My issue with Steampunk

[roseembolism]

While I was reading the book "Court of the Sky", several thoughts crystallized which explained why I don't care for Steampunk. That is, there are specific steampunk stories that I enjoy, such as Girl Genius and Laputa, but there's some things that have been really bugging me about the genre at large, without my really being able to conceptualize them until recently.

It bothers me that a lot of steampunk seems to celebrate the worst elements of Victorian society. Ethnocentricism, Classism, Colonialism, for a start. About the only "ism" that Steampunk doesn't celebrate is sexism, and that in a weird way where the trappings of sexism are highly evident, but the actual sexist attitudes are only lightly touched upon. 

I also have a minor issue with maintaining suspension of disbelief when Steampunk mirrors Victorian society, even in circumstances such as a radically different geography or history. But that's a problem I have with a lot of fantasy fiction, not just Steampunk.  Also, some stories have taken various approaches to avoid both of these problem, such as "Girl Genius", but both of these problems appear to be common in the Steampunk genre. The second issue frankly is minor, but the fact that much of Steampunk seems to be even more reactionary than standard science fiction, and deliberately so, frankly bothers me.  The obsession with velvet, goggles and gears, just seems to be breezing over some really unpleasant context.

Comments

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

I haven't read much Steampunk. How much does it -- and in what ways -- does it celebrate ethnocentrism etc., as opposed to using the setting and style but ignoring the unpleasant aspects?

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

That's a good question, especially given that Steampunk fans for the large part seem ignorant of the wackyness of Victorian culture. Give me a bit of time, and I'll come up with some examples.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I've avoid most steampunk for exactly this reason. When I look at examples, almost all of it celebrates colonialism, and I'm simply not interested in reading that sort of thing.

[haamel.livejournal.com]

I think it may be that you dislike all bona fide steampunk stories, and like some crossover stories instead. Every time I read Girl Genius, I'm reminded of Kaja's sobriquet "gaslamp fantasy": the effects of the Spark and the various demi-human races smack much more of magic than tech. Laputa has a similar vibe going: the ancient Laputan tech lacks the obvious rivets and steam of a steampunk hoedown (Muska's army aside).

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

Well if Girl Genius doesn't count as Steampunk, then certainly Court of the Air certainly wouldn't since that has actual magic as the basis for the "technology". But I would actually consider both of them, and Laputa as well to be steampunk, in that they all have the trappings of pre-electronic era technology and are heavily informed by the pulps. Certainly Girl Genius is as much a satire on the pulps (as the early appearance of the Heterodyne Boys showed), but it still has the neo-Victorian trappings.

Really, Steampunk is Alternate History as much as it is fantasy, so I feel OK with being inclusive as far as works go. By doing such, there also extends the hope of sometime in the future making the genre more inclusive as well.