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urbpanSo this steampunk thing has caught on like gangbusters lately, and I think it's weird. Its origins go back a long time, but unlike a lot of collective cultural fantasies, there's no group of high-profile pop-culture works to propel it. The space opera collective fantasy, simmering for the entire 20th century in Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon comic strips and serials and such, suddenly got a huge boost with Star Wars in 1977, and has never looked back really. The vampire collective fantasy got its big launch with Bela Lugosi's dracula, and Universal pictures milked it successfully to the point that there's a vampire breakfast cereal, and vampire romance novels for teen girls.
But as far as high profile steampunk movies go, all I can think of are some serious bombs: Wild Wild West, League of Extraordinary Gentleman (the comic book source probably did more to help out the steampunk meme than the almost universally hated movie), and the tepid Hellboy sequel. I have no doubt that a hugely successful movie that exploits the steampunk trope will come out in a matter of months, and this discussion will be forgotten. But at this moment, it's baffling to me how many people in my life, on livejournal, and so on. seem to be fascinated with brass goggles, clockwork robots, and high tech plumbing. Can it all be from fantasy novels?
Some grad student somewhere is working on a paper explaining the appeal--the combination of nostalgia, hopefulness, fashion sense, ecological awareness, the alternate reality of the industrial/technological revolutions. I bet you have some opinions, too.
EDITED TO ADD: Please post a picture of yourself in your steampunk costume along with your comment.
But as far as high profile steampunk movies go, all I can think of are some serious bombs: Wild Wild West, League of Extraordinary Gentleman (the comic book source probably did more to help out the steampunk meme than the almost universally hated movie), and the tepid Hellboy sequel. I have no doubt that a hugely successful movie that exploits the steampunk trope will come out in a matter of months, and this discussion will be forgotten. But at this moment, it's baffling to me how many people in my life, on livejournal, and so on. seem to be fascinated with brass goggles, clockwork robots, and high tech plumbing. Can it all be from fantasy novels?
Some grad student somewhere is working on a paper explaining the appeal--the combination of nostalgia, hopefulness, fashion sense, ecological awareness, the alternate reality of the industrial/technological revolutions. I bet you have some opinions, too.
EDITED TO ADD: Please post a picture of yourself in your steampunk costume along with your comment.
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Date: 2009-02-26 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 12:58 pm (UTC)The steampunk elements can also be seen in the 40K universe, especially when it comes to the garb/costume.
Another universe that has steampunk elements - Warmachine. :)