Nicole Horning - A Modern Nerds Guide to Steampunk

Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text.

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Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Horning, Nicole.

Title: A modern nerds guide to steampunk / Nicole Horning.

Description: New York : Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2020. | Series: Geek out! | Includes glossary and index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781538240267(pbk.) | ISBN 9781538240281 (library bound) | ISBN 9781538240274 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Steampunk culture--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC PN3448.S73 H67 2020 | DDC 700.411--dc23

First Edition

Published in 2020 by

Gareth Stevens Publishing

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New York, NY 10003

Copyright 2020 Gareth Stevens Publishing

Designer: Sarah Liddell

Editor: Abby Badach Doyle

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WHAT IS STEAMPUNK?

Do you like history, technology, and costumes? Then you might love steampunk! Steampunk is a type of science fiction that imagines what people in the past would have thought the future looked like. At the center of steampunk are real or imagined steam-powered machines from the 1800s. Steampunk fans mix old and new things to create a new world.

Todays fans got inspiration from books that were written many years earlier. Then, steampunk started showing up in movies, at conventions, and in fashion. It has even crossed over into music, games, and miniatures, or tiny things.

THE NERD COMMUNITY

A nerd or a geek is someone who deeply appreciates something. They may go to events with other fans, dress up, or read books and watch movies about the thing that they love. Geek culture is about sharing interests with a group of people and being a part of that community.

Steampunk often takes something from history, such as clothing, and combines it with something that is new, such as parts of machines.

HISTORY OF STEAMPUNK

Steampunk is a smaller part of culture, called a subculture. It became a trend in the 1990s and grew more popular in the 2000s. This fascinating subculture combines new technology with things from the past, especially the Victorian Age. The Victorian Age, named for Queen Victoria who reigned at the time, took place from the 1830s to the 1900s in the United Kingdom.

Many inventions, including the telephone, were created during the Victorian Age. Bicycles also became popular. The clothing people wore changed, too. For example, womens dresses had narrow sleeves and large, full skirts. Steampunk is inspired by the clothing from this time.

CREATION OF STEAMPUNK

Its believed that author K. W. Jeter created the term steampunk in the 1980s. He was writing science fiction books that took place during the Victorian Age, and he wanted to separate the books he was writing from other authors styles.

Paintings, drawings, and photos from Victorian times show us what fashion looked like back then. What surprises you about the way people dressed?

THE STEAMPUNK AIRSHIP

Society changed a lot in the Victorian Age. Steam power created mighty machines. There were developments in science, too. During this time, Victorians imagined flying machines, such as airships, and underwater machines, such as submarines. However, what the Victorians thought of was different than what was later created!

Because these things were first dreamed of during this time, airships andsubmarines are popular images in steampunk. People who like steampunk may imagine what itwould be like if the Victorians actuallycreated these things. Then, they may add that into their character or story. Forexample, someones steampunk persona could be a pilot, captain, inventor, or mechanic.

The airship is a popular image in steampunk. Some fans pretend to be airship pirates, who attack and steal ships in the sky!

OAMARU, NEW ZEALAND

Oamaru is a town in New Zealand that has buildings with a steampunk theme. Many of the people who live there also enjoy steampunk. They even have steampunk parades! Some residents wear costumes all the time. Some people moved to the town just so they could be close to other steampunk fans

GETTING STARTED

The first thing to do when getting started in the steampunk community is to think about your persona, or a particular way to look, behave, and talk. You can create your character, pick a special name, and a job. Do you want to be a scientist? An adventurer? A pirate? If you always wanted to be something else, you can create that in your steampunk persona!

You dont need to be a scientist, adventurer, or pirate to be in steampunk, though! You can create any kind of character you want. If you do create a persona, its good to make sure everything you do matches.

JUST BE YOU!

You dont need a persona in order to enjoy steampunk. Many fans are involved in steampunk without creating a character. A persona may make it more fun and have more meaning for you, but the important thing is to just have fun and be creative with it!

Creating a steampunk persona might take a lot of time. Think about these questions to help create your character!

When youre making your persona and deciding what to wear, make sure everything goes together. Your clothing and gadgets should match the type of character you are. For example, if youre a scientist, you might have a lab coat. An airship pilot might have goggles to help see far distances when flying.