What is Steampunk?

This is a good question that is difficult to answer.

To me, Steampunk has always been first and foremost a literary genre, or least a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that includes social or technological aspects of the 19th century (the steam) usually with some deconstruction of, reimagining of, or rebellion against parts of it (the punk). Unfortunately, it is a poorly defined subgenre, with plenty of disagreement about what is and is not included. For example, steampunk stories may:

Take place in the Victorian era but include advanced machines based on 19th century technology (e.g. The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling);
Include the supernatural as well (e.g. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger);
Include the supernatural and forego the technology (e.g. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, one of the works that inspired the term ‘steampunk’);
Include the advanced machines, but take place later than the Victorian period, thereby assuming that the predomination by electricity and petroleum never happens (e.g. The Peshawar Lancers by S. M. Stirling); or
Take place in an another world altogether, but featuring Victorian-like technology (e.g. Mainspring by Jay Lake).

“It’s sort of Victorian-industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans.”

- Caitlin Kittredge

There are probably plenty of other combinations I’ve forgotten, but that’s steampunk as a genre in a nutshell. Steampunk has also cross-pollinated its way into other genres, so there is steampunk romance, steampunk erotica, and steampunk young adult fiction. I haven’t spotten any steampunk picture books yet, but I won’t be surprise when I do.

And it isn’t just written fiction anymore. There are steampunk games (e.g. Bioshock II), steampunk graphic novels (e.g. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), and even steampunk movies (e.g. Sherlock Holmes) and TV shows (e.g. Warehouse 13). There is even steampunk music and steampunk performance art.

“To me, it’s essentially the intersection of technology and romance.” – Jake von Slatt

But steampunk has become a lot more. What with all the cool contraptions in the stories, it was only natural that some people would decide to make some of them (or at least things like them). Thus, steampunk gadgets came into the real world. People has “steampunk’d” everything from computers, desks, telephone, watches and guitars to cars, motorcycles, and whole houses. These objects can vary from a grungy look of a forgotten antique to the shiny overwrought newness of a Victorian gentleman’s club. Think brass and copper, glass and polished wood, engraving and etching, and details for the sake of details. So, steampunk is also a design aesthetic.

“Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown.” – Jess Nevins

This aesthetic carries over into personal style with both clothing and jewelry being made in a “steampunk” style. The clothes are not exactly Victorian, adding in technological bits or hints of a more adventurous life than a typical Victorian citizen likely enjoyed.

So, steampunk is a genre and a design aesthetic.

But wait, there’s more! Steampunk has a philosophical angle as well, which is somewhat of a combination between the maker ideals of creativity and self-reliance and the Victorian optimistic view of the future. This last bit has led to accusations that steampunk includes a fair amount of empire worship, which is a reasonable concern. Another criticism has been that steampunk focuses on the best of the past and quietly sweeps the bad (i.e. slavery, child labor, widespread disease, etc.). Again, this may be a valid criticism and it is somethat that steampunk will have to address. Paul Jessup’s piece “The Future of Steampunk” offers a good discussion of these issues.

Final answer: steampunk is a genre AND a design aesthetic AND a philosophy.

270 Responses to What is Steampunk?

Julia Forster says:

September 6, 2011 at 9:39 am

We use distressed paper, antique inks, grunge- board etc to give a faded ancient look.(See Tim Holtz who pioneered these craft products).
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Keith Mailhotte says:

September 7, 2011 at 8:14 pm

I think of the Movie “Time Bandits”
jim F says:

September 11, 2011 at 2:01 am

Or the movie “Baron Von Munchausen”
lucy cadwallader says:

September 11, 2011 at 11:19 pm

I was told about steampunk as a result of my 16 years of creating Victorian Hair Jewelry…always glad to know there are those who appreciate and keep the Victorian lifestyle/art alive. -lucy-
Don(Duff)Drew says:

September 19, 2011 at 6:53 pm

Long Live the Steam Punk Vision of an Alternative Future.
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Zayna says:

September 21, 2011 at 2:55 am

I am always ALWAYS reminded of the book ‘The Great Invention of Hugo Caberet’
Costume Diva says:

September 21, 2011 at 11:42 am

I think this is a fun and creative way for people to get together to enjoy the same style of dressing and decorating.

I used to belong to a group called the ‘Society for Creative Anachronism’. We dressed in Medieval costumes, made Meade, guys had swords, lances and shields and had mock battles. We had fun and fresh air.

I have been reading a lot about this genre and researching the styles.

I think this would also be a fun and entertaining lifestyle change.
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Annie G says:

September 25, 2011 at 6:26 am

The movies NINE, HUGO, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, Ponyo’s father’s submarine in PONYO, the opening sequence to the HBO show GAME OF THRONES, the Lionsgate Entertainment sequence on their dvd’s, although perhaps that is more just gears.
Daryl Young says:

October 3, 2011 at 7:51 am

to me steampunk, is the very base of everything. in social life there are classes, 3rd class, 2nd class, and 1st class, to me steampunk is at the verytop,
to me i love the way it’s robusc, it’s structural, it’s based around a key part in the history of humanity. besides it’s so much cooler than pink and girly stuff.
Stella says:

October 8, 2011 at 8:26 am

Annie G, I always think of Howl’s too, Miyazaki animates in this style in a lot of his films not just howl and ponyo
Game of thrones (books nor HBO tv series) doesn’t have the technology tho, just the awesome
steampunk is my favourite
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Donna Fuller says:

October 17, 2011 at 6:24 pm

I have to admit that I am a newcomer to steampunk, but I find it all absolutely fascinating.
Harald says:

October 22, 2011 at 2:12 pm

i see steampunk as primarily a style of design, with cogs, brass, copper, and steam engines. airships and the colour brown is also common. But i suppose it is pretty vague.
Rev. E. A. Hernandez says:

October 25, 2011 at 9:43 am

In my search for the hats I prefer, I ran across this term “steampunk” and wondered about it. I am an old man but I was very Goth before the term existed, back in the mid-1970s. Not anymore.

Now I see what it is all about and I wonder: why does no one mention Jules Verne or Nikola Tesla? Original steampunks, man! If you want to add real dash to it, you must include the original police detective Eugene Vidocq. I’d add Spring-heeled Jack to that list too.

I don’t see this as sweeping the ills of the past under the rug. There is nothing past that has vanished totally, not even slavery. In the West, perhaps, but let’s not be too proud of ourselves.

Anyway, this is an awesome fashion movement and I like to think I always had a bit of this sensibility also. Where I live, we created “Victorian Gothic” back in the mid-1980s and I think it was like steampunk because we all read Verne and we all saw the Victorian-themed films that had high tech.
E. A. HERNANDEZ says:

October 27, 2011 at 10:04 am

Well I admire the website and love the steampunk thing which I kust discovered. Since I see my comments are not welcome, however, I thought I’d return and take umbrage. Is my name/email blacklisted here for some reason?
jrrl says:

October 28, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Not at all. I am just sometimes terribly slow to approve comments. Comments get moderated to keep out the spambots. I apologize if this offended you in any way. I’m happy to have you here and as part of the steampunk community.
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a dead baby seal says:

October 31, 2011 at 2:27 pm

steam punk is for sad nerds. i kindof like it
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carl1302 says:

November 1, 2011 at 9:28 pm

To me, steampunk is more than just an esthetic, you can make a film with all the gears you want, (hellboy 2) but not have a steampunk film. The leage of extraordanaire getlemen,(sorry for spelling)on the other hand, might be a crap film, but the feeling is there, that there is more that what we can see at that point in time, that all the tech that has grown around the moderen style have already been thought of, but years before their actual invention.
E. A. HERNANDEZ says:

November 3, 2011 at 7:12 am

jrrl, many thanks, it is good to know the status of things. And though I have little experience such as yours, I do understand the spamming problem. Again, my thanks to you, sir.
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emma says:

November 8, 2011 at 5:33 am

Always wanted to be a victorian patriarch with huge sideburns, an independent generous income, a dark oak panelled study, ignoring my family and wittering away the hours with bad taxidermy – perfecting that moth-eaten, eyeball hanging out, squirrel with waistcoat look. Is that steam-punk? Wrong gender for the sideburns and too busy for the bad taxidermy
Danielle says:

November 9, 2011 at 11:15 am

I’m just getting into writing steampunk but i’m really glad to see that literature has found something new and that it’s working very well. I think this genre has a big future ahead of itself.
adam a. lewis says:

December 12, 2011 at 9:11 pm

Thank you all for your wonderful insight to this “new” genre thats been in the works for 100+ years. I must confess that it was just today that I discovered this marvelous concept. Although I’ve been aware of many steampunk themes..just never knew it was classified as something. It was an exhibit that I saw with my 8year old son and his class at the Mark Twain house in Hartford ct. We were both blown away! Many thanks!
David S. Goodwin says:

December 24, 2011 at 12:30 pm

I often feel like the aesthetic element of steampunk is the only one that is absolutely necessary for the genre. That is, I’ve see utopian and dystopian steampunk, and variations that shed or embrace Victorian culture, and versions where the steamtech is magical or sci-fi… but somehow, as long as the unlikely machines and begoggled protagonists remain, we’ve got steampunk.

The spirit of steampunk in clothing is difficult to pin down, I think , because it suggests utility and pragmatism. Characters wear goggles for a reason – because they are piloting airships or welding steambots, for example. It’s hard to convey that in a costume, unless you can make the clothing and gear actually useful today. That’s why I am so impressed when somebody comes up with goggles that actually magnify, lamps that actually light up, keyboards that actually plug into a computer. That’s steampunk hardcore…
Phao Steele says:

December 25, 2011 at 9:09 pm

I think of the movie Treasure Planet as Steampunk and also most of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books especially the John Carter of Mars series.
Remi says:

January 4, 2012 at 12:58 pm

The Elder Scrolls video games series also have steampunk in them. Theres a faction called dwemer, who are mix of elves and dwarves and as a result of their greatest experiment their had erased themselves from excistance. So only steampunk styled robots and ruins remain.
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MarjorieJCat says:

January 7, 2012 at 10:37 pm

As a complete steampunk novice and film/lit buff, but some one with a growing interest, I was thinking of the work of Terry Pratchett and Tim Burton as a reference point. Valid?
sheol says:

January 9, 2012 at 4:35 am

after looking to youtube for steampunk music, the closest I can really imagine is “steampunk” and not a rehash of goth/grunge or over the top carnival calling, is the melting clock. God is a Watch and Reconstructing alice are two songs that I think really capture the steampunk feel.
sheol says:

January 9, 2012 at 4:36 am

p.s. I love professor elemental too, for his wit and his new take on rap in the steampunk ideology
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Wayne Blake says:

January 13, 2012 at 7:36 pm

Must ask, where is the love for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who in his brilliant and enduring creation of Sherlock Holmes (love ya RD Jr., but Jeremy Brett captured him like none other) provided an almost prescient vision of how forensics could and would impact our modern day lives. An extraordinary yet under appreciated steam punker.
Donna Hartel says:

January 15, 2012 at 12:56 pm

Thank you for this site! I am an old teacher, with a facination for this style. If I had seen this as a teen in the 1970s I would have grabbed it up to my mother’s horror. My thespian friends and I would sometimes “borrow” these types of costumes and go to a local cemetary at night to act out some of our own odd plays. Again, thank you!
AmiL says:

February 8, 2012 at 12:23 pm

Has anyone seen the movie “Delicatessen”? I haven’t seen it listed as steampunk, but this is the only description that even comes close to capturing the feel of it.. some kind of strange alternate, dystopian world with interesting gadgetry. Any thoughts?
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Jason Emery Piekarski says:

February 11, 2012 at 10:38 am

The mix of the Victorian era with the engineering of the 1920s industrial revolution is simple. It all goes back to Jules Verne (going back to “first and foremost, a literary genre”). Verne wrote his best works during the mid-Victorian Era (1837-1901). While they were works of fantasy, Verne was also a visionary, with much of his “fantasy” becoming realized during the 1920s and onward. In 1863 he wrote a novel called PARIS IN THE 20th CENTURY, which remained unpublished until 1994. It was about a young man who lives in a world of glass skyscrapers, high-speed trains, gas-powered automobiles, calculators, and a worldwide communications network. VISIONARY?! How about “PROPHET”!
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W. Reed says:

February 18, 2012 at 9:27 am

As someone else said we really can’t forget who I consider the father of Steampunk Jules Verne.

I am in my mid 30′s and have been a fan since little, never really classified it as steampunk but something else.

Other notable media featuring what is now steampunk is Van Helsing (2004) Full Metal Alchemist/Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, The Three Musketeers (2011)
SAM says:

February 20, 2012 at 4:58 pm

I am new to the Steampunk too, as I took on a challenge to write a different genre and chose Steampunk with a modern twist. It’s a lot of fun, and I like to think of Stardust and the Golden Compass as Steampunkish too. I’m quite sure there is more to Steampunk then I have utilized so far in my writing, but I am having a lot of fun.

Thanks for the site!
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PunkPunk says:

March 6, 2012 at 10:09 pm

I just heard about this today. As a person who was just an average run of the mill boring old “punk” punk, I must say this intrigues me more so than what punk/goth/industrial have morphed into over the years. It’s interesting to see how eager the marketing pukes were to jump on the bandwagon with every crummy piece of merchandise related or not, whereas they wouldn’t touch anything punk with a 10 foot pole when it first arrived. The beauty of this having developed as a literary genre is that it is defined by a theme rather than a sound or defined look. The danger is that every salesman out there will take every liberty they can to push their junk. Your saving grace is that we live in a time where people know when they are being marketed to. Please don’t let this become the next emo.

What is Steampunk?

270 Responses to What is Steampunk?