Steampunk Thursday: #1 What is Steampunk?

Steampunk, you say?

I've lost count of the amount of times I've tried to explain it to housemates, friends, relatives, co-workers... sometimes with visual aids, others with gestures and mention of goggles and cogs. It took me quite a while to get a feel for steampunk in the beginning, so what the amazing Amy (aka geek with curves) and I will be attempting over the next few weeks is to provide you lovely people with a no-nonsense Introduction to Steampunk for the Slightly Perplexed.

We'll be covering some key areas, such as books and film, steampunk communities in various countries and a guide to the various elements of going steampunk; costume, jewellery and the all important rite of passage - goggles!

Hopefully by the end you'll have a clearer idea of what steampunk is and means, and if you're interested in knowing more, you'll have picked up a few tips, met some people and have plenty of links to check out for more information!

Onwards, good folk!

So what is all this 'punk' business about anyway?

Steampunk is many different things to many different people, but the original term derived from the cyberpunk movement, with which steampunk shares some similarities.

To put it simply; steampunk is Victorian science fiction. The basis is the Victorian look and the idea of the steam powered era - but really this is just a springboard for almost any kind of speculative fiction and so many different styles from around the world - from Gotham to geisha - have been adapted to create a steampunk look that it is the ideal playground for the creative. In terms of appearance, the look is incredibly flexible. Steampunks often add a modern twist to traditional Victorian fashion, with much shorter skirts and modified corsets than would have been around at the time. Diverse is definitely the word to apply to both the steampunk look and attitude and you'll be hard put to find a day when people aren't producing new and awesome twists on the genre.

In terms of lifestyle, the steampunk community is a wonderfully varied one; combining those who chose to live and dress as such all the time, and those that do so only on occasion. Many steampunks create a character for themselves, such as an airship captain or an explorer, to which they then tailor their costume and name accordingly. Here is a fun Steampunk Name Generator so that you can discover your own!

Victorian values are definitely at the forefront on many online communities and polite language is a must! The community also brings together a fantastic diversity of people; young and old and from literally all walks of life.

The universal invariant in the steampunk community is the warmth, friendliness and enthusiasm shared by everyone. There is a genuine creative spirit that brings people together, and all are more than happy to share tips, ideas and helpful insights, whether you are crafting your first pair of goggles or just trying to find a shop that will sell you some old watch cogs!

Steampunk is a creative outlet, a way to meet some fantastic people, and genuinely a hell of a lot of fun! Most importantly; it is accessible. So much more than you might think. You don't need to have a lot of money, you don't even need to live in a big city. Both on and offline, there is a thriving and growing steampunk community involved in a massive variety of activities and events and there is always an opportunity to get involved.

So welcome to Steampunk Thursday! I hope you'll be joining us over the next few weeks! We'll both be on Twitter, and you can use the #SteamThursday hashtag to fire some questions our way or to share the steamy joy!

Wishing you well,

Captain Mary Frances Pott

Images from TyrusFlynn.com