This document provides an overview of steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction set in a fantasy version of the 19th century featuring steam-powered technology. It discusses defining features such as brass, cogs and Victorian aesthetics. Lesser-known related subgenres like dieselpunk are mentioned. Influential early works and the origin of the term "steampunk" in the 1980s are outlined. Examples across media like film, television, games and music are provided. The thriving steampunk community and conventions are briefly described.
2. What is steampunk?
Steampunk is a subgenre of Science Fiction. It
features themes and technologies from the
1800s to early 1900s in fantasy settings.
12. Zeerust
“... the particular kind of datedness which afflicts
things that were originally designed to look
futuristic.”
Douglas Adams & John Lloyd,
The Meaning of Liff
14. A Brief History of Steampunk
19th century novelist Jules Verne’s work isn’t
technically steampunk, but its influence on
modern steampunk is massive.
15. The 1927 silent film Metropolis is considered
another early example of steampunk themes,
including automation, mad science and
pollution
A Brief History of Steampunk
16. Mervyn Peake’s 1959 book Titus Alone is
considered a forerunner to steampunk literature
A Brief History of Steampunk
17. The term “steampunk” was coined by K. W.
Jeter, the author of Morlock Night (1979) in a
letter to Locus magazine in 1987.
A Brief History of Steampunk
18. K. W. Jeter
“Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going
to be the next big thing, as long as we can come
up with a fitting collective term... Something
based on the appropriate technology of the era;
like ‘steam-punks’, perhaps.”
