S. J. Chambers

STEAMPUNK = Mad Scientist Inventor [invention (steam x airship or metal man / baroque stylings) x (pseudo) Victorian setting] + progressive or reactionary politics x adventure plot

I put this book on my Christmas list after seeing it at the local bookshop and flicking through the pictures, and my brother bought it for me. Before reading it I was only really aware of Steampunk literature and the dressing up aspect of Steampunk fandom, and the book does start by tracing the roots of Steampunk show more back to Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, through Moorcock's Warlord of the Air trilogy to the first real Steampunk novels which came out of the friendship of three American authors in the mid-1980s Jules Verne also seems to have had an indirect influence on Steampunk, as several of the people interviewed for this book cited the 1954 Disney version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" as having sparked their interest

At first glance Steampunk may seems like a good excuse for dressing up in Victorian costumes accessorised with goggles , but the authors stress that the 'punk' part of the word is just as important as the 'steam'. Steampunk is not about a shallow glamorised version of an alternate Victorian era with emphasis on steam power, clockwork and helium-powered airships that aren't prone to exploding into flame; it also addresses the human and environmental cost of the industrial revolution, and issues such as colonialism and war.

Steampunk emphasises individuality and craftsmanship versus bland mass-produced objects, and many artists and makers have found inspiration there, from jewellery and clothing designers to designers of retro-futuristic ray-guns, and works on a colossal scale such as the colossal mechanical animals of the Jules Verne-inspired machines de l'Ile de Nantes and the art installation at Forevertron Park in Wisconsin.

The book's conclusion is that Steampunk is a vibrant sub-culture that can be approached from many different angles, and that it should be able to avoid stagnation by taking inspiration from other 19th century cultures apart from Victorian Britain and the American West.

So although "The Steampunk Bible" went on my wish list because of the pictures, the text turned out to be just as interesting. show less

The Steampunk Bible is a small book but ambitious and packed with information which truly fit its name. I think I became more than a newbie reading this.

Densely illustrated with a lot of side notes and more side references to pique you along but sometimes the content wash off me. There was a prevalence Jules Verne fandoming somewhere in between but the most content out of this book has got to be the book references.

I was more familiar with Japanese steampunk so I was quite disappointed how show more small section dedicated for that in this book. There was countless of games (Final Fantasy series), anime (Full Metal Alchemist), tokusatsu (Kamen Rider), tv series (Garo) and films (Escaflowne)in Japan that was steeped in steampunk than just Steamboy and Hayao Miyazaki. No, I refuse to let Jay Kristoff's abomination on Japanese culture to ever fit in the genre.

At times, I was completely unfamiliar with the references provided in the book (and there was tonnes of it) but the illustrations helps. But some of the content was a bit repetitive. There's some section dedicated for US-based Steampunk movement which is a bit nice but done nothing for the international folks really.

Basically its 101 Steampunk, long paragraphs with book and movie recommendations, some fashion and DYI art and some steampunk sculptures. There's some philosophy in between but the repetitive nature of it made some part of the book redundant. But is it just me, or the book made Steampunk look like unapproachable in term of class aka snobbish? Because it does read like that. show less

This is a beautifully illustrated compendium of all things "steampunk", from fiction to fashion to conventions via gadgets and nostalgia and dystopia. It's well written, too, featuring contributions from most of the noted "steampunks" of today. I would love to give this book an unreserved 5 stars - but I can't.
The organization is terrible! This was one of the literally hardest books to read I've ever picked up.The discontinuance went from annoying in the first couple of chapters to show more unbearable by the end. The only thing I can figure is that the authors intended this tome to be browsed, not read cover to cover, because that's nearly impossible. Of course, if you just browse it, you'll miss a good deal of great content.
It's still a great book, but structure matters. show less

A wonderful compendium of many things steampunk. Vandermeer looks at the historic foundations of steampunk, and surveys the fiction, art, fashion, gadgets...even music and movies of the modern movement.

I've discovered something about myself and steampunk while reading this: I take, and like, steampunk for what it is, simply because it never was and cannot ever be. I don't consciously or unconsciously try to figure out why something won't work or how it might possibly work, quite unlike my show more experiences with fiction, science fiction, movies (in particular) or whatever.

I've also discovered that for me, steampunk's allure is pretty much totally visual. I've tried some of the fiction recommended (Gibson/Sterling's The Difference Engine, Dexter Palmer's The Dream of Perpetual Motion, and a few short stories) and found them barely readable. Palmer's work was to me a droning mess of words that never should have been printed. In the same vein, I've been trying out some of the music cited by Vandermeer...odd is the politest description...decidedly strange in some respects (Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls.)

So, gadgets, some movies, maybe fashions will continue to attract me as I admire the creativity of the fans. And this book will stay on my nightstand for a while. show less