Literary creation is constantly reinventing itself with new subgenres and narrative perspectives. In the case of science fiction, during the 1980s, a literary version with a refreshing and original approach emerged, steampunk. The cyberpunk subgenre is considered its most direct literary source.
Five characteristics of steampunk narrative
1- The plot usually develops in the historical context of Victorian England and at the height of the Industrial Revolution .
2- Technologies often appear outside their frame of reference and, in this sense, a deliberate anachronism is provoked.
3- The science fiction narratives by Jules Verne, HG Wells and Mary Shelley are the main references in this subgenre.
4- The narration is historical and at the same time uchronic. Thus, the reference scenario is the 19th century English, but with a distortion of historical reality (literary genres that resort to Ukraine describe realities of what could have happened in the past).
5- Steampunk works are a combination of technology, frenetic adventures and a 19th century setting.
The science fiction novel “The Differential Machine”, written by William Gibson and Bruce Steling, is considered one of the most notable literary works in this subgenre.
This novel published in 1990 has all the ingredients of steampunk. Thus, located in Victorian Britain, a mad genius invents a mathematical computer that advances a century into the computer age and appears a series of real historical characters, but with a different identity.
In addition to literature
Although the origin of steampunk is found in the narrative, its influence is present in the field of fashion. The followers of this current form a new urban tribe with its own aesthetic .
They wear clothes that combine several trends: retrofuturism, cyberpunk and Victorian aesthetics. Some of its characteristic elements are: extravagant glasses, classic hats, corset, vintage umbrella and some technological adornments that recreate the 19th century aesthetic (current technological devices are redesigned with the canons of this current).
This is a fashion that bets on elegance and should not be confused with gothic fashion
The film also reveals the universe steampunk. Three films stand out from the rest: 1995’s “The City of Lost Children”, 2010’s “The Pharaoh‘s Mummies” and 2015’s “April and the Extraordinary World”. 1886″.
