Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world wherein steam power is still widely usedâ€"usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era Englandâ€"but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.
Although many works now considered seminal to the genre were published in the 1960s and 1970s, the term "steampunk" originated in the late 1980s as a tongue-in-cheek variant of cyberpunk.
This article is a list of works in the science fiction and fantasy genres considered by commentators to be steampunk.
Precursors
Although the term "steampunk" was not coined until 1987, several works of fiction significant to the development of the genre were produced before that. For example, Mervyn Peake's novel Titus Alone (1959) anticipated many of the tropes of steampunk.
Steampunk was particularly influenced by, and often adopts the style of the scientific romances and fantasies of the 19th century. Notably influential authors are:
- G. K. Chesterton
- Charles Dickens
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- George Griffith
- H. P. Lovecraft
- Albert Robida
- Mary Shelley
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Bram Stoker
- Mark Twain
- Jules Verne
- H. G. Wells
Early adaptations of this scientific romance literature genre to film, particularly those from the 1950s and 1960s, are notable precursors of steampunk cinema:
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, film)
- From the Earth to the Moon (1958, film)
- Journey To The Center of The Earth (1959, film)
- The Time Machine (1960, film)
- Master of the World (1961, film)
- First Men in the Moon (1964, film)
- Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969, film)
In comics/graphic novels
In film
In literature
In music
Steampunk musicians
The following is a list of musicians and bands that have either adopted a steampunk aesthetic in their appearance, or have a decidedly steampunk approach to their music.
Other bands that have produced steampunk-themed works
While not strictly steampunk in their general appearance or approach to music, several musicians and bands have produced music, music videos or concept albums that directly appeal to the steampunk aesthetic. Included in these are:
In performance art
- Airship Isabella
- League of S.T.E.A.M. (Supernatural and Troublesome Ectoplasmic Apparition Management), a.k.a. the "Steampunk Ghostbusters", a performance art troupe from Southern California popular in the steampunk community and specializing in live interactive themed entertainment
- Penny Dreadful Productions
In role-playing games
- Airship Pirates (2011)
- Castle Falkenstein (1994) by Mike Pondsmith
- Forgotten Futures (1993) by Marcus L. Rowland
- GURPS Steampunk (2000)
- Iron Kingdoms (2004)
- Kerberos Club for Wild Talents (2009), Savage Worlds (2010), and Fate (2011)
- Space: 1889 (1988)
In television
In video games
In Web series
- Dirigible Days (2012)
- Jonathon Worthington, Strangelight Investigator (2009)
- Mantecoza (2011)
- Riese: Kingdom Falling (2009)
- The Vagabonds (2012)
- To Kill A Princess (2013)
See also
- Dieselpunk
- Retro-futurism
- Science fiction Western
Notes
External links
- Steampunk bibliography and list of exhibits and blogs, UC Davis Library
- Steampunkopedia, a compendium of all things steampunk, including a chronology
- Steampunk Books List and Reviews, a blog devoted steampunk books.