The word ”steampunk” originally didn’t refer to any punk content at all, but was just a pun on ”cyberpunk”, a dominating movement in science fiction in the 1980’s. Still, the word is suggestive and makes many look for the punk in steampunk. Some of them, some of the time, are disappointed, and say like Cat Valente: ”what a joke it is to call something so inherently nostalgic, conservative, and comfort-oriented ’punk.'” Is there a potential, an unfulfilled promise, of ”punk” in steampunk? If so, what would be interesting ways of developing the punkier kinds of steampunk?

Participants:

Miriam R. Roček, Mike Perschon, Chris Wooding, Cory Doctorow, Hillevi Pleijel (m).

The music is from Sands Of Time (Psychadelik Pedestrian) / CC BY-NC 3.0