“Telectroscope aperture at London City Hall showing Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf” by Original uploader was Colonel Warden at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Undead_warrior using CommonsHelper.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
First named by K. W. Jeter in 1987, steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy in which alternate histories of the nineteenth century dramatically reshape the past, present, and future, has become increasingly popular in mainstream culture as both a literary genre and a fan subculture, to the point that one can now purchase mass-produced steampunk costumes from most American party shops.
As an alternate history genre, steampunk literature builds its worlds by answering the “what if?” question of science fiction and fantasy; it does so by tweaking nineteenth-century history and literature and engaging with cultural discourses of the day.
Here are a few invited blog posts that I have written on the subject:
- Queer Cogs: Steampunk, Gender Identity, and Sexuality (Tor.com)
- Steampunk and the Academy; or it really is a clockwork universe, my dear Victorianists (The Journal of Victorian Culture Online)
- Roundtable on Paul St George’s Telectroscope (The Journal of Victorian Culture Online)
If you are interested in reading some steampunk literature or learning more about steampunk in general, the suggestions below will give you a good sense of steampunk from a variety of voices. The reading list from my Fall 2014 International Steampunk Literature and Culture class may also be of interest to you.
Blogs and Online Periodicals
- Airship Ambassador: http://www.airshipambassador.com/
- Beyond Victoriana: A Multicultural Perspective on Steampunk: http://beyondvictoriana.com/
- Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies: http://www.neovictorianstudies.com/
- Silver Goggles: http://silver-goggles.blogspot.com/
- Steampunk Chronicle: http://www.steampunkchronicle.com/
- Steampunk Magazine: http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/
- Steampunk Scholar: http://steampunkscholar.blogspot.com/
- Steampunk Week 2011 at Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/features/series/steampunk-week
Online Short Films
- “Steamfunk & Rococoa: A Black Victorian Fantasy” by Briaan L. Baron:
- “Eye of the Storm” by Lovett:
Steampunk Music
- “The Circus At The End Of The World” by Abney Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTSxJcH7h7c&list=RDlTSxJcH7h7c
- “Chap-Hop History” by Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t28COxEp2k&list=RD6t28COxEp2k#t=1
- “Just Glue Some Gears On It (And Call It Steampunk)” by Reginald Pikedevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCuE5rHbPA
- “The Vagabond” by The Gin Rebellion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImdvgJ-epS0
- “Steampunk Pixie” by Frenchy and the Punk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixbKm2JQx2w
Anthologies
- Donovan, Art. The Art of Steampunk: Extraordinary Devices and Ingenious Contraptions from the Leading Artists of the Steampunk Movement. Fox Chapel Publishing, 2011.
- Hans, Sarah. Steampunk World. Alliteration Ink, 2014.
- Vanderhooft, JoSelle. Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories. Torquere Press, 2011.
- VanderMeer, Ann and Jeff, Eds. Steampunk. Tachyon Press, 2008. (and subsequent volumes of this anthology)
- 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. Abrams Image, 2011.
Novels
- Carriger, Gail. Soulless. (first book of the Parasol Protectorate series)
- Cooper, Karina. Tarnished. Avon, 2012. (first book of the St. Croix Chronicles series
- Bruchac, Joseph. Killer of Enemies. Tu Books, 2013.
- Gibson, William and Bruce Sterling. The Difference Engine. 1990.
- Priest, Cherie. Boneshaker. Tor Books, 2009. (first book of the Clockwork Century series)
- Westerfield, Scott. Leviathan. Simon Pulse, 2009. (first book of the Leviathan trilogy)