tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347333220832394363.post7193976534813295171..comments2012-04-05T07:09:07.368-07:00Comments on Steampunk Awareness: What is Steampunk? Exploring the MultiverseLord Steamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281435171131494666noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347333220832394363.post-62414318899363157562011-08-28T12:29:29.430-07:002011-08-28T12:29:29.430-07:00While we probably won't delve into the competi...While we probably won't delve into the competition between cyberpunk and steampunk fans, I can tell you, as the writer of this piece, that I'm well aware of the downfalls of this description. There were reasons it was written as a broad subtext. It was meant to be the first piece in a set, a topical series ranging from the role of history in steampunk to character development and even the dynamic social structure as well as its inherent problems that relate to the depth of the community's reach. I seperated it out in order to create a layer of depth that this initial piece would not touch due to the fact that it's meant to inspire newcomers into the genre by the aesthetic. And as we all know, aesthetics are surface qualities. While I thank you for your informative review, I want you to realize the intent and we will discuss these topics in future blogs.Vivienne Eeva Valentinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11436974143474089006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347333220832394363.post-1507248279517379322011-08-27T20:36:57.673-07:002011-08-27T20:36:57.673-07:00You scratch the surface in this post, but Steampun...You scratch the surface in this post, but Steampunk is deeper than that:<br />Jeter used the term Steampunk as a direct reply to the Cyberpunk movement - of which he was among the fore of the genre. Which is the at the heart of the popularity of Steampunk today: we live in a cyber world. For most of us - a day's labor leaves no tangible traces. Increasingly, if you work with computers, medicine, broadcasting, service industries and so on - when you are finished with a day's work, your hands are empty - unlike the inventors and factory workers from a century ago, who could point to something solid and heavy and say "See what I made today?" We return to our tangible needs in Steampunk. DIY.<br />Secondly, we can do no other than to look back at that period in time through our 21st Century eyes. We modify class and culture to fit the morality of our current state - thereby subverting the culture of the late 18th Century. Corsets worn on the outside of the clothing, women dressing as men and the other way round. Glorifying air pirates and tattered saloon girls. The way we play with class and gender is one of the hallmarks of Steampunk as well.<br />Lastly, starting with Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and then with Vern and Wells, Shelly and so on, we start to see in literature of the period a shift toward intellect over class. My intelligence trumps my bloodline. Me and my invention can reshape the world, and time, and life itself. That's why the literature of this time is part of modern Steampunkery. <br />Some jokingly say that Steampunk is when Goths do brown, but that cliche really misses the point. Goths - by nature - are pessimists. Life is a Gothic Tragedy. Steampunks, by nature, are optimists. We are the geeks that keep trying, using our wits to create great and clever things. <br />Thanks for letting me offer my $0.02.<br />Emilie P. Bush - Steampunk writer<br />Chenda and the Airship Brofman<br />The Gospel According to VerduEmiliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06272703738196906003noreply@blogger.com