8
Jan
…might contain clockwork laptops and steam driven airships.
Yup.
Steampunk.
As one of my fellow critters asked the other day: "What on earth is it?"
Steampunk is a sci-fi subgenre, based in a world where the future has collapsed and silicone, plastic and any other modern technology has been replaced by — you guessed it — steam powered, clockwork driven gadgets made of brass and copper.
The world is a re-invented Victorian era, complete with long dresses, walking sticks and whatnot.
Never mind that those long skirts are held up by leather and brass buckles big enough to knock out even the most courageous mugger.
We're talking about a very dystopian world, where anything goes, as long as it involves brass bolts, clockworks, steam and copper screws.
And let's not forget the funky goggles!
In case I've whet your appetite… here are some images of Steampunk gadgetry:
Cool, eh?
The idea has been around a long time, if you want to get right down to it, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne were the grandfathers of the genre.
You've guessed it. The Nautilus… is a steampunk submarine.
It's kind of cyberpunk in reverse, where the women are strong and resourceful, the men adventurous and brave.
Personally, I love the whole look of the Steampunk stuff, but I couldn't write it to save my life. I'll leave that to the braver souls out there.
It's an up and coming subgenre for romance as well, you mark my words.
