I have a great many interests. They range wildly from video games, reading, classic TV, LARP, D&D, and even cooking. Every once in a while, we find a subculture that speaks to us. I'm lucky enough to belong to a good deal of them. One of my favorite subcultures (if you couldn't infer from the title of the post) is steampunk. Steampunk has a lot of definitions. Steampunk, as defined by wikipedia, is "a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the contemporary authors Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld and China Mieville. Other examples of steampunk contain alternative history-style presentations of such technology as lighter-than-air airships, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace's Analytical engine. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk."
Purist steampunks will often tell you that if you don't do things exactly their way, you can get the hell off of their airship. I take a much more "broad spectrum" approach to my steampunk ideals. An anachronistic history of Victorian England can be viewed as many things. As it didn't actually happen that way, who is to say that certain elements the purists deem "unfit" might not have become created and implemented (to a degree which would actually make sense within the confines of the genre)? By this, I mean that if it could reasonably be seen as a technological or sociological advancement which could be achieved with the levels of technology already present in the genre, go for it. The biggest thing that I see happening (which I somewhat agree with the purists about) is the integration of cyberpunk into steampunk settings. I have no quarrel with the cyberpunks (as it is another genre that catches my fancy), but I wouldn't mix Star Trek (science fiction) with Dagorhir (medieval fantasy combat).
The sound of ticking clockwork is quite often the first thing that people will think of when they hear the word "steampunk". Clockwork does play an important role. Mechanized carriages, clockwork dolls, even artificial life can be common themes within the genre. Another aspect (which does not ALWAYS have to be incorporated) is the airship. Most often a form of dirigible, the airship opens up the steampunk genre to one of my favorite aspects of the subculture; airship pirates! Most often painted as the romantic brigand (and protagonist of the story), the airship pirate is a steampunk Robin Hood. This isn't to say that you don't get your Blackbeards, simply that the pirate seems to be one of the archetypes of the genre that people relate to and sympathize with.
The dress style of steampunk should normally fit with the Victorian (or sometimes Edwardian) setting. Now, this, one might think, could limit your wardrobe choices. Most people don't realize that the clothing of these eras was as vast and varying as our own fashion world today. Each class had it's own wardrobe, with variations therein. Certain professions had a recognizable uniform. Even people wearing the same basic outfit could differentiate themselves with accessories of wildly ranging complexity and style. The same applies for steampunk. Another complaint that many steampunks have is that those new to the genre think that everything HAS to be brown. Yes, colors existed in Victorian times. Now, you shouldn't make a brocade doublet in neon pink, but use colors (within reason).
The music, literature, fashion, and everything else associated with steampunk draws me in like the smell of oil burning on the moving parts of my airship's engine. It is a fun hobby and, due to the increasing popularity, a widespread art form. You can find steampunk things on almost any website that sells things. One of my favorites is etsy. On etsy, you can find the craftsmanship of artisans all over the world. On the other hand, etsy can sometimes offer "steampunk" objects which are not even close to fitting within the genre. A lot of people have tried to cash in on the growing popularity of the genre by painting things copper and gluing a gear or two to them. This does not a steampunk object make. If you have the time and patience to wade through to find the better things, etsy is well worth your while.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, but my airship is about to leave without me. Blasted crew thinks they can leave their captain behind? We'll see who's laughing when I put the mechanical spiders that I bought in London in each and every one of their bunks.
TTFN, ta ta for now.
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