SteamPunk: a List of Themes by TheSouthernNerd, journal
SteamPunk: a List of Themes
SteamPunk is a sub-genre of speculative fiction, basically a “what if” genre in which geniuses are able to produce mechanical wonders such as robots and floating battle ships that run on steam power and sometimes clock work. The genre is modeled after CyberPunk and usually has some sort of anti-establishment theme, but is usually set in the Victorian era or the Old West.
To get a feel for the genre and hopefully generate a little more interest, since it is an obscure, although very interesting genre, I've decided to create a little list of the themes, settings, and plot devices that work well, or could work well, fo