steampunk magazine

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What is steampunk?

Steampunk is the science fiction of the steam age, re-imagined with the advantage of modern hindsight. Drawing upon the wealth of historical technology and the scientific fantasies of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, steampunk seeks to reinvent modern wonders such as the computer as the people of the age might have envisioned them. Following in the footsteps of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, steampunk authors blend history, science and imagination into a world of wonder that might have been.

The "steam" in steampunk refers to the allusions to steam technology in the visual aesthetic shared by the community. The aesthetic is informed by visions of an era in which technological innovation continued with enhancements to already-existing centralized boiler-driven technology, perhaps circumventing internal combustion, plastics, and widespread electricity entirely. What that specifically translates to in each look is up to the interpreter's design, and can range from fully functional gadgets to simple allusion through historical reference to Victorian times.

The "punk" in steampunk is a reference to cyberpunk, because when steampunk first formed it was comprised essentially of cyberpunk (that is, dystopian high tech sci-fi) stories set during the Victorian period. The word punk is a very old English term that originally meant a prostitute, but which by the 20th century had evolved into a term meaning an outsider, a street person, or a ruffian (it's fairly clear why the punk rock subculture used this word to describe itself). There is clearly no link between the people of a steampunk setting and members of the punk subculture (simply because the environment that produced our modern "punks" did not exist during the steam age). For all practical purposes, the "punk" in steampunk is a cute turn of phrase used because it sounds interesting and exciting, without any deeper meaning than that.

What were the pulp magazines?

Pulp adventure magazines were a genre of exciting and daring fiction, inspired by the great upheavals and worldwide uncertainty that developed in the wake of the First World War. Fueled by adrenaline and the greatest wonders that mid-20th century technology has to offer, Pulp explores exotic locales and terrible dangers without blinking an eye. Tackling mad scientists, would-be world conquerors, ancient curses, and even horrors from beyond the stars is all in a day’s work for any Pulp hero worth his or her salt.

This page is intended as a meeting place for all things steampunk. If you have something steampunk-related that you would like people to know about, send us a message with the details and we'll put your information up here. If you're looking for new and exciting developments in the steampunk trend, be sure to check back here for updates and new links.

Authors

Jay Lake

Paul Di Filippo

William Gibson

Bruce Sterling

S.M. Peters

Alan_Moore

Tim Powers

G.D.Falksen

Music

Gilded Age Records Gilded Age Records artists here

The first to ever do Steampunk Music Vernian Process

Vernian Process

Dr Steel

The James Gang

Abney Park

Tiger Lilies

Unextraordinary Gentlemen

The Clockwork dolls