subject: What Is Steampunk And Why Is It Fascinating? [print this page] Don't you want to be able to hold your own in a conversation about Steampunk? Sure you do. Okay then, what is Steampunk and why is it so nifty?
Steampunk was born in a gritty back alley of science fiction. It often involves alternate technological history, such as what would a Victorian era (age of steam) computer look like? It's a big what-if mash-up of old and new technology.
Steampunk is inspired by an era before mass production. Back then, nearly everything was handmade and better-made. That's before the 20th century brought us cheap Ikea furniture, the Ford Pinto and The Gap.
Steampunk is the coolest house on the block, if you happen to be standing at the crossroads of history, fantasy, nostalgia and handcrafted technology. And, who wouldn't want to be standing there?
We're blessed with a lot of wondrous Steampunk examples to marvel at. Steampunk art, fashion, technology, craft, design and alternate history can all be found on the worldwide interweb info super road. Here are a few of my favorites and more than enough to make you sound like you know what you're talking about Steampunk-wise:
-Start with an image search in Google for "Steampunk." Check out all the amazing items folks have made, including phones, clothing, guns, goggles, computers and equipment of all kinds. Notice the use of brass - a very popular material 100+ years ago. Nowadays, brass is way too expensive for mass-produced consumer items. But, it is really shiny.
- Speaking of brass, take a look at http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/ . It's a self-described "blog and forum devoted to the lighter side of all things Steampunk." The Steampunked Ipad is worth seeing.
-Next, go check out http://Steampunkmagazine.com. This will give you a lot of great resources on some of the history, philosophy, politics and art behind SP. It's also very entertaining. It ranges from the serious to the silly, such as the "Fixed Animals."
- More fun stuff can be found at http://boingboing.net/steampunk/ . My favorite is the vehicle.
-Next, take a look at http://BlueRectangle.com's Bookulating Suggest-O-Mometer. This is a Steampunk-inspired, Flash-based, mechanical book suggesting machine. Who doesn't need one of those? And, it's complete with steam. It can be found at:
Finally, if you want even more and some of it pretty heady, you can always go to Wikipedia. If you're blessed with the stamina of a 19th century stevedore, you can read all about some of the more esoteric aspects.
Having completed this short tour you should at least be able to hold your own in nearly any Steampunking conversation.
