Steampunk World

There's something compelling about the shine of clicking brass clockwork and hiss of steam-driven automatons. But there was something missing. It was easy to find excellent stories of American and British citizens... but we rarely got to see steampunk from the point of view of the rest of the world. Until now. Steampunk World is a showcase for nineteen authors to flip the levers and start the pistons and invite you to experience the entirety of steampunk.

The Steampunk Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Steampunk The Steampunk Handbook is a captivating and informative exploration of the fascinating world of steampunk. This comprehensive guide delves into the origins and defining aesthetics of steampunk, showcasing its connection to the Victorian Era and the Industrial Revolution. Readers will be immersed in the unique fashion and clothing styles, as well as the literature, art, and technology that define the genre. From clockwork and gears to airships and steam engines, readers will discover the inventive contraptions and gadgets that make up the steampunk universe. The book also delves into the vibrant steampunk subculture, exploring the community, events, and festivals that bring enthusiasts together. Through engaging chapters on film, television, music, gaming, and architecture, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the wide-reaching influence of steampunk in popular culture. The book also explores the empowering representation of women in steampunk and the genre's relationship with science fiction. The Future of Steampunk chapter offers a glimpse into the evolving genre and its global growth, highlighting the current trends and innovations that shape its future. With its well-researched content and visually captivating illustrations, The Steampunk Handbook is a must-read for anyone intrigued by this genre that blends history with imagination.

Between 1887 and 1895, the British art student Miles Vandercroft travelled around the world, sketching and painting the soldiers of the countries through which he passed. In this age of dramatic technological advancement, Vandercroft was fascinated by how the rise of steam technology at the start of the American Civil War had transformed warfare and the role of the fighting man. This volume collects all of Vandercroft's surviving paintings, along with his associated commentary on the specific military units he encountered. It is a unique pictorial guide to the last great era of bright and colourful uniforms, as well as an important historical study of the variety of steam-powered weaponry and equipment that abounded in the days before the Great War of the Worlds.

1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full and inexorable swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. And three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with history—and the future: Sybil Gerard—a fallen woman, politician’s tart, daughter of a Luddite agitator Edward “Leviathan” Mallory—explorer and paleontologist Laurence Oliphant—diplomat, mystic, and spy. Their adventure begins with the discovery of a box of punched Engine cards of unknown origin and purpose. Cards someone wants badly enough to kill for…. Part detective story, part historical thriller, The Difference Engine is the collaborative masterpiece by two of the most acclaimed science fiction authors writing today. Provocative, compelling, intensely imagined, it is a startling extension of Gibson’s and Sterling’s unique visions—and the beginning of movement we know today as “steampunk!”

A look at the surprising nineteenth-century technology that inspires this literary and cultural movement: “I was very impressed by this book.” —SF Crowsnest In recent decades, steampunk has grown from a rather obscure subgenre of science fiction into a striking and distinctive style of fashion, art, design, and even music. It is in the written word, however, that steampunk has its roots—and in this book Simon Webb explores and examines the real inventions that underpin the fantasy. In doing so, he reveals a world unknown to most people today. Webb reveals the Victorian era as a surprising place: one of steam-powered airplanes, fax machines linking Moscow and St Petersburg, steam cars traveling at over 100 mph, electric taxis, and wireless telephones. It is, in short, the nineteenth century as you’ve never before seen it—a steampunk extravaganza of anachronistic technology and unfamiliar gadgets. Imagine Europe spanned by a mechanical internet, a telecommunication system of clattering semaphore towers capable of transmitting information across the continent in a matter of minutes. Consider too, the fact that a steam plane the size of a modern airliner took off in England in 1894. Drawing entirely on contemporary sources, we see how little-known developments in technology have been used as the basis for so many steampunk narratives. From seminal novels such as The Difference Engine to the steampunk fantasy of Terry Pratchett’s later works, this book shows that steampunk is at least as much solid fact as it is whimsical fiction.

In November 2010, a small but growing group of Victorian Alternate Historians, often referred to as Steampunk, met for the first conference of its kind. There was music, fashion, merchants, and all the other trappings of the Victorian time period set in a venue of “what if.” What set this conference apart was the academic nature of the presentations. Utilizing the internet and scholarly publications, a call for papers was sent out and the response was impressive. Faculty, graduate students, specialists, and general interest writers wrote, prepared, and presented on a wide array of subject matters. This publication is the culmination of those presentations. Before, during, and after the conference, Steampunk became a much debated and discussed subject on our list servers and emails. While some had no idea what Steampunk was and others had an idea that they thought was correct, there was no “one size fits all” definition to this new genre. It was at that point that a number of us that had been at the conference sat down and tried to describe the phenomenon. This is what we came up with: Steampunk is a juxtaposition of science fiction, fantasy, and Victorian alternate history. Its roots are in the literature and architecture of the late 19th century while having its branches reach into the future. It is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the music of Abney Park, the engineering of Nikola Tesla, and the aviation of helium and hot air. In the 1980s a subculture of science fiction found a foothold in literature and science fiction conventions. These “paths not taken” alternative histories gave the cyberpunk and Goth followers at the conventions a new path to follow. There were the works of H. G. Wells, the undersea submersible of Captain Nemo in Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Victorian work of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to start with. Add to that the architecture of the Victorian age as a gentrification in many of the inner cities of America and England, and you have a breeding ground for something not quite realized but possibly attainable.

"The best thing about Steampunk is getting to rewrite history." Or so a reviewer said in commenting about Geared Up Writing Steampunk. But author Beth Daniels totally agrees with them In this, the 3rd edition of the book, she adds a few more elements to the fun PLUS expands the listing of Steampunk publishers from 36 to 43, many of them new to the volume with no longer valid ones dropped. Since the first edition back in 2010, this has been the only volume to focus solely on writing Steampunk fiction and building the Steampunk stage on which characters play. Steampunk is, without a doubt, the most fun a historian in love with the 19th century can have since this is enhancement rewriting of what events might have been if technology got an extra boost a bit earlier. Reviewers say: "...just plain fun to read," "...essential to anyone wanting to dip] their toe into writing steampunk. It is told in a no nonsense yet humorous way and gave invaluable info." "Inspirational. Must read again with notepad and pen."

“Wonderful essays on everything steampunk, written by well-known names in the movement who are living steampunk every day” (Wired.com). Steampunk—a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture—is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as a way of talking about the future. This ultimate manual will appeal to aficionados and novices alike as author Jeff VanderMeer takes the reader on a wild ride through the clockwork corridors of Steampunk history. Praise for The Steampunk Bible “An informed, informative and beautifully illustrated survey of the subject.” —The Financial Times “The Steampunk Bible is far and away the most intriguing catalog of all things steam yet written.” —The Austin Chronicle