Steampunk has been around for a while now, and it’s well established on both sides of the Atlantic and likely elsewhere. To simplify, it is a type of retrofitted science fiction set in the American wild west or Victorian England, using vaguely plausible technology (steam driven mechanics, primitive computers). Its influence extends from books through movies, comic books, video games, and clothing style (often dandified).

Although I know relatively little about the movement, I’ve been in a Steampunk mood lately. I recently supplied an introduction to a new edition of four Jules Verne novels. Verne is considered by some to be the father of Steampunk style, particularly in the person of his most famous creation Captain Nemo and the plush undersea vessel, the Nautilus. This past Saturday, E-Verse DJ Keith interviewed Thomas Dolby (he of “She Blinded Me with Science” fame), who has emerged as a significant Steampunk figure (my wife Lynn reports that Steampunkers were heavily in attendance at the concert). Finally, long-time E-Verser and video consultant Andrew sent in a link to Steampunk Magazine.

The magazine is issued by Combustion Books, self-styled “publishers of dangerous fiction,” and you’ve got to love that. “Combustion books is a collectively-run publisher of dangerous fiction. We specialize in genre stories that confront, subvert, or rudely ignore the dominant paradigm and we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty or our houses raided by the government. How many fiction publishers can promise you that? Rejecting the dominant paradigm doesn’t end with the stories we tell. We operate without bosses and we pay ourselves and our authors outright for work in order to keep us from getting mired in the world of profit-driven publishing. One of our goals is to break down the hierarchy of the publishing world and develop relationships with our authors and audience that go beyond those offered by a traditional press.”

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