Hi, all.
I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here, so my hope is that if I put enough words on this thread something will make sense, 'cause that's how writing works, right?
I have a ghost of a memory of an idea that I'm trying to pen into a first draft (I keep getting distracted by shiny things, but that's not the point), and one thing I've thought about is, who actually decides the genre I'm writing?
Say I write something that I swear blind is fantasy but 1,000 people say it's actually a pseudo quasi urban sci-fi book, then do I argue with 1,000 people?
Here's the thing, the idea I have is neither "fantasy" (bearded, be-robed men flinging spells and swords being poked into people), or "sci-fi" (space travel and aliens and blasters, oh my). The idea I have is a sort of faux-1930/50s city. This is neither fantasy is its traditional sense, nor is it sci-fi, it's all in a grey area until I tell you that I want airships and steam-cars, "Ah-ha!" I hear you cry, well that's Streampunk!
Steampunk?; Well is it, though? Airships were a common-ish idea in the 1930s and steam cars were a competitor to petrol-cars and even outsold them in the 1910s, they were still around in the 1920/30s. When the majority of people think steam car they automatically think of a weird wooden-panelled contraption with cogs everywhere and a boiler on the back with brass funnels protruding about, however, I'm going for this:
Please note, I'm not condemning Steampunk here. I understand what Steampunk is, and far be it from me to brush it aside (I am, after all, not a published author and others who write in this field are), I mean it's arguably its own sub-culture, but I personally prefer my Steampunk subtle and sensible. Which is an odd British thing to say, "Only sensible Steampunk please."
What I mean by this is, I like the idea of alternate history and alternate, retro-future technology, but I like it subtle; make it look real, like it could work and don't shoe-horn it in everywhere. (Why are there cogs and goggles on your hat?)
Nothing puts me off more than reading a Steampunk story and everything is brass this and that and there's random cogs everywhere for no reason, and there's - what I would call silly things - like steam-powered hats, or chairs, or something odd like that.
I personally know people that won't touch anything to do with Steampunk for the very reasons listed above, and I feel that that's not fair on the genre.
I guess what I'm getting at is, I know what I like, and I know how people could label my idea Steampunk, while that's not my intention I know that Steampunk is also not a dirty word, but does one have any choice on that matter?
The other option is just to shut up and write the damn thing.
I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here, so my hope is that if I put enough words on this thread something will make sense, 'cause that's how writing works, right?
I have a ghost of a memory of an idea that I'm trying to pen into a first draft (I keep getting distracted by shiny things, but that's not the point), and one thing I've thought about is, who actually decides the genre I'm writing?
Say I write something that I swear blind is fantasy but 1,000 people say it's actually a pseudo quasi urban sci-fi book, then do I argue with 1,000 people?
Here's the thing, the idea I have is neither "fantasy" (bearded, be-robed men flinging spells and swords being poked into people), or "sci-fi" (space travel and aliens and blasters, oh my). The idea I have is a sort of faux-1930/50s city. This is neither fantasy is its traditional sense, nor is it sci-fi, it's all in a grey area until I tell you that I want airships and steam-cars, "Ah-ha!" I hear you cry, well that's Streampunk!
Steampunk?; Well is it, though? Airships were a common-ish idea in the 1930s and steam cars were a competitor to petrol-cars and even outsold them in the 1910s, they were still around in the 1920/30s. When the majority of people think steam car they automatically think of a weird wooden-panelled contraption with cogs everywhere and a boiler on the back with brass funnels protruding about, however, I'm going for this:
Please note, I'm not condemning Steampunk here. I understand what Steampunk is, and far be it from me to brush it aside (I am, after all, not a published author and others who write in this field are), I mean it's arguably its own sub-culture, but I personally prefer my Steampunk subtle and sensible. Which is an odd British thing to say, "Only sensible Steampunk please."
What I mean by this is, I like the idea of alternate history and alternate, retro-future technology, but I like it subtle; make it look real, like it could work and don't shoe-horn it in everywhere. (Why are there cogs and goggles on your hat?)
Nothing puts me off more than reading a Steampunk story and everything is brass this and that and there's random cogs everywhere for no reason, and there's - what I would call silly things - like steam-powered hats, or chairs, or something odd like that.
I personally know people that won't touch anything to do with Steampunk for the very reasons listed above, and I feel that that's not fair on the genre.
I guess what I'm getting at is, I know what I like, and I know how people could label my idea Steampunk, while that's not my intention I know that Steampunk is also not a dirty word, but does one have any choice on that matter?
The other option is just to shut up and write the damn thing.
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