I recently purchased The Steampunk Bible from Amazon.com, partially to continue my steampunk education and partially wile away the hours while waiting for my various library books on hold to be returned.
The Steampunk Bible left me with a few questions, reoccurring doubts if you will. But I'll get to that in a minute. First, my impressions on the book itself.
The Steampunk Bible isn't a manual on how to do steampunk, although it does contain some helpful hints. The Steampunk Bible is, as it says on the cover, "an illustrated guide to the world of imaginary airships, corsets and goggles, mad scientists, and strange literature." Now I want to insert or remove an oxford comma for consistency in that phrase, but I will refrain. Stylistic gesture, I'm sure. The Steampunk Bible starts at the beginning, detailing when the term "steampunk" came into being, some of the founding authors, such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and when the movement actually came to being. It has quite lovely glossy color pictures, is hard cover, and overall a pretty nice deal for the $15.21 on Amazon.com, but unfortunately didn't qualify for free shipping.
From the origins and a discussion on the various dispositions of Verne and Wells on "fantasy," it then heads into modern steampunk and what that looks like. It covers comics, webcomics, movies, TV series, books, and fashion. It can be pretty amazing sometimes how far reaching steampunk culture is. For example, the recent edition of Sherlock Holmes. I've seen that claimed as steampunk several times and the thought had not crossed my mind when I watched the movie (granted, I was largely unaware of the movement at the time). When I watch it again, I will have to watch it with new eyes. But thinking back, Sherlock Holmes contains technology, fancy stuff back then, that probably did not exist in that time frame. That is a steampunk idea, even if not all the characters are running around in goggles.
The fashion bit was quite interesting, as that is one of the most obvious modern visual examples of steampunk. It told of the origins of steampunk as a wearable fashion beyond the literary movement. It also included tips for styles, such as "the adventurer," and a list of accessories, like hats and spats. Of course, it can't give you detailed instructions on how to become a steampunk, because that would be against the movement itself. Steampunk is about doing it yourself and having your own take and your own look.
So, though I haven't finished it yet, so far I'm really enjoying the book. They really seem to have done their research and gotten input from many many people in all aspects of steampunk. I love the pictures because steampunk itself is so visual. It includes essays and interviews with related figures. Overall, quite entertaining.
Now, for how it makes me think. First off, it discusses a book that I've been seeing in relation to steampunk for a while now, and that is Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. I first learned of this book the League of S.T.E.A.M.'s (steampunk ghostbusters... hilarious) podcast. They interviewed Cherie Priest and she said she wanted to write something that could represent and epitomize steampunk, something people could point at and say, "See that? That's steampunk." It appears the book is a hit and I believe she even has a movie deal out of it. I haven't read it yet (and there is at least one other person with a hold ahead of me at the library), but it seems that her goals are... fascinating. And in some way, I want to strive for something that carries a greater story than just interaction between characters... which is fun.
Along that note, steampunk does have a cultural movement of sorts that relates to inequality and the like. So, on some level, it seems that it aspires higher than cool costumes that have corsets and top hats. And if steampunk aspires to another level, shouldn't my own fiction aspire as well? Don't get me wrong, I've read fluffy steampunk that seemed very much about a play between characters often in young adult novels. But somewhere, if just in the background, there is a larger plot at stake, usually one that encompasses several countries if not the world. Steampunk reaches higher in their vision to greater plots. It rarely seems to be just a love or friendship story in an alternate history.
The thing I'm playing around with right now is shaping up to be some sort of steampunk western and it entertains me. I have two characters and so far, it has been very much about them. So when do I want a larger plot element, and what do I want it to be? It makes me uncomfortable to think about this, because again I feel like I am not quite meeting standards. Before I found steampunk, I was investigating sci-fi and was faced with the same issue, but one that had more of a dark, dystopian idea at the end.
And then on to my final problem when reading The Steampunk Bible. Steampunks are very much about production of some sort. They seem to adore anything handcrafted, especially Victorian or steampunk style. They create their own costumes or perhaps buy them from very expensive makers who make it themselves. "Makers" was an idea mentioned in The Steampunk Bible encompassing artists and craftsmen and tailors and other contributing creators. Much of steampunk to them is the visual appeal and the ability to put these things together. Others have gotten into the movement by their various contributions on the literary side and so on. Therefore, I wonder what I have to do to join. Do I need to learn how to cut and sew leather? Get a job to afford a pair of goggles? Make jewelry from clock pieces? Write a best-selling steampunk novel? I somewhat desire to earn my way into the movement. Is that required? Do I need to prove my worth as a contributor, first? Or at least assemble a costume?
Steampunk is about community, I'm discovering, and so far I've been investigating it alone.
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