Steampunk is, to quote Wikipedia, a “sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction” in which an alternate history has derived modern technology through the material conventions of Victorian industry: brass, steam, and so forth. In my experience it is more appropriate to call it a “movement.” A genre is an artistic sphere where objects are created to conform to aesthetic conventions. When these creations are actively engaged and used in social spheres, however, they become part of public discourse. Hence, relationships in motion: a “movement.”
I’m familiar enough with the steampunk movement to know that it is wildly creative, wildly complex, and a gothic analysis is more than I can pull off right now. What I can say is that the connections between goths and the movement is well established. Some of this is simple enough; you have two groups with a penchant for intricate costume, eldritch technology, and a nostalgic obsession with the past, and they’re bound to come into conversation at some point. Sometimes, that’s all there is to it. With steampunk, however, the connection is both deeper and richer. Like the gothic in the modern era, steampunk is fundamentally a breed of romanticism. Just as goths are late aesthetic outliers to the gothic fiction of Walpole and his contemporaries, steampunk is a late fringe edge of the speculative fiction of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. And, weirdly, both movements engage various notions of social deviance while drawing inspiration from eras of social conservatism.
I suppose I lied and threw a bit of analysis in there.
At any rate, I’ll be talking about steampunk more, and perhaps frequently. But I had to introduce it up front, and I think the perfect way to do so is by sending you to take a look at Steampunk Chicago.
A variety of artists such as Joe Vortech, Mr. Automatic, Forge 22, and others are deep into this thing, and their marquee event is the monthly Clockwork Vaudeville, which is many things, but might be best described as a cross between a (steampunk) rave and a (steampunk) variety show. The website also includes a variety of short articles, an online store, and other neat stuff. This is certainly where the underground arts action is in Chicago these days.
If nothing else, you should check the site out because this is ammo for my claim that gothicism today is bigger and better than anybody realizes. It is a big, eclectic tent and it impacts our lives and influences our thoughts in more ways than we realize. Which is what this blog is all about.