American studies scholar Rebecca Onion has referred to steampunk as a “ multitextual aesthetic,” an empty mold into which any number of things can be poured, depending on the purposes and ideologies of those who employ it. Detractors often dismiss it as an ephemeral consumer trend. To some, it is primarily an underground movement, perhaps with anarchist leanings (hence, the “punk” in steampunk). Those who sneer at steampunk often emphasize the moment when the corporate mainstream temporarily commodified the movement’s aesthetic.ĭefining steampunk is difficult, however, eluding even committed practitioners. Moreover, besides its striking visual characteristics, we might also consider steampunk a novel and popular way of “doing” history.
Steampunk can figure as literary trope, DIY craft, or mainstream fashion. Steampunk also has an international footprint-the French, in particular, have a thriving steampunk community, including a theme park in Nantes. There are steampunk bands, and steampunk conventions draw thousands of people annually to far-flung cultural centers such as Atlanta and Seattle, as well as to less likely locales such as Bloomington, Indiana, and Lafayette, Louisiana. Steampunk literature has grown so vast that it has developed its own subgenres, from alternate histories and social commentary to graphic novels and erotica. But steampunk also has a wider countercultural presence.
0 kommentar(er)
