“To some, ‘steampunk’ is a catchall term, a concept in search of a visual identity. To me, it’s essentially the intersection of technology and romance.” ~ Jake von Slatt
Leon mentioned today on Facebook about a venture that he had been working on this morning. He was working on creating a Steampunk-inspired water gun. It got me thinking about the Steampunk world out there.
“Steampunk 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 the Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.” ~ Wikipedia
Photo credits:
- Steampunk bug ~ Steampunk Love
- Steampunk Man ~ vladeb on Flickr.
- Steampunk Interest Group on Facebook
I have a steampunk weapon in anticipation of needing one for work. It is actually made by Nerf and my grandkids are unable to walk by it with out wanting to touch it. By the way, taking this picture and not getting shadows or light glare was rather challenging. And of course my dawg Amelia wanted to help which made it even more challenging. <smile>
The steampunk industry is in full swing, with a number of companies willing to do custom work to modify your workplace. One such place is the Steampunk Workshop.
What is it about the steampunk movement that appeals to so many people? The people following this movement seem to be book readers, reading books like Leviathan, an alternate history were Europe is headed towards a Word War I. The Germanic Clankers, with their advanced machinery, face off against the British Darwinists, with their crossbred animals.
Another book is The Explosionist where England fell to Napoleon at Waterloo, scientists work together with spiritualists, and hydrogen-powered cars move people around Scotland’s streets. Can you see a trend in these books? Steampunk seems to be a wishful kind of world where the readers can escape the madness of the real world that is mired in the politics controlled by the rich and unimaginative.
The Bis Key Chronicles 