Do You Have Idea Where Did Steampunk Come From?
How will you be able to explain what Steampunk is to someone who is new to this topic or that where did Steampunk come from? It has been recent that we see Steampunk movement to rise bigger and bigger. It is indeed becoming prominent in all the fashion based platforms. You might have witnessed Steampunk is some of the great TV shows. Though there do not exist any clear boundary to define the Steampunk. Being a passionate Steampunker, one can recognize if something is steampunk or not. It would not be wrong to say that Steampunk is an art form and community of people enjoying certain fantasies based alternative universe that can be termed as Steampunk.
What Does Steampunk Mean?
In very simple words, Steampunk is a science fiction that deals with 19th century societies. These were the societies dominated by imagined or historical steam powered technology. It can be thought of in different ways. Generally speaking Steampunk can be defined as a constituent of the science fiction genre. No doubt it is an inspiration from 19th century style; it is believed to be located in another universe where history is known to develop differently as compared to our universe and time. The most significant feature found in the Steampunk based literature and arts are the machines that make use of the steam powered engine to perform the required functionalities.
Though as mentioned above the technology of the Steampunk culture is based on the era of steam engine, it is advanced in several ways. It enables several possibilities. There are flying machines that are steam powered based. Also there are tanks, guns and several other similar gadgets that are known to be capable of conquering the time as well.
The fashion and art of the Steampunk belongs to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most closely it resembles the Victorian style. It would not be wrong to say that most prominent feature of this fashion is Victorian style and it works in all kinds of Steampunk culture.
The origin of the term Steampunk is back in 1980’s. It is believed to be the twist of the word cyberpunk. He was the man who was the first one to thought of this world as sci-fi author i.e. K. W. Jeter.
Time Period For Steampunk:
In addition to be thought of belonging to late 19th and early 20th century fashion culture, Steampunk is also portrayed as a part of the American Wild West setting. The TV series named Wild Wild West which was aired in 965 is one of the typical examples of the same.
The most recognizable style of the Steampunk clothes has been drawn from the Victorian styled era. It is the period of the real timeline when Queen Victoria rules the United Kingdom. Her reign lasted from 1837 to 1901. 1901 was when the Queen Victoria died, after that was the Georgian era followed by the Edwardian period.
What Is Steampunk All About?
It would be very right to say that the level of technological advancement did not occur from the Industrial Revolution level. However, it does not mean that Steampiunk has no diversity or progress. One reasonably strong example can be the literature work of Jil Verne, the “20,000 leagues under the sea.” The well-known submarine Nautilus was pretty much advanced. It was capable of sustaining the crew’s life for several days and even weeks under the sea without even rising to the water surface. Interesting part is that when the novel was written the submarines in the real life were pretty much primitive. They were nowhere close to the capability of the submarines of these days.
One of the facts or you may say features making Steampunk unique is its mechanisms and gears. In almost every setting of Steampunk; you will find advanced machines. These gadgets and machines have been capable of performing unbelievable deeds. Some of the examples of these gadgets include the steam cannons that are known to be lighter than the analog computers and the air ships.
No doubt the overall theme of the Steampunk genre is science fiction; it often includes the other genres as well. These include the horror, fantasy, or historical fiction. This makes Steampunk to be a hybrid genre which knows no right boundaries.
Origin Of Steampunk:
The believers of 19th century such as famous novelists like H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Mary Shelley, and Edward S. Alice etc have written several famous novels. They inspired imagination of their readers. Keeping all this in mind, it would not be wrong to say that subculture of the Steampunk was catalyzed with the thrill of adventure and wonderful gadgets.
How Steampunk Fashion Can Be Defined?
The said fashion is usually defined following the romantic view of the technology read in the literature during the industrial revolution. Heavy influence of the post-apocalyptic ideas can be viewed reflecting a sense that combat gadgets and weapons are featured in Steampunk costumes. These attires are meant for both the men and the women full of vibrant colors and complex machines.
Steampunk fashion constitutes the clothes, jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup and body modification. Initially what was started as a custom based fashion products being worn in a Steampunk convention; is now a mass followed fashion that is accessible online as well as in traditional retail stores. Following the popularity of Steampunk we now see steampunk fashions customsied for the kids too. The prominent recognizable feature of these clothes is the 19th century clothes with Victorian fashion.
What Is Next For The Steampunk?
This is astoundingly attractive world of genre, fashion, niche etc which is growing on a continuous basis. If you are a fan of Steampunk fashion, you will see the development of the Steampunk based fashion in a speedy manner. We can see the said fashion rising in all the major fashion platforms.
Though answers to where did Steampunk come from remain debatable; the above mentioned is the information enough to have an idea about its origin.
Leave a comment