Caledonian Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Another steampunk topic? Yes. Fite me. This is a subject that has been going through my mind for a while, as i noted most of the vicwardian aesthetic we see nowadays is listed as steampunk. There are however various groups that are inspired by the victorian/edwardian era and they are not one big group. Each of them has their own specific qualities that the others do not have. Let's list a few of these groups, shall we. There's victorian/edwardian reanacters, whose goal is to mimic the victorian era as precisely as todays materials allow. Sometimes they do change things around a little to make them safer or more hygienic but all in all the goal is to live like it's 18-something. Reenactment is largely based on precise historical research and being in period is valued greatly. Some reenactors only do their "act" on special occasions like historical fairs, but some of them make this their life. Those often shy away from modern media, building a little victorian world around themselves. It's not uncommon they will grow their own food and weave their own fabric, avoiding to have to shop in modern shops. But there is more: a second group, one I overlooked for long but is certainly there; neovictorians, neo-edwardians or neovicwardians. This is a group of perfectly modern people that take a liking in the 1800-aesthetic. This group likes to dress victorian-inspired and is often mistaken for just being well dressed or being dressed steampunk. Now, they are well dressed, but certainly lack the fiction of steampunk. Neovicwardians live now, as children of our time and are content that way. A group i did mention before (and many times before that, because this is my terrain) is the group that is steampunk. Steampunk takes of the victorian/edwardian era what is good and blows it up. The dresses are heavily history inspired of being period correct is not much of a concern. Styles and times are mixed and matched to create an unique look. You think it looks nice to wear your corcet over your overclothes? Thats cool, even though actual victorians would be appalled. Usually steampunks have a certain facination for the industrial revolution and will show this this, but like everything victorian the steampunks like, it's blown up and turned inside out. Gears are showing, actual steam seems to be coming from pipes that stick out of impossible machines... because steampunk is fiction, and in fiction everything is allowed. And the last group i want to mention, even though they technically do fall under the steampunk umbrella, is the steamgoths. Taking the same inspiration as steampunks do, steamgoths venture in a darker, shadier area. A world of eldic horrors, vampire hunters and alchemists with a little too much time on their hands. In style this group holds the middle ground between steampunk and gothic, and knows a lot of dark themes. They don't shy away from the dark corners of victorian history, though they do polish it up to make it look pretty. So there you have my summary of things i found. If you want to correct me, have something to add or have a question feel free to respond, if you just feel like responding please do so as well. I may add a bit about clockpunk and dustpunk later but for now i think i typed enough hope you enjoy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conker Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 The next book I plan on writing is going to be steampunkish in terms of technology, though I don't plan on getting too in depth with it. Also, I love the middle lady's outfit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallium Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 You should make a steam blog ...Like on LiveJournal or something. I've been wanting to do that for a long time whenever my brain feels like rambling on nerd topics but haven't got the site to work well for me (mainly on mobile) Cheers though! 10/10 would read again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share Posted July 13, 2017 19 hours ago, Conker said: The next book I plan on writing is going to be steampunkish in terms of technology, though I don't plan on getting too in depth with it. Also, I love the middle lady's outfit. That is a very good idea. Extra steampunk yas! (No depth to the history of your tech though:( ) 14 hours ago, Vallium said: You should make a steam blog ...Like on LiveJournal or something. I've been wanting to do that for a long time whenever my brain feels like rambling on nerd topics but haven't got the site to work well for me (mainly on mobile) Cheers though! 10/10 would read again I never thought of this, i don't have something to say that often. Maybe i should look into it hmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conker Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 3 hours ago, Caledonian said: That is a very good idea. Extra steampunk yas! (No depth to the history of your tech though:( ) I'll make it up as I go and then retroactively fix all the world building plot holes in later drafts. Or how I always do it When it comes to scifi and magic and the like, I'm more of a "soft" fan: I don't need explanations for how the technology works as long as it works. If that means the air ships run on magnetic crystals, then so be it. Though truth be told, I got a great idea for a mechanic character, so I'll probably need SOME rules so he can you know, make sense. But I"ll worry about that when the time comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 Anyway, clockpunk and dustpunk. The styles that are respectively seen as "steampunk" and "not so steampunk" while the opposite is true. Let's take a look. Clockpunk focusses on the 1700's, often based in france(versailles). Now I hear you think. That's not even close to victoriana! Why is it in this list? Well, this is because clockpunk takes archaic technology based in modern-eske machines. Lacking the steam, clockpunk has spring powered, clockwork everything. Because of the brass and gears, this leads to the confusion between steampunk and clockpunk. They are, despite a mutual love of clock innards, not the same. Clockpunk tends to be frilly, with soft colours, portraying high class society. But it's technology is less on the nose. Dustpunk does fall under steampunk, but is rather more /colonial/. Dustpunk plays in the americas, and sometimes australia. Leaving the urban streets of england, dustpunk takes us to a world of gunslingers and pioneers, lands of sand and dust. We are entering the weird wild west. Taking looks from english fashion there are still many differences between the dustpunks and steampunks. More leather, for starters. With many things going on in the land, we see less focus of small technological advances but even more on developments like the steamtrain and tesla powered weaponry. Nevertheless, dustpunk takes after the same source as traditional steampunk does, historical science fiction based in the victorian era. The placement may be different, but dustpunk is a subgenre of steampunk. Maybe one day i will make a topi discussing all of steampunks subgenres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WileyWarWeasel Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 What about neoliberals ;V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 22 minutes ago, WileyWarWeasel said: What about neoliberals ;V By courtesy of wikipedia. Neoliberalism (neo-liberalism) refers primarily to the 20th-century resurgence of 19th-century ideas associated with laissez-faire economic liberalism.:7 These include extensive economic liberalization policies such as privatization, fiscal austerity, deregulation, unrestricted free trade, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society. These market-based ideas and the policies they inspired constitute a paradigm shift away from the post-war Keynesian consensus which lasted from 1945 to 1980. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WileyWarWeasel Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 9 hours ago, Caledonian said: By courtesy of wikipedia. Neoliberalism (neo-liberalism) refers primarily to the 20th-century resurgence of 19th-century ideas associated with laissez-faire economic liberalism.:7 These include extensive economic liberalization policies such as privatization, fiscal austerity, deregulation, unrestricted free trade, and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society. These market-based ideas and the policies they inspired constitute a paradigm shift away from the post-war Keynesian consensus which lasted from 1945 to 1980. I wasn't expecting that response when I put a ;V at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 2 hours ago, WileyWarWeasel said: I wasn't expecting that response when I put a ;V at the end. Sorry, i couldn't think of anything witty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Doggo Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 just put a bunch of gears on summing and its steampunk right 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 6 hours ago, Sir Gibby said: just put a bunch of gears on summing and its steampunk right According to some, yes. Me personally, i think steampunk needs a certain amount of creativity in steampunk creations. Also, just a bunch of gears might make it clockpunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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