All Things Steampunk?
Steampunk. Steampunk is a lot of things. A genre of books and movies to a lifestyle even. You see it in Anime, Comic Cons, and more. Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit subs, forums…you will run into a plethora of styles of steampunk as well. You’ve got your western steampunk, your Victorian style, your Anime style, even the furries are doing it.
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Although its literary origins are sometimes associated with the cyberpunk genre, steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century British Victorian era or the American “Wild West”, in a future during which steam power has maintained mainstream usage, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. However, steampunk and neo-Victorian are different in that the neo-Victorian movement does not extrapolate on technology while technology is a key aspect of steampunk. Wikipedia
Two main styles are futuristic with low key tech (think steam cannons and engines in the year 2925) or historical settings with advanced technology instead of what the era really (think laser cannons and flying cars in 1825). You’ll see steampunk in science fiction like The Dark Tower (Stephan King) in a more subtle way while something like the Jackelian series (Stephan Hunt) where it’s much more prevalent.
I’m in the process of a fan fic (yes I write those too, slap my hand I’m a bad bad girl) of The DT universe or rather a level of the Dark Tower. If you aren’t familiar with the Dark Tower, it’s King’s version of world walkers mixed with string theory and wild west peppered with a bit of subtle steampunk sci-fi and magical. A bit of a mixed bag that series of books really. It also seeps into all his other work as well.
Back to the fanfic. Steampunk mixed with the old west and much older Bushido/Samurai (if you didn’t know, I’m a huge foreign film fanatic, love Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese theater and film – huge fan) story baseline. My own personal bit of everything so to speak, I hope King doesn’t mind the dedication to his Magnum Opus. If not for King and love of his books I wouldn’t be a writer myself. My questions to you, the reader: What’s your favorite steampunk story? If you don’t have one or have never read a steampunk story, keep an eye out on our site for books like The Victorian and Forlorn Hope.
