What is Steampunk? A few years ago I had asked the same question as I have never heard of it myself. Someone made a statement, saying that they love steampunk. Steampunk, if you google it, is actually a growing phenomenon. It is a fandom of the Victorian Era and Industrial Revolution and the early 19th Century technology and advance machinery. Aviation, trains, watches, air balloons to explorers, clock-makers inventors, to even aristocrats are just a small part of the steampunk world.
There’s a huge genre out there of comic books, books, websites, jewelry, and clothing. They even hold conventions for those who are steampunk fanatics…hmm, what would you call a person that’s into steampunk?
You’ve actually seen steampunk around, though you didn’t know it. You’ve see it in movies such as Wild Wild West and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Steampunk can even be found in TV shows such as Firefly and Doctor Who. I feel in love with steampunk myself from watching Firefly (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan).
This Halloween I’m planning on dressing up in aviation steampunk attire (I’ll try to post pictures come Halloween). I already have the aviator’s jacket…something that I acquire
d once I completed boot camp. I have also collected a few other items. I still have one or two items to get before my outfit is
complete.
Did you know what Steampunk was before this post? Are you still unfamiliar with the term? Are you a Steampunk fan?
Author Jennifer N. Adams 
No I didn’t know what Steampunk was, but thanks for enlightening me! I’ve seen the League, Wild Wild West and Dr. Who, (as well as the movie Serenity), so it was fun to find out about this. Thanks. Guess I was a fan of Steampunk before I knew it! 😉
You’re welcome! 🙂 I too was a fan a steampunk long before I knew what it was. 🙂
I have really enjoyed the steampunk books I’ve read so far. They often feature the supernatural, along with the requisite flying airships or hot air balloons, etc, and feature an alternate world where these inventions became the dominant factors, as opposed to the internal combustion engine and automobiles, etc. Everyone is either getting about by plane or on flying ships that look like pirate ships, and the like. They are kind of campy and fun for a change. Glad you’ve discovered them, Jennifer. A good YA steampunk series is The Clockwork Angel, The Clockwork Prince, and the soon to be released Clockwork Princess. And another series I enjoyed was Vampire Empire, also a trilogy, that was really fun.
I love the airships and the inventions. Thank you for the book recommendations, I always love to see those! I have the Clockwork Angel in my collection, but have never had the chance to open it.
I read Clockwork Angel a year ago, and really enjoyed it. It is a prequel to another Cassandra Clare series that starts with City of Glass. I tried that one first, and really wasn’t impressed with the writing or the characters. I’m not sure why I tried Clockwork Angel (it may have been the cover that drew me in), but I felt like her writing was much stronger, and I became invested in the characters. I have held back on reading Clockwork Prince, waiting for Clockwork Princess to come out. I was told that the ending would leave me crazy to get my hands on Princess, so I figured I’d wait and read them back to back. Hope they are as good as “Angel.” It is steampunk in a way, but not quite as involved with the airships and things. But the “clockwork” refers to a very steampunky item. As for Vampire Empire, I adored some of the characters and the world building, but the book isn’t perfect, by any means. I reviewed the final one on Bookin’ It, if you want to take a look before trying it. (Vampire Empire: The Kingmakers) Let me know if you try them. I’d be very interested in your take.
I like the ‘City of’ books by Clare…I think there are four of them; they’re also going to be movies, but I read them long before I found that out. I’ll have to wait until this summer to pick up the Vampire book, as I just started back to school, but I would love to check it out and will give a little review on it. 🙂
Jennifer, if you enjoyed the City books, then you will really love the Clockwork ones, I think. To me, the characters were far more engaging and well drawn. And I think her writing got stronger, too. It’s quite possible that has become true with the City series, as well, but I never read past the 2nd one, which I didn’t finish. Maybe I’ll give the rest of the series a try when I’m caught up a bit on reducing my To Be Read pile. Often, it takes a writer a little while to really hit their stride in a series, I’ve discovered. Sometimes, the books just get better and better (a la Harry Dresden).
I agree with you and those city books are her first. I think she has other books out there too. She was putting out a book a year I think as I would be finished with a book and start reading some other book and see another Clare book on the store shelves.
Ooops…sorry. Meant to say “everyone is either getting about by TRAIN, not plane.” That’s part of where the “steam” in Steampunk comes from, since they are always steam powered locomotives.