The Steampunk Boiler Room

Here's a bit of elaboration for you, but only because you asked nicely.

1. An Industrial Era (read, Victorian, but America fits into that, too), Neo-Victorian, or Victorian inspired setting

When looking at the Foundation pieces (those of the First Wave -- see my list), those pieces were essentially Hard Science Fiction in alternate Victorian-era England. Almost solely so. Later there was some expansion into American West and Civil War era. The focus, however, was the Industrial Revolution boom that swept over the whole world and affected the way in which everything operated -- for better or worse. I believe it is that ambiance that the original writers were trying to not only capture but call into question (see #3).

So when I say Victorian Era or Industrial Era, we're talking late 1700s through to the Combustion Revolution of the early 1900s. That is the biggest time period of industrial advancement and technological achievement that inspires much of the literature.

At the same time, one must consider the works that were being published at the time, both literary and "scientific romance." These pieces are heavily inspirational to Steampunk writers both past and present, and a lot of what they wrote about is appropriated for our chosen sub-genre. So Victorian or Neo-Victorian implies that, in my opinion, as well as the time period itself, its history, et al.

2. Technology appropriate to #1 that is sufficiently advanced for its setting (i.e., retro-futurist)

Taking into consideration the time period now, one can look at the technology that was historically being produced at the time, as well as some of the scientific theories (bogus and real) and apply them. Charles Babbage's analytic machine successfully put into practice: "The Difference Engine." The theory of harmonics proven practical: "Infernal Devices." The truth behind H. G. Wells' time traveling device: "Morlock Nights." Technology that was both feasible and impractical all talked about, written about, and experimented upon in the time period mentioned above.

Our sub-genre merely supposes that they actually occurred. That is the sense of retro ("imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the (typically recent) past.") and futurist ("relating to a vision of the future, esp. one involving the development of technology.") that drives the stories of most of the sub-genre. However, the aesthetic of the DIY, Maker, and Fashion movements has given much of sub-genre a decidedly "visual" makeover that makes it more cinematic than its predecessors, which is not entirely a bad thing. But much of that puts aside the technology in favor of a more traditional Soft Science Fiction flavor that marks the distinction (in my mind) between First and Second Wave Steampunk.

3. An ideology of questioning #2 within the context of #1

As mentioned before, much of the original works were Hard Science Fiction, and as is typical of that particular type of writing, technology is called into question in many ways. It is my thought that Steampunk ought to do the same in light of both the technological ramifications of the "gadgets" posited, but also the cultural and societal implications that come with a time-period entirely different from our own, though no less influential in many ways on our current time period.

I think, however, as the genre expands, it will easily begin to incorporate the Soft Science Fiction aspect of things, as well as Fantasy. I think this is where the edges blur, and we get a difference between Steampunk as being "genre" or "aesthetic."

So I hope that is a long-winded enough elaboration for everyone

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J Boone Dryden
Director, the Milwaukee Writers Workshop
Director of Programming, WriteCamp Milwaukee