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Extraordinary devices and ingenious contraptions in Victorian and Edwardian styles, and add to that the old Aviator's style with lots of clockwork and gears, and you have the general label Steampunk.
Really, it's is all about what if's. Steampunk is a slightly altered version of history. Steampunk itself is an aesthetic that can be applied to just about anything. Steampunk tends to focus in the Victorian - Edwardian era, when steam-powered machinery was at its height, and then takes the leap of imagination to the what if world.
Believe it or not, steampunk has been around a long time. A great place to start are books, many of them now are classical reads.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, or Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, The Shape of Things to Come all by H.G.Wells. Jules Verne, Hugo Gernsback and H.G Wells has been referred to as "The Fathers of Steampunk/science fiction."
More books that are in the same vein: Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake, or Michael Moorcock's Warlord of the Air, or the The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul Di Filippo.
In a more modern vein, there are always the Comics/graphic novels, such as:
- Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
- Steam Detectives by Kia Asamiya
- Extraordinary Engines by Nick Gevers
- The Adventures of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot
Books are the best, but for a fast look try films that embrace the concepts.
- Metopolis,one might argue, is the very first (1927); however, it's very hard to find the original version and sound track. Some easier examples include:
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, film)
- The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958)
- The Time Machine (1960, film)
- Master of the World (1961, film)
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
- Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969, film)
- The Wild Wild West (1999)
- The Mummy (1999)
- The 5th Element (1997)
- Treasure Planet (2002)
- The Prestige (2006)
- Sherlock Holmes (2009) and (2012)
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
- The Time Machine (most all versions)
- Hellboy (2004), and Hellboy II (2008)
And then there are as well, the anime film Steamboy, and Howl's Moving Castle, and the list goes on and on. Harry potter films, The City of Lost Children, The Warriors Way, and two recent films I personally loved: Franklyn, and Hugo.
The technology included in Steampunk stories may or may not have existed. This is where it enters the realm of "What if?" Steampunk is largely focused in the realm of technology and engineering. In the 1800's, technology had taken a gigantic leap forward. Steampunk takes it one step further and introduces further advanced technology right out of the realm of science fiction. An example of good proto-Steampunk is from the era the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
So let your imaginations run wild, what can you create? A house, a robot, Cyborgs factory, shopping area, bars or club, amusements, ships of land or water or air. A community needs many things so the only limit is your creativity. Join us and help build the foundations of a real Steampunk city.
Throughout the building process, there will be a variety of events and contests that will help you along, and of course, to have lots of fun. In the planning are zeppelin races, a scavenger hunt, and more. To give you some more ideas, read the article below.
We have got some land and some blocks ready for builders to let their creativity loose in doing a community steampunk city.
Remember, everyone is invited to build, novice to master builders are all welcome. To help folks along, we have some specific things we would like to see built. Here is a short list to get you thinking:
- Flight instruction school
- Iron works
- Hydroelectric power plant
- Saloon
- A bed an breakfast hotel and houses
- Laboratories
- Coal mine
- Train station
- Trams and trolleys that go through the village
Telegram Apooka or Ozman to get your lot and nominate what you would like to build. Alternatively, Email the Gazette and let us know. yellowgazette@cox.net.
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