Steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that combines elements of outdated industrial machinery with futuristic or alternate historical settings. Emerging in the 1980s, steampunk draws inspiration from earlier works of fiction by authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, who incorporated steam technology and adventure themes into their narratives. The term "steampunk" was coined by author K.W. Jeter to describe works that rebel against conventional uses of steam technology, often set against a backdrop reminiscent of the Victorian era or the American Wild West. Key features of steampunk narratives include urban settings, typically London, and protagonists who are inventors repurposing old technology for novel purposes.
Prominent authors in the genre include Tim Powers, James P. Blaylock, and William Gibson, with notable works such as Gibson and Bruce Sterling's *The Difference Engine*, which explores themes of technology's corrupting influence in a dystopian alternate reality. Steampunk has expanded beyond literature into film and television, with notable adaptations and original works that reflect its unique aesthetic, such as Terry Gilliam's *Brazil* and the *Wild Wild West* film. The genre continues to evolve, attracting new audiences and authors, and remains a rich field of creative exploration.
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Steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy literature named for its frequent inclusion of outdated industrial-era machinery in a futuristic or alternative history setting. Steampunk is an offshoot of cyberpunk literature, which contrastingly features highly innovative technologies. Other genres that have inspired steampunk literature include gothic and horror fiction. Noteworthy authors of steampunk fiction include William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Tim Powers, James P. Blaylock, Philip Reeve, and S.M. Stirling. Steampunk has also made its way into modes of entertainment such as film and television.
Brief History
The ideas commonly found in steampunk fiction existed well before the subgenre emerged in the 1980s. Classic works of science fiction and horror by authors such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, and Mary Shelley exhibit characteristically steampunk elements. Verne's 1880 work The Steam House features a group of men traveling across India in a steam-powered mechanical elephant. Verne's 1864 Journey to the Center of the Earth and Well's 1895 The Time Machine—which introduced the term time machine into science fiction and subsequently steampunk language—are prominent examples of early concepts of adventure and time travel that influenced the steampunk genre. These writers, along with the scientific ideas of Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein, heavily influenced science fiction authors of the 1970s and 1980s, eventually giving rise to the steampunk movement of the genre.
Science fiction and horror author K.W. Jeter coined the word steampunk in 1987. Jeter used the term to classify the works of authors such as Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock, whose stories involved the rebellious use of old-fashioned steam technology. Steampunk is often described as a blend of the modern world and the Victorian era or the age of the American Wild West. Works of steampunk fiction can involve an alternate history set in the industrial age or a futuristic society where steam-powered technology is still in fashion. The use of the word punk in genre titles such as steampunk and cyberpunk refers to a rebellion against the denoted technology. In the case of steampunk, characters rebel against the conventional usage of steam technology, altering the machinery to their tastes. The rebellious connotations can also refer to a defiant attitude toward modern technology in general. Many steampunk novels involve settings where Victorian conceptions of the future of steam-powered machinery come to life.
A novel must contain several key story details to be truly deemed steampunk. Plots usually take place in an urban setting, mainly London, and depict a society rife with hardships. Steampunk settings find inspiration in Victorian manner and style. Characters are often found wearing traditional Victorian attire such as corseted dresses and multi-pieced suits. The protagonist is usually an inventor who repurposes industrial technology for his or her own rebellious motives. Similarities often exist between the machines and gadgets found in steampunk novels and modern technology, however.
Notable Works and Authors
Authors noted for launching the steampunk craze of the 1970s and 1980s include Michael Moorcock, Tim Powers, James P. Blaylock, and K.W. Jeter. Writing partners William Gibson and Bruce Sterling are also credited as pioneers of the genre. First generation steampunk novels include Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Streams (1982), Blaylock's Homunculus (1986) and Lord Kelvin's Machines (1992), and Jeter's Infernal Devices: A Mad Victorian Fantasy (1987). Gibson and Sterling's book The Difference Engine (1990) is often recognized as the work that popularized the steampunk genre. Set in a dystopic alternate version of the year 1855, the book tells the story of a group of British and American anti-technology activists in a reality where information technology was invented at the same time as industrial technology. The novel touches on themes such as the corrupting power of technology, a prevalent idea in many successive steampunk works.
The steampunk trend continued to gain in popularity through the 1990s and entered a new era in the twenty-first century with writers such as Philip Reeve, S.M. Stirling, and Scott Westerfeld. Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy was especially popular during the late 2000s, reviving public interest in the steampunk genre. Many scholars refer to the second era of steampunk writings as "steam sci-fi" or "gaslight romances" due to the nature of their plots.
Steampunk stories can also be found on screen. Director Terry Gilliam's cult masterpiece Brazil (1985) is filled with steampunk imagery. Will Smith starred in the steampunk adventure film Wild Wild West (1999), which features a villain in a steam-powered wheelchair who wields a giant steam-powered mechanical spider. Filmmakers have also adapted steampunk literature for the screen, including Philip Pullman's best-selling novel The Golden Compass (2001). Christopher Nolan directed the 2006 film adaptation of Christopher Priest's popular steampunk novel The Prestige (1995), which features an illusionist in turn-of-the-century London.
Bibliography
Latham, Rob. The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. 434–445. Print.
"Leviathan." Kirkus Review. Kirkus Media LLC. 6 Oct. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/scott-westerfeld/leviathan-3/#reviewd
Mark, Jacob. "Steampunk is…" DePauw University. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. https://sites.google.com/a/depauw.edu/airships-and-corsets/home
Marsocci, Joey, and Allison DeBlasio. Fantasy Underground: How to Draw Steampunk: Discover the Secrets to Drawing, Painting, and Illustrating the Curious World of Science Fiction in the Victorian Age. Irvine: Walter Foster Publishing, 2014. 7–11. Print.
"Steampunk." The Rough Guide to Cult Movies. 3rd ed. London: Rough Guides, 2010. 363–364. Print.
VanderMeer, Jeff, and S.J. Chambers. The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature. New York: Abrams, 2012. 12–67. Print.