Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Gator Lager · Feb 23, 2009, 12:31 AM

did a google about something ?? don't remember what, and this term popped up. Steampunk. Huh???.

I know some of you already knew about this stuff, but for those that haven't, check this out.

steampunk Apple mini set up.
http://www.steampunkworkshop.com/daveveloz.shtml

- - e r i k - - · Feb 23, 2009, 12:51 AM

Steampunkers are the new furries.

SpaceMonkey · Feb 23, 2009, 12:59 AM

Plus they overlap a bit with the vampire people, I think.

Gator Lager · Feb 23, 2009, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Steampunkers are the new furries.

ok I googled furries. ha
who the hell comes up with this stuff.

Spheric Harlot · 04:11 AM

Steampunk is a term that derived from Cyberpunk, a genre of literature created by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

It paints a rather bleak picture of the sci-fi future, but makes for sensational reading. If you haven't read Gibson's "Neuromancer", it's strongly recommended. Sci-fi in a naturalist tradition, and one of the very best opening lines, ever. Absolute classic.

Steampunk happened when Bruce Sterling started toying with that same bleak futurism, but imagining what the world and its technology would look like if the information age were based on 19th-century technology.

Chuckit · Feb 23, 2009, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Steampunkers are the new furries.

How is a genre of fiction and accompanying visual style similar to a sexual fetish-slash-identity crisis? (And no, I'm not involved in steampunk culture/fandom/whatever at all. The closest I come is liking Final Fantasy VI.)

- - e r i k - - · Feb 23, 2009, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

How is a genre of fiction and accompanying visual style similar to a sexual fetish-slash-identity crisis? (And no, I'm not involved in steampunk culture/fandom/whatever at all. The closest I come is liking Final Fantasy VI.)

Easy. Subculture widely derided by the average internet user.

Maflynn · Feb 23, 2009, 07:50 AM

I've seen a number of steampunk mods but nothing compares to this steampunk frankenstein

both amazing, and awe inspiring

residentEvil · Feb 23, 2009, 09:08 AM

good thing they got a floppy drive in there; with multi-read memory card (the frankenstien). hahaha.

voodoo · Feb 23, 2009, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Easy. Subculture widely derided by the average internet user.

Oh like Mac users.

analogika · Feb 23, 2009, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Easy. Subculture widely derided by the average internet user.

Steampunk is "derided"?

Uncle Skeleton · Feb 23, 2009, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

(And no, I'm not involved in steampunk culture/fandom/whatever at all. The closest I come is liking Final Fantasy VI.)

...the words out of my mouth, except I was going to say Myst. Steampunk doesn't seem any more weird a fashion than the people who put sailboat steering wheels and wooden airplane props around their house for decoration. Actually, antique anything comes to mind too: the object's artistic appeal derives from its anachronism.

ThinkInsane · Feb 23, 2009, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

It paints a rather bleak picture of the sci-fi future, but makes for sensational reading. If you haven't read Gibson's "Neuromancer", it's strongly recommended. Sci-fi in a naturalist tradition, and one of the very best opening lines, ever. Absolute classic.

Couldn't agree more. You can't argue with a book that inspired Billy Idol to pay homage through song. And here's Bono reading the the first part of the book. Gibson is a genius. I didn't love Spook Country but I thought Pattern Recognition was a wonderful book. I have found Neuromancer and Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash to be a great introduction for those new to the genre.

Although I never really associated books like Neuromancer with steampunk, as that is a niche genre unto itself. Cyberpunk and steampunk are two different things.

Spheric Harlot · Feb 23, 2009, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane

Couldn't agree more. You can't argue with a book that inspired Billy Idol to pay homage through song. And here's Bono reading the the first part of the book. Gibson is a genius. I didn't love Spook Country but I thought Pattern Recognition was a wonderful book. I have found Neuromancer and Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash to be a great introduction for those new to the genre.

Although I never really associated books like Neuromancer with steampunk, as that is a niche genre unto itself. Cyberpunk and steampunk are two different things.

"It" in the segment of my post you quoted referred to Cyberpunk, sorry (I thought I'd edited that).

The seminal Steampunk work was Bruce Sterling's "The Difference Engine".

IIRC, it was Sterling who initially coined the term "cyberpunk" for the genre pioneered by Gibson's "Neuromancer".

- - e r i k - - · Feb 23, 2009, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by analogika

Steampunk is "derided"?

I'm very sorry to break this to you, but yes

Dakar V · Feb 23, 2009, 07:53 PM

I think the main thing differentiating the furries from the steampunkers is furries are ****ing creepy, and there's nothing I know that really comes close to that level, off the top of my head.

iMOTOR · Feb 23, 2009, 08:42 PM

Ironically, the latest issue of Make arrived today and the theme this issue is steampunk.

Rumor · Feb 23, 2009, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

Ironically, the latest issue of Make arrived today and the theme this issue is steampunk.

Would it happen to be this one?

Spheric Harlot · Feb 24, 2009, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

I'm very sorry to break this to you, but yes

I guess you and I hang in completely different corners of the virtual universe...

Chuckit · Feb 24, 2009, 05:49 AM

Yeah, I don't know anyone who really derides steampunk. Or cares about it very much, really.