I am a steampunk and cyberpunk junkie. Over the next few weeks I’m going to introduce new readers to the steampunk genre so for those who are already fans, please bear with us. We have to start with rules in a world if we want to be able to break them. 
Wikipedia defines Steampunk as:
…a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used-usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England-but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.
So instead of beeping and buzzing, we have whirring and clacking. Steam powered everything. Fantastic. I am not a huge fan of “the path not taken” stories, but I love their historical settings. See Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow or the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for references.
I would love to introduce you to my world, and I will…soon. In the meantime, enjoy these last days of summer.
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