What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a difficult thing to explain, as it does not abide easily by the usual subcultural rules. It doesn’t relate to a specific style of music, or television show, or film. (There are examples of all of these that fall into the Steampunk ‘aesthetic’, however.) Steampunk is a subculture that, for the most part, draws its inspirations from literature and history. Perhaps the best way to examine the philosophy of Steampunk is to look at the word itself.


The ‘Steam’ of Steampunk

For most Steampunks, the ‘Steam’ in Steampunk conjures up visions of the Age of Steam, (which most would consider to be the Victorian and Edwardian era) from the gaslit streets of Victorian London to the dusty saloons of the American Frontier, from the wilds of Colonial Africa and India to the genteel drawing rooms of the aristocracy. It can also conjure up more fantastical imagery – airship pirates fighting wild ‘air-kraken’, for example! Steampunks like to take things they admire from the Age of Steam – the clothing, the etiquette, even in some cases the hobbies, and merge them with our 21st Century attitudes and philosophies, which brings us to…

The ‘Punk’ of Steampunk

The ‘Punk’ in Steampunk has little to do with the musical style and more to do with the ethos of that music style – the DIY attitude, the rejection of rules and standards. The Punk attitude is what enables some lady Steampunks to- gasp! –show their ankles, or wear their corsets on the outside! Gracious! Steampunks often modify clothing to fit in better with their idea of Steampunk – or even design and make their own clothing, props, and ray-guns! Computers, cameras, cell-phones and many other modern devices are disguised and made to look as if they are antiques. The modern, streamlined aesthetic displeases many Steampunks, and they like to make their devices look more attractive and individual. Steampunk is very much about individuality.


Seriously, though, where does it come from?

Steampunk is a subgenre of science-fiction and fantasy literature. This kind of literature existed long before the term was coined (in the works, for example, of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne). Later authors came along and added to the literary tapestry – K. W. Jeter, Tim Powers, James Blaylock, Michael Moorcock, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling and many others. It was Jeter who coined the term ‘Steampunk’ (as a kind of tongue in cheek reference to the popular SF genre ‘Cyberpunk’) in 1987, and since then many authors have come to identify themselves as Steampunk writers.

There have been several films that utilise the Steampunk design aesthetic – The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Wild Wild West, Steamboy, Treasure Planet and others.

The literary heritage of Steampunk means that many (but by no means all) Steampunks develop an ‘alter-ego’ that often defines the way they dress. Some are explorers, and sport pith helmets, rugged boots and rifles. Some are engineers, dressed in overalls with several handy tools in their belt pouches. Some are airship pilots, with goggles and uniforms and sturdy leather jackets. The list goes on and on – soldiers, dilettantes, mad scientists, sky-pirates, musicians, spies, doctors, steam-powered robots &c, &c…

Where can I find out more?

The internet is very much the home of Steampunk. Information can be found at:

v Wikipedia’s Steampunk page

v The Brass Goggles Forum.

v Steampunk Magazine.

Each of these can direct you to a multitude of websites that cover every facet of Steampunk history, design and philosophy.