Steampunk and Its Effect on Science Fiction Steampunk is a relatively new genre in science fiction; the term was first coined in the 1980s, but elements of steampunk have been seen in science fiction dating back to the fifties. The term applies to works of fiction that use steam-powered technology as opposed to battery-powered technology. Writers mostly use steampunk in pieces set in Victorian times or in the Wild West, though it is not limited to any period piece or even to alternate histories. Though it is new to the world of science fiction, it has had an impact on science fiction and how science fiction is viewed. Steampunk mostly goes to the past and reimagines the world with different technological advances that are not available now. Before steampunk gained popularity, science fiction mostly focused on the future or the present. With the introduction of steampunk, science fiction writers could also write about the past and speculate on how life could have been different if technology had gone in a different direction. Writing about the past made science fiction writers see the present differently, and this expanded the topics they could write about. Steampunk also expanded the technologies that writers could envision. They were no longer limited to technology that was simply more advanced versions of what exists, but were newly open to technology that operated on different rules entirely. Even for those writers who didn’t venture into steampunk, the establishment of the genre opened doors: writers saw that they could create technologies that were powered by something other than batteries, such as by the user themselves or by another outside source. Writers were not the only people changed with the rise of steampunk. Readers had their notions of what science fiction could be expanded. Science fiction could now encompass the past, which meant anything could happen in the future. Fashion was introduced as a way to show off your love of science fiction, and not just a specific science fiction story. Science fiction was no longer kept on bookshelves, but could be shown off on the streets. Writing about the past helped writers and readers see that science fiction is not limited to the future. By adding new technologies to the past, science fiction was introduced to new ideas and audiences. Though blending history and science fiction may have seemed counter intuitive, it has proven to have a lasting impact on science fiction and how it is appreciated.
Posted on: Wed, 07 May 2014 16:36:46 +0000
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