Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction where the past is paired with retro-futuristic technology that is largely powered by steam.
Unlike cyberpunk (which is a vision of a hypothetical future), steampunk is a throwback to the past. It speculates on what the 19th century would be like with an advanced form of technology that surpasses that of the actual era.
It’s become a movement that involves different industries including film, architecture, art, and fashion. But in this article, we’ll be focusing on steampunk as a literary genre. We’ve put together all the things you’ll need to know and a few recommendations to get you started.
Defining Steampunk
As in all literary genres, steampunk can vary depending on how it’s written. But there are general characteristics that most steampunk novels share. Here are a few of them:
1. Era
Steampunk stories were originally set in an alternate 19th-century era, but recent works set it in a different world altogether. However, these different worlds mimic the 19th-century lifestyle. So even if a steampunk story is set in a fantasy world, it is still depicted as having a victorian society.
2. Power
Generally, steampunk settings are pre-electricity, with the main power source being steam, although there are instances where an arcane or invented power source is introduced. So even though you’ll see a Tesla coil on occasion, it’s probably not run by “regular” electricity.
Any type of modern technology will also be modified to fit the narrative. Airplanes, for example, don’t run on diesel fuel but steam technology.
3. Technology and Materials
Aesthetically, pieces of technology are given a retro look. Machines are not seamless metal constructs, but look and operate like clockwork, complete with gears. There are also no plastic or fuel-based materials; leather, brass, copper, and wood are the primary materials used.
Performance-wise, steampunk technology operates through hydraulic, pneumatic, and clockwork principles.
4. Atmosphere
Steampunk tells stories through a romantic lens. There’s a nostalgia for simpler times and old-fashioned values, etiquette, and manners. People dress sharply, tip their hats, or curtsey. There’s an overall sense of adventure and boundless confidence that permeates throughout steampunk stories.
5. Characters
Steampunk regularly features quirky characters, including inventors and mad scientists who may or may not be introducing some kind of revolutionary technology into the story.
Characters also often take on a punk mentality though it’s not as pronounced compared to cyberpunk. They often go against the mainstream and fight for a cause. In steampunk, good and bad are almost always clearly defined.
6. Genre-blending
Like all genres under speculative fiction, steampunk regularly incorporates elements from other genres like fantasy, horror, alternative history, and more. You’ll frequently find magic wielders fighting side by side with automatons, and airships flying around with dragon-like creatures in steampunk literature.
8 Best Steampunk Books to Get Started
We’ve assembled a few books to get you started in your steampunk reading journey. Check them out below!
1. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeves
A massive war has destroyed the earth. Now some cities survive by attaching wheels and engines to themselves and moving about to consume weaker cities. London is one such “traction city,” where Tom Natsworthy is apprenticing as a historian.
A chance encounter leads him to discover a nefarious plot instigated by the head historian. He finds himself on the run with everyone seemingly out to get him.
2. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Rumors of gold led to the creation of a massive drill capable of boring through Alaska’s permafrost. But things go terribly awry during its first test, destroying a large part of Seattle and excavating a strange gas that turned all those who breathed it into the living dead.
Years later, the city is walled off and the inventor of the drill, Leviticus Blue, has disappeared. His son resolves to prove his innocence and enters the city of the dead.
3. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
The airship Ketty Jay is manned by a crew down on their luck. Each member has his own secrets, and is on the run from something. When an easy opportunity arises to steal a chest of gems from another airship, they just can’t pass it up.
When their attack goes horribly wrong, they suddenly find themselves the most wanted crew on Vardia, pursued on all sides. Now they’ll need to find out who set them up, and what’s the end game.
4. The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Spires have always sheltered humanity since time immemorial; but humans are naturally competitive, and war has broken out between Spire Albion and Spire Aurora. When captain Grimm’s ship is damaged while disrupting Spire Aurora’s lines, he joins a team of Albion elites on an important mission in exchange for his ship’s repair.
But things are not as they seem, and humanity’s ancient enemy begins to stir once again after ten thousand years of sleep.
5. Soulless by Gail Carriger
Alexia Tarabotti is soulless—literally. This grants her the power to take away any supernatural creature’s abilities. When she accidentally kills a vampire who attacks her, Lord Maccon, a werewolf, is sent to investigate.
As vampires continue to disappear from London’s high society, Alexia is cast as the prime suspect. She must prove her innocence while still maintaining the proper decorum expected of a lady.
6. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Isaac, a scientist, is approached by a birdlike man who commissions him to restore his mutilated wings. But while doing research, they accidentally unleash a monster who eats minds. After it frees its captive siblings from a mob boss, Isaac and company must find a way to stop the monsters from further terrorizing the city —while dodging the mob boss and a brutal police force.
7. The Difference Engine by William Gibson & Bruce Sterling
In an alternate history, Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine and ushers in the information age a century earlier, at the same time as the industrial revolution.
A box of “punch cards,” used for computer programming, is discovered. No one knows what they’re for, but everyone seems willing to kill for them.
8. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Hugo lives in the walls of a Paris train station, doing his best to avoid being sent to the orphanage. He occupies his time trying to fix an automaton he and his father started working on just before his father’s death. Determined to fix it, he steals tools from a toymaker, only to get caught. When the toymaker finds out about the automaton, he does his best to stop Hugo from finishing the project, leading Hugo to dig deeper into its history.
What Was the Steampunk Era?
During the 19th century, people imagined all sorts of visions of what the future would be like. Diagrams and literature speculating on futuristic technology were common. These speculations ranged from mechanized production, extensive urbanization, mass transportation, and even telecommunications. These visions are the foundation of steampunk.
Steampunk often adopts the style of prominent people who lived in the 19th-century. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, in particular, are hailed as fathers of steampunk, with their works having great influence in succeeding steampunk literature.
Origin of the Term
The term “steampunk” originated in 1987 from a letter that K.W. Jeter penned to Locus, a science fiction magazine. He used it as a joke term to describe the types of stories that he (Morlock Night), Tim Powers (The Anubis Gates), and James Blaylock (Homunculus) frequently wrote, where Victorian elements were juxtaposed with futuristic technology.
The “punk” was a tongue-in-cheek reference to cyberpunk, which was then a widely popular genre. It was an attempt by Jeter to distinguish his kind of works from those of William Gibson, a pioneer of cyberpunk.
In time, the term was retroactively applied to earlier works that were soon considered seminal to the steampunk genre. These include 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, The Time Machine, and Titus Alone.
Reading New Genres
Steampunk is an easy genre to get into, thanks to its frequent blending of other genre elements. It’s both familiar, yet just different enough to give an entertaining read for people looking to try out other genres.
Our constant “what-ifs” gain new life in speculative genres such as this, sparking our imaginations to a high degree. Steampunk, in particular, keeps the past fresh and exciting to discover.
Whether you’re a steampunk veteran or newcomer, hopefully this article has given you new information and even better book recommendations for your reading journey. Enjoy!
Do you have a favorite steampunk book? Share it on the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
Nice encapsulation. My only quibble would be that some Steampunk is not always bright and optimistic. Some of the best pieces, like Stephen Hunt’s Jackelian series, can be quite dark.
That is true. Though I do find that most are written with an adventuristic tone, which tends to make them light-hearted. But I do enjoy the ones that go dark, such as Perdido Street Station.
Haven’t read the Jackelian series yet, but I’ll give it a go.