What the Hell is Steampunk?

Ever heard of steampunk? As of yesterday, neither had I. But while you may not have heard the term before, you are likely very familiar with the genre. If you've ever read a book (or seen a movie based on a book) by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, or, I would argue, Lewis Carrol--then you have a good idea what steampunk is all about. In fact, the three authors mentioned above could be considered the "forefathers" of the steampunk movement (although the term itself didn't come into being until the early 1980s). I think it's safe to say steampunk is sci-fi for those of you who hate sci-fi. Not making much sense? Read on!

To steal directly from Wikipedia (because it sums the whole steampunk thing up a lot more succintly than I might), steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is widely used, as opposed to electricity. The setting is typically during the 19th century, frequently smack in the middle of Victorian Era England, but featuring prominent elements of science fiction and/or fantasy with lots of real and/or imagined technological inventions. Sometimes the stories are also set in an "alternate history" universe in which technology evolves faster or slower or just differently than it has here (with computers showing up in the late 1800s, etc).

Imagine my surprise when, after stumbling across the term yesterday, it dawned on me that I'd been reading and gravitating towards steampunk books for years without having a clue it was a genre unto itself. I like to think I'm pretty hip...even though I don't get out much. But this whole thing caught me totally by surprise.

If the whole idea of steampunk sounds lame...or just not up your alley, consider the fact that the genre is very malleable and includes a lot of fiction that the hardcore steampunk crowd might poo-poo. If you like history, fantasy, a little sci-fi (but of the retro sort), and even romance...you may very well find something to like in the steampunk genre. Below is a brief listing of some of my very favorite steampunk books and movies. Oh, and for a more in-depth list, check out author Gail Carriger's website. And if you have some time to kill, do a Google image search on steampunk and check out some of the funky clothes and pseudo-technology.

Steampunk for Kids

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - Best for older children or very mature younger children. An excellent intro for kids into the whole steampunk universe. Wonderful books as well...but for those of you who care, Pullman is a self-proclaimed atheist and some feel this bleeds over into his stories. I'm no atheist and I loved the books. Make of it what you will.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - PURE steampunk and loads of fun for the younger set. Kids from ages 5 to 10 will love these books.
Howell's Moving Castle - Lovely anime film, perfect for younger kids. By acclaimed animator and director Hayao Miyazaki (he did Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke).
Castle in the Sky - Also by Hayao Miyazaki

Steampunk for Teens and Grownups

Souless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger - Victorian Era England, light, frothy, funny, romance, vampires, werewolves, and lots of other nasties (oh, and parasols too). Great place to start if you are just dipping your toes into steampunk.
Glass Book of the Dream Eaters, Volume One by Gordon Dahlquist - Victorian Era England, huge book, a NASTY set of baddies, very well fleshed out characters with flaws, detailed and intense read but so worth sinking your teeth into, tons of action with a kickass female protaganist.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - Modern-day London and Victorian-ish alternate universe "below London", incredibly well written, nasty, nasty baddies, some romance, lots of action. One of my favorites.
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman - My very first steampunk book..although hadn't a clue about that until yesterday. As the name suggests, vampires and other nasties, Victorian England, very interesting story line and a fun read.
The Prestige by Christopher Priest - Many of you probably saw the movie starring yummy actors Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. But first it was an excellent book.
The City of Lost Children - A visually stunning, and somewhat unsettling, film (for those who hate subtitles or dubbing, be warned...this is a French film). Not suitable for kids.
Edward Scissorhands - No, it doesn't take place during the Victorian Era but it's Victorian-style and anachronistic technology makes it a shoe-in for steampunk. Actually, it's safe to say that a number of Tim Burton's films have elements of steampunk in them including the post-production Alice in Wonderland.