by Mary Beougher

Created on: August 18, 2010   Last Updated: August 19, 2010

The term steampunk originated in the late 1980’s with science fiction author, K. W. Jeter. It is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction set in a time period or a world where steam power is the main form of energy, usually, the 19th century, most often Victorian era Britain. In the last few years, steampunk has become a growing phenomenon, stretching it’s branches into popular culture far beyond its literary roots.

Taking a look back before the term was coined, we have literary classics that  inspired and helped to shape the genre. Although their books were contemporary literature at publication, the works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley, and even Mark Twain have become staples in a proper steampunk library. In 1971, came the publication of Warlord of the Air by Michael Moorcock, the first in his Nomad of the Time Streams trilogy. It is a quintessential steampunk story about an Edwardian era British Army captain set in an alternate version of the 20th century. And of course, you can’t forget Morlock Night (1979) by K. W. Jeter, a tale that takes the Morlocks of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and puts them into Victorian London. This is the novel that Jeter used to coin the term steampunk in a letter to Locus magazine, signaling the beginning of a new sub-genre of literature.

Most attribute The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (1990) with the beginning of modern literary steampunk. It is a classic alternate reality where Charles Babbage actually succeeds with his Difference Engine leading to the creation of his Analytical Engine, and thus a wholly different future for Britain, the United States, and the world. In 1995, we see the first use of steampunk in a literary title as the name for a trilogy by Paul Di Filippo. By 1999, steampunk entered the world of comics in a big way with Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neal’s A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, which was eventually turned into a movie in 2003 starring Sean Connery.

As this sub-genre grows, there are sub-genres within it that are cropping up. Fantasy world steampunk such as China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station opens up an entire new element to the literature. There are also the gaslight romances, following the same time period as contemporary steampunk, but focusing on icons of the period with a romantic bent. Out of role playing games has also been born the sub-genres of dieselpunk and clockpunk, the first being

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