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 Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:29 pm
Personally, I find steampunk to be a generic way to describe some type of anachronism (or maybe prochronism?) where the technology within that world is centered around steam-power and clockwork. I know that clockpunk is considered a sub-genre of its own, but I think the marriage between the concept of steam and clockwork works so well together. As for the "era" portion, I find it to be unlimited and not necessarily needing to be victorian.
...I'm sure in the eyes of many my view is probably flawed when set to their standards.
>_>
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:14 pm
Tsuchiya~Hisashi ...I'm sure in the eyes of many my view is probably flawed when set to their standards. >_>
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:31 pm
It's hard to give a short answer but:
Steampunk, in my own words, is the era between the American Industrial Revolution / British Victorian Era to about WWII, in which steam is the primary / "alternate history" use of power.
Steampunk mainly uses steam, however, when getting into other lesser power uses within steampunk (IE: Electricity, Magic, Coal) can change the viewers believes on what steampunk is.
o___Q
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:38 pm
If I were to "define" steampunk for me, I'd just end up parroting what mostly everyone else has said.
Personally, I love the Victorian era, and it is to this I turn when I think of steampunk. And now I'll just list some things willy-nilly that I imagine when I think of my steampunk world: gaslamps. Horse-drawn carriages alongside steam-engines and airships for travel. Steam-powered (and sometimes gear-powered (clockpunk)) everything.
Perhaps a few hermits have learnt to harness and use electricity. Perhaps some wizards enchant their steam-powered machinery using aether (making robots come to "life", etc.).
Lots of brass, copper, leather, wood, natural things. Erm, City of Ember comes close to my vision, if anyone's ever seen it.
However, I am really hesitant to say something is or isn't steampunk. We are all different and unique, so of course one person's definition is not going to mesh with another's. It's like someone said earlier (forgive me for not remembering or quoting properly): If you say you're steampunk, you probably are.
What I hate most about things becoming mainstream (think goth culture) is that people try to force it into such a narrow little box and everything outside the box is "abnormal".
Steampunk is steampunk, plain and simple. (^_Q)
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:50 pm
Lily Darling Steampunk is steampunk, plain and simple. (^_Q) Good answer.
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:54 pm
Lily Darling If I were to "define" steampunk for me, I'd just end up parroting what mostly everyone else has said.
Personally, I love the Victorian era, and it is to this I turn when I think of steampunk. And now I'll just list some things willy-nilly that I imagine when I think of my steampunk world: gaslamps. Horse-drawn carriages alongside steam-engines and airships for travel. Steam-powered (and sometimes gear-powered (clockpunk)) everything.
Perhaps a few hermits have learnt to harness and use electricity. Perhaps some wizards enchant their steam-powered machinery using aether (making robots come to "life", etc.).
Lots of brass, copper, leather, wood, natural things. Erm, City of Ember comes close to my vision, if anyone's ever seen it.
However, I am really hesitant to say something is or isn't steampunk. We are all different and unique, so of course one person's definition is not going to mesh with another's. It's like someone said earlier (forgive me for not remembering or quoting properly): If you say you're steampunk, you probably are.
What I hate most about things becoming mainstream (think goth culture) is that people try to force it into such a narrow little box and everything outside the box is "abnormal".
Steampunk is steampunk, plain and simple. (^_Q) City of Ember's AWESOME! It's so well done, it impressed me.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:13 am
Lily Darling Steampunk is steampunk, plain and simple. (^_Q) Yeah, it's not something that can really be explained isn't it? It is what it is to the eye of the beholder. Oh yeah, Bioshock is steampunk(to me anyway) because of the age and undermantinence of the facility, causing the *ahem* inhabitants to make their own gear. All of the weapons have a very home-made feel to them(the grenade launcher looks like it was made out of vegetable cans). And yeah, my bit of Bioshock awesomeness propaganda.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:20 am
MyShadowHidesMe Lily Darling Steampunk is steampunk, plain and simple. (^_Q) Yeah, it's not something that can really be explained isn't it? It is what it is to the eye of the beholder. Oh yeah, Bioshock is steampunk(to me anyway) because of the age and undermantinence of the facility, causing the *ahem* inhabitants to make their own gear. All of the weapons have a very home-made feel to them(the grenade launcher looks like it was made out of vegetable cans). And yeah, my bit of Bioshock awesomeness propaganda. Always thought it was 'Biopunk' me; what with being 50 years too late, and not powered by steam.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:49 am
Steampunk is quite simply "anachronisticly futuristic steam technology." And I like to think it always includes some element of classiness, a common mindset that chivalry is NOT dead and that everyone has some dignity about them.
But no matter what, it always boils down to Anachronistically-Advanced Steam Technology and there's really no contest to that. If you take the steam out of steampunk, it's just anachronistic fiction if it's even fiction at all. Victorian stuff, whatever, take it or leave it. It's a nice safe place to be steampunk, and it's easy to keep it there but there are so many other fun eras to set some steampunk.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:25 am
Xeigrich Steampunk is quite simply "anachronisticly futuristic steam technology." And I like to think it always includes some element of classiness, a common mindset that chivalry is NOT dead and that everyone has some dignity about them. But no matter what, it always boils down to Anachronistically-Advanced Steam Technology and there's really no contest to that. If you take the steam out of steampunk, it's just anachronistic fiction if it's even fiction at all. Victorian stuff, whatever, take it or leave it. It's a nice safe place to be steampunk, and it's easy to keep it there but there are so many other fun eras to set some steampunk. Well said, sir. (Esp my enboldened bit)
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:18 am
Captain Amaranth Eumorpha Steampunk, to me, is as simple as giving advanced technology to a time that didn't originally have it. Say nothing of the Victorian Era. I prefer the Victorian Era setting, but things like DaVinci's flying machines and the game Bioshock have shown me that steampunk shouldn't be limited to the Victorian Era. Forgive me, but aren't what you're describing there anachronisms, not steampunk itself? A prochronism being when you give a time period advanced technology.e.g. Bioshock being biopunk; and things based on Da Vinci's inventions being renaissance-punk*? * or some better sounding nameI think you're splitting hairs. It's very simple for me to place it under the same umbrella, so to speak. More to the point, at what point, El Capitan, does it stop being anachronism and start being steampunk? Where will you draw the line, Sir? Because I think they mingle rather nicely. I think it's silly to separate such similar ideas so completely.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:29 am
Eumorpha I think you're splitting hairs. It's very simple for me to place it under the same umbrella, so to speak. More to the point, at what point, El Capitan, does it stop being anachronism and start being steampunk? Where will you draw the line, Sir? Because I think they mingle rather nicely. I think it's silly to separate such similar ideas so completely.
I disagree completely. I'd like to interject that while Steampunk is an Anachronism, not all Anachronisms are Steampunk. For one thing the very word was around long before the Victorian era, which I believe for the most part, is the basis for steampunk. An anachronism is simply an error in chronology. While what you described was a wonderful visualization of Anachronism, you danced around the subject of steampunk. There is nothing STEAM about DaVinci's Flying machine. And while Bioshock is a fantastic game, there is hardly anything steampunk about it. It's Retro Futuristic which isn't at all a new theme and has been around since the 40s and 50s when they Imagined the future that way. Also I don't enjoy your disrespectful tone. No need to be nasty, el know-it-all. See that doesnt feel very good does it?
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:38 am
I've just noticed Dixie Dellamorto's words above me. She speaks wisdom! Wisdom I say! Although I rather think 'El Capitan' was not meant to be nasty, but rather a nick-name of sorts (and one I rather like, to boot).~ I must say I disagree. Not specifically on your thoughts, but more to the point that you are mistakenly branding all anachronisms as 'steampunk'. This is not the case. I apologise for the broken up quote, it helps to address things part by part. I also apologise for the rather awkward tone of the following, I've tried to keep things clear and unambiguous.Eumorpha More to the point, at what point, El Capitan, does it stop being anachronism and start being steampunk? Where will you draw the line, Sir? With regards to "at what point, El Capitan, does it stop being anachronism and start being steampunk?" - it doesn't. Steampunk is an anachronism. Specifically, prochronisms based around steam technology. Eumorpha Because I think they mingle rather nicely. Indeed they can; but they're still different things on their own. Eumorpha I think it's silly to separate such similar ideas so completely. They're not separate per sé, they're just defined, as if different flavours of prochronism. Compare to ice-cream. You have different flavours, like strawberry and vanilla. They're still ice cream, and they can be mixed. Prochronisms had different flavours, like steampunk or diesel punk. They're still prochronisms, and they can be mixed. The distinction between different types of prochronism is the technology it is based on (e.g. steampunk is steam power, dieselpunk is diesel power, clockpunk is clockwork, sandal punk is roman/greek technology...). Eumorpha It's very simple for me to place it under the same umbrella, so to speak. But 'tis the wrong umbrella! Going back to the ice-cream analogy, that would be like calling all flavours of ice-cream 'strawberry'. That is to say, you seem to be calling all prochronisms 'steampunk' - even when there's no steam to be found.If you were to not separate the ideas, they'd all just be billed 'prochronism' - and there would be no steampunk. or dieselpunk, or clockpunk... It would get awfully confusing, so we need to call them different things (as indeed we do). A useful link.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:48 am
Dixie Dellamorto No need to be nasty, el know-it-all. See that doesnt feel very good does it? I'm not being nasty. That's my nickname for the Captain. I like nicknames, I'm sorry. El Capitan- I suppose you're right. However, I must say, it's only natural to call all icecream strawberry when it's the best flavor. whee
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