Recommend me some steampunk!

Cafe Society
41

[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou]
This sounds perfect for me. I love my entertainment dark and twisty! Bring on the unhappy endings!
[/QUOTE]

Side note: I’m a big fan of unhappy endings, and it’s a big reason why I’ve enjoyed so many movies that are difficult to find copies of in regular stores; people just don’t tend to go see sad Chinese movies like Raise the Red Lantern and Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles and then buy it on DVD. I also don’t see too many people who really enjoy dystopian universe novels IRL; it seems like happy-go-lucky chick lit and romance novels are de rigeur these days.

I must admit that Steampunk may be the interpretation of Goth subculture that was made for me-- I’m a sucker for anachronism, and the clothes/technology are amazing. Acid Lamp and I are eventually going to build a house, and I think that, if we can, we’ll probably make at least parts of it steampunk. I desire some elements to be super steampunk, but I think the best interpretation would be to pick “zones” in the house to be totally steampunk and have them gradually transition to a modern (a la Scandinavian design) look-- there’s a lot of great opportunities to blend both elements in a way that’d fit.

As for recommendations on steampunk stuff, I’d go with some of the classics: H.G. Wells and Jules Verne wrote some great novels in their day. I’d also second China Mieville, who got me into the steampunk genre in the first place.

There’s going to be a steampunk/goth type convention in Tampa in the next year or so. I saw it a few months back, but can’t remember what the heck it was called. I’ll have to ask one of my friends who showed it to me.

42

[QUOTE=Walloon]
I can understand the “steam” part — but why “punk”?
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[QUOTE=Jeff Vandermeer, leading steampunk author and editor of the new “Steampunk” Anthology]
It is my understanding, poor, un-hip child that I am, that steampunk correlates precisely with cyberpunk, substance of choice of the last generation: literature which addresses and delineates anxiety (hence the punk, also ubiquitous, also nearly meaningless now) concerning new technology, computers in the first case, steam power in the second. Yet in almost everything I’ve ever seen called steampunk (besides the powerfully adequate Steamboy film) that eternal gateway drug, there is no actual steam power to speak of, and precious little anxiety. Because we, in our current, painfully neo-Victorian culture, think all that old-fashioned stuff is so damn cool, well, the actual Victorians must have loved it, too, right?
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Read the whole thing - “Blowing off Steam”

43

[QUOTE=nashiitashii]
Side note: I’m a big fan of unhappy endings, and it’s a big reason why I’ve enjoyed so many movies that are difficult to find copies of in regular stores; people just don’t tend to go see sad Chinese movies like Raise the Red Lantern and Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles and then buy it on DVD. I also don’t see too many people who really enjoy dystopian universe novels IRL; it seems like happy-go-lucky chick lit and romance novels are de rigeur these days.
[/QUOTE]

With me, it comes from being a huge fan of film noir, and also comic books where the heroes are outnumbered and overpowered by superior villains.

[QUOTE=nashiitashii]
I must admit that Steampunk may be the interpretation of Goth subculture that was made for me-- I’m a sucker for anachronism, and the clothes/technology are amazing. Acid Lamp and I are eventually going to build a house, and I think that, if we can, we’ll probably make at least parts of it steampunk. I desire some elements to be super steampunk, but I think the best interpretation would be to pick “zones” in the house to be totally steampunk and have them gradually transition to a modern (a la Scandinavian design) look-- there’s a lot of great opportunities to blend both elements in a way that’d fit.
[/QUOTE]

That’s a super-cool idea. I’d worry about selling the house later on down the road, as that style wouldn’t work for everyone, but I think it would be awesome. Have you been to our new local IKEA yet? I keep meaning to check it out.

[QUOTE=nashiitashii]
As for recommendations on steampunk stuff, I’d go with some of the classics: H.G. Wells and Jules Verne wrote some great novels in their day. I’d also second China Mieville, who got me into the steampunk genre in the first place.
[/QUOTE]

I have Perdido Street Station as an ILL request through my local library, but if I find a cheap copy somewhere in the meantime, I’ll just pick it up. Even if I don’t like it, I’m pretty sure my brother (a HUGE fan of Japanese RPGs, a la Final Fantasy) will love it.

[QUOTE=nashiitashii]
There’s going to be a steampunk/goth type convention in Tampa in the next year or so. I saw it a few months back, but can’t remember what the heck it was called. I’ll have to ask one of my friends who showed it to me.
[/QUOTE]

Please keep me posted on this, if you would! I feel like I have “outgrown” comic book conventions, but something like that would at least be a fun afternoon out.

44

[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou]
That’s a super-cool idea. I’d worry about selling the house later on down the road, as that style wouldn’t work for everyone, but I think it would be awesome. Have you been to our new local IKEA yet? I keep meaning to check it out.
[/quote]

I’ve been to it three times already. Having been familiar with IKEA from trips to Iceland as a kid, I had been totally lusting after modern Scandinavian stuff since I was 11.

Osceola County Library System has a copy of Perdido Street Station in their main branch; if you’re in one of the neighboring counties, you can get a reciprocal card and not worry about ILL.

I got a hold of my friend; the convention is Convergence 14 and it’s in Ybor. I will warn you; it’s probably going to be very Goth, as, well, steampunk is kind of a subgenre of the goth subgenre.

45

[QUOTE=MrDibble]
Why do you think that? Serious question - what makes you think that?
[/QUOTE]

The punk part of the genre was always enigmatic when it was attached to different era’s. Back in the nineties when Cyberspace came into the public perception , it had a teenage/twenties rebellious conotation as most of the protagonists usually fell into that definition , while the system/suits usually fell into the antagontist role.

So , in my opinion someone picked up an aspiring author out of the slush pile and started reading , part Jules Verne , part William Gibson. Likes the product , but is wondering how to market it and then someone probably said something to the effect of , ya sounds like steampunk.

But when I read the difference engine, the steam stuff is there, Got victorianana coming out the ying yang , but alas no punk, which leads me to believe its strictly marketing a product that has no visisible genre to attach it to.

Sort of reminds me of how Gene Rodenbury pitched Star Trek to the suits. Big spaceship goes exploring , where no man has gone before. So you mean like Wagons West , in space , says the suit and we know where that went.

Declan

46

[QUOTE=Declan]

But when I read the difference engine, the steam stuff is there, Got victorianana coming out the ying yang , but alas no punk, which leads me to believe its strictly marketing a product that has no visisible genre to attach it to.

[/QUOTE]

With TDE, you have to ask yourself - who were the authors, and what was their previous/usual genre called?

47

Is this Smashing Pumpkins video considered Steampunk?

48

[QUOTE=Enola Straight]
Is this Smashing Pumpkins video considered Steampunk?

[/QUOTE]

Given that it’s inspired by a movie that was loosely based on Verne stories and was filmed a year after Victoria died, I’d say yes, it is, IMO.