Steampunk as a Philosophy
Basically, the title. Most steampunks view it as an aesthetic philosophy. Some as a literary philosophy. And some as a life philosophy, which combines elements of the first two.
I happen to view it as a life philosophy. (Which explains why people who clearly do not get it make me rage! Because I am like that.)
First of course is the aesthetics angle. The Neo-Victoriana aspect of the aesthetics is, quite frankly, more of a personal preference than part of the philosophy itself. But the time period is in fact very, very relevant.
The 19th century. This was the early Industrial Age, when technology was exploding and factories were becoming A Thing. Dreadful factories. Mass production. Cheap bulk goods.
Steampunk takes the reaction to that and runs with it. It takes the glory and excitement and innovation of technological invention, of scientific discoveries, and it builds from that. It is a celebration of creative genius, the brilliance and skill of the individual in the pursuit of something greater – even if that something is simply adventure.
At the same time, it rejects factories and mass production. It is about individual creativity and expression, not row upon row of identical soulless products, created for convenience and appealing to people’s frugality or simply cheapness. There is no mass-production in steampunk. It is all individual, unique, built for a person and a purpose.
Which brings me to one point that I consider possibly the most important aesthetic principle in steampunk. And yet, I feel as though it is underused.
Everything should have a purpose.
Taking an object and adding extraneous non-functional clockwork mechanisms to it does not make it steampunk. Some people will disagree. I don’t care.
Are you designing a steampunk ray gun for a prop? Then no, it doesn’t have to actually shoot ray beams. But the parts you add to the design should still have a purpose. This bit is the Photonic Condensor, this is the Focal Amplificator, that lovely intricate bit is the Bilateral Expansion Control, et cetera.
Don’t just stick something on “because it looks cool”. PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT. Not doing so will simply undermine your own work, your self. Any good steampunk design is a form of self-expression.
And that doesn’t mean the design should be purely functional. On the contrary: the point of steampunk is to take the functionality and make it beautiful. It should express your passion and care for your work.
Now I will wander back over to the less aesthetic side of the philosophy. We have the ideas of individual expression, creativity and uniqueness. But there is also the steampunk attitude. It is a wonderful attitude, one full of hope and excitement and wonder and curiosity and exploration of the new and unknown.
Steampunk is about stretching the boundaries of imagination and reality. It is about sacrificing practicality for beauty and excitement. It is about not merely discovering the unknown, but searching it out. It is about wonder, and adventure, and the constant process of learning new things. It is about exploring uncharted frontiers, encountering fantastic creatures and cultures.
Steampunk is about joy and wonder, about viewing the world as the best it could be, about living one’s passions and following one’s dreams. It is about refusing to accept that anything is impossible.
And this, this is my steampunk. This is my world. This is how I want to live my life.
So now, perhaps it is understandable why I might overreact a bit when people call half-assed clockwork on brown “steampunk”.
[...] to the discussion of philosophical Steampunk is the article Steampunk as a Philosophy by Inventrix at Clockwork Dreams. This is her take on the whole question of Steampunk as more than [...]