As a matter of fact, if ordered chronologically, steampunk is often considered the first of the science fiction "punk isms".
Steampunk - The imagined future world of the Victorian Era.
Dieselpunk - The imagined future world of pulp and the World War One and the World War Two era.
Cyberpunk - The imagined future world of the 21st century and beyond.
I know what you're thinking, oh adventurous reader: "What literature can I find in the bizarrely crafted world of the Victorian future?"
Well do I have a "bully" (Amazing) list of books for you!
A few classic oldies: - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne - Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne - The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Some recent page-turners: - Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter - Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - Homunculus by James P. Blaylock - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
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Steampunk Subgenres! Oh yes, there are subgenres, oh intrepid reader! Though naming them all may not be possible, a few fairly popular ones include:
Post-Apocalyptic Steampunk:
The world is devastated after some great conflict. Rust and decay are everywhere, but innovative and inventive protagonists do what they can to return the spark of civilization with steam and clockworks.
Popular titles include: - City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau - Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Horror Steampunk: The supernatural and perversions of Victorian science twist and distort ominous tales of the faults of human hubris and the frightful demise of those that dare to descend the dark abyss of the unknown.
Popular titles include: - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher
Fantasy Steampunk:
These are stories that mystify and astound, proclaiming travel to other worlds with the use mechanical clockwork machinery as well as the ether and other profound persuasions of magic.
Popular titles include: - The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - Arabella of Mars by David Levine
The literary genre of steampunk is incredibly vast and the potential for world-building is infinite for any ambitious writer. Thus you -oh precious reader- should you be seeking pulp-like stories wrought with Victorian period drama, infused with steam-driven, bizarre mechanical sci-fi wizardry, you need not look further than the splendidly outlandish, yet profoundly fascinating realm of steampunk!
