Post by PitYak Studios on Jan 30, 2005 14:53:48 GMT 12
Pirate Wench mentioned something called steam punk earlier, and I thought maybe you might like to know about it if you don't already
Firstly, I would say it's kind of descended from cyberpunk, which I always assume everyone knows about, and still think is the latest new thing, even though it's been around 30 years or more. If you don't know what I mean by cyberpunk, then I guess we'll have to start a thread on that too.
Steam punk is an alternate history genre, in which (generally) Babbage's computer (or analytical engine) came to fruition and delivered the world into the information age a century before our timeline. So you have a Victorian world, with the added twist of "IT"
That's a pretty big generalisation, but sums up one of the most famous works in this genre William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's "The difference engine". Steam powered computers the size of a cathedral, accessed via a wooden keyboard (hence operators are called "clackers" - good pun), stolen and bootleg software that people will gladly kill for (on punchcards), calculating cannon, dreadnoughts and machine guns. All in 19th century Britain.
Other works in the genre introduce "landships", huge steam tanks operated by the navy, space flight and other weird and wacky tech, all with polished brass and mahogany trimmings. Lots of fancy pantaloons and moustachioed baddies too.
It's a grand old caper.
A recent work which falls under this umbrella is "the league of extraordinary gentlemen" Not so much the mediocre movie, but the original comic by Alan Moore. (Anyone feel like buying me a present, volume 1 of this please.) Features captain nemo, the invisible man, Dr jekyl, alan quatermain (not Patrick swayze either) and wilhemina murray, who you may know as mina harker). Also playing roles are Fu Manchu, Sherlock holmes and Dr Moriarty Volume two introduced HG Wells' martians, Dr Moreau and others.
The basic premise here is what if these fictional characters (Victorian equivalents to superheroes) had co-existed? How would the world be different to that we know today? For instance, the first issue shows an under-construction bridge across the English channel, a sign that Britain is prospering under the protection of this famous five, who work for MI5 under the agent Campion Bond, who in turns reports to "M"!
Similar to the pure steam punk works is "The Peshawar Lancers" by S .M. Stirling. The world created by stirling (which he kindly fleshes out in several thick appendices in the back of the book) is very interesting.
In, I think, the 18th century, a series of comets pound Europe to dust, wiping out most of what was then the only civilised world. Three years of winter caused by dust in the atmosphere leads to massive worldwide crop failure and starvation. Starvation that leads to widespread cannibilism. Survivors in france relocate to North Africa; Disreali shifts the british empire to India; America returns to a tribal existence, the natives claiming back most of the land, while the handful of European settlers themselves revert to a native American tribal culture. Also, animals from zoos on the Eastern seaboard establish themselves, and with such a limited genepool soon develop into unique variants such as black tigers with tallow stripes. Meanwhile russai, ruled by the Tzars, becomes the only nation to openly accept cannibalism.
The book centres around the "British" empire which has now for generations been based in India, with all the british institutions such as Sandhurst officers college, which is in dlehi now I think. There are pockets of british descendants surviving in south Africa and Australia, but these are looked down upon by the imperials, who consider themselves to be pure blooded british. In fact by now they have mixed to such an extent with the local population that their language is barely recognisable as English; "wery" instead of "very" and such like. The "country cousins" in SA and oz still speak what we would we call the queens English, and are in fact far more british than the imperials who now govern most of the world.
The book is set around 2010, but the years of upheavel have meant civilisation is only just getting on track, and has a tech level similar our timeline's early 1900's
A very interesting, plausible world.
Check out some steampunk games;
www.clashofarms.com/infernal.html
www.forgottenfutures.com/index.htm
www.zeitcom.com/majgen/60lshp.html
Firstly, I would say it's kind of descended from cyberpunk, which I always assume everyone knows about, and still think is the latest new thing, even though it's been around 30 years or more. If you don't know what I mean by cyberpunk, then I guess we'll have to start a thread on that too.
Steam punk is an alternate history genre, in which (generally) Babbage's computer (or analytical engine) came to fruition and delivered the world into the information age a century before our timeline. So you have a Victorian world, with the added twist of "IT"
That's a pretty big generalisation, but sums up one of the most famous works in this genre William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's "The difference engine". Steam powered computers the size of a cathedral, accessed via a wooden keyboard (hence operators are called "clackers" - good pun), stolen and bootleg software that people will gladly kill for (on punchcards), calculating cannon, dreadnoughts and machine guns. All in 19th century Britain.
Other works in the genre introduce "landships", huge steam tanks operated by the navy, space flight and other weird and wacky tech, all with polished brass and mahogany trimmings. Lots of fancy pantaloons and moustachioed baddies too.
It's a grand old caper.
A recent work which falls under this umbrella is "the league of extraordinary gentlemen" Not so much the mediocre movie, but the original comic by Alan Moore. (Anyone feel like buying me a present, volume 1 of this please.) Features captain nemo, the invisible man, Dr jekyl, alan quatermain (not Patrick swayze either) and wilhemina murray, who you may know as mina harker). Also playing roles are Fu Manchu, Sherlock holmes and Dr Moriarty Volume two introduced HG Wells' martians, Dr Moreau and others.
The basic premise here is what if these fictional characters (Victorian equivalents to superheroes) had co-existed? How would the world be different to that we know today? For instance, the first issue shows an under-construction bridge across the English channel, a sign that Britain is prospering under the protection of this famous five, who work for MI5 under the agent Campion Bond, who in turns reports to "M"!
Similar to the pure steam punk works is "The Peshawar Lancers" by S .M. Stirling. The world created by stirling (which he kindly fleshes out in several thick appendices in the back of the book) is very interesting.
In, I think, the 18th century, a series of comets pound Europe to dust, wiping out most of what was then the only civilised world. Three years of winter caused by dust in the atmosphere leads to massive worldwide crop failure and starvation. Starvation that leads to widespread cannibilism. Survivors in france relocate to North Africa; Disreali shifts the british empire to India; America returns to a tribal existence, the natives claiming back most of the land, while the handful of European settlers themselves revert to a native American tribal culture. Also, animals from zoos on the Eastern seaboard establish themselves, and with such a limited genepool soon develop into unique variants such as black tigers with tallow stripes. Meanwhile russai, ruled by the Tzars, becomes the only nation to openly accept cannibalism.
The book centres around the "British" empire which has now for generations been based in India, with all the british institutions such as Sandhurst officers college, which is in dlehi now I think. There are pockets of british descendants surviving in south Africa and Australia, but these are looked down upon by the imperials, who consider themselves to be pure blooded british. In fact by now they have mixed to such an extent with the local population that their language is barely recognisable as English; "wery" instead of "very" and such like. The "country cousins" in SA and oz still speak what we would we call the queens English, and are in fact far more british than the imperials who now govern most of the world.
The book is set around 2010, but the years of upheavel have meant civilisation is only just getting on track, and has a tech level similar our timeline's early 1900's
A very interesting, plausible world.
Check out some steampunk games;
www.clashofarms.com/infernal.html
www.forgottenfutures.com/index.htm
www.zeitcom.com/majgen/60lshp.html
