            Wherever there’s steampunk, you’ll probably find Abney Park. Essentially, they are THE definitive band of the scene, and the group more or less responsible for steampunk’s shift from a literary genre to a full-blown subculture.

            Anyway, enough said. Just listen.

Official site: http://abneypark.com/

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.