Free the Princess: June 2011

What is This Thing Called Steampunk Anyway?

Steampunk, in its most simple definition, is a type of fiction that places contemporary technology in the Victorian Era with Coal (and thus Steam) as the primary power source instead of Gas or Electricity.

Wikipedia defines it as "works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era Britain — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy." Mike Perschon, The Steampunk Scholar, calls it "an aesthetic that mixes elements of technofantasy, and neo-Victorian retrofuturism."

At Free the Princess, I subscribe to both definitions. Defining Steampunk isn't my concern though: telling you the information needed to write it is. And here I give you this practical literary guide to writing Steampunk. The guide may occasionally deviate into commentary on events in the community, but hopefully not too often.

Pages