Steampunk is... Part 2: Steampunk vs. Retrofuturism

An unexpected Part Two of my previous article Steampunk is... For a few I was already asking myself the question. What makes Steampunk unique from other similar visual styles under the Retro-Futuristic umbrella, like Retrotronics. Now, many one genres like Dieselpunk, etc. are marketing terms, or tags, to make certain stories and designs sound more unique or because of the human obsession to label things that, 'look a bit different'. Steampunk is no exception, except is it was the first name invented for alternate history stories, like the Difference Engine, and Retro-Futurism as a visual style was a big thing yet. For better, or for worse, we are stuck with Steampunk, although a name like Retropunk would be a more honest alternative. Or at least cause less confusion. But would I really do the philosophy justice?


Steampunk, what does it really mean? Too people I mean. Or myself for that matter. Somethings you need someone to remind you what your passion is really about. Some criticized me for not writing about Steampunk as a feeling... And yes, that is very true. Maybe it is because of my academic training, or maybe it's because of a lack of inspiration. Who knows. But these last few weeks I came to a realization. A concept not alien to me, but something I lost a connection with and failed to put into words. Not for the lack of trying, but because I looked in the wrong place.

Now, I talked about Retro-Futurism (which I will now call Retropunk) in my last article and that Steampunk falls under that umbrella. What I failed to do was to make a clear separation between the two. Not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't. Till a week ago, when my good friend Olly, from Rattles and Wheels,  gave me the insights that I needed. It that point I wish I had a recorder of some form, because what he told me was frigging gold!

Steampunk, is just a name. A play on Cyberpunk. But the nowadays it means so many things to many people. Such many things I ended my last piece with, 'Steampunk is a feeling.' So subjective It doesn't really mean anything, and I really wouldn't hurt to replace it with, Retropunk. But again, would a new, more general name cover the idea of Steampunk?

Some have argued that Steampunk 'has to involve' Steampowered contraptions. Now, this idea has been rejected by many, including yours truly. Many critics, like myself, believe it is too limiting, rather arbitrary, and would get in the way of future innovation. It is just a reference to a powersource common in the nineteenth century to emphasis the importance of technology within the genre. Yes, technology. Not just Steamengines. The Anachronistic Person's passion is represented in general by the Gear. the Cog and the Wrench. Sure we love trains, but to wear these as symbols are rather uncommon, even along Steampunks. Gears and Tools are timeless inventions that have been used by the ancient Mesopotamians and will be used when we displace the original Martians to Pluto, or somewhere else.
So, what about the Punk part? This can refer to both it's reactionary and anachronistic nature. To translate, a rejection of conformity, and the use of anachronism. With the rejection of conformity comes the idea of technological devices as personalized items that tells something about those who own them. This could be a ordinary pocketwatch, handed down from parent to child, or a scratchbuild Tesla Arc Cannon.
So, while Retro-Futurisme is an apt description on the surface, it doesn't describe what rests underneath. Steampunk is about making the impossible, possible, with Science! And technology. As a subculture we enjoy the idea of technological progress. Any Technological Progress, in past, present and future. We love to imagine an era were the Steampunk philosophy would have been realized. Our own Scratchbuild Society so to speak, with the elegance of past design. If we could, we would probably create our own little world like a display in a Steampunkish Snowglobe.

Capital of Cuberia by Vladmir Petkovic

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