A Guide to Building a Steampunk World
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What is Steampunk, You Ask?
The concept behind steampunk is a modern or futuristic technology with an old-fashioned industrial twist. Specifically, it focuses on the style of the 1800s and Victorian aesthetics. It portrays an alternate history/timeline that demonstrates how technology would have evolved from an industrial era if major electrical advancements had not been made, sending us to an age where machines are still mechanically powered by driving forces such as steam.
It is this concept of an alternate history of gears, flying airships, and steam-powered machines that is so compelling to so many fans of this genre.
But because it is such a highly visual genre, it can be hard to build a steampunk world for your story. Luckily, this guide is targeted at those who want to write their own steampunk novel but do not know how to create a fleshed-out, believable world.
Which Era is Right For Your World?
First things first, when you consider the era, the setting in which you want your steampunk world to take place, 19th-century Victorian England is a classic example of a good setting.
The Victorian era may have been a very progressive time, but it had issues of its own. It had poverty, murder, crime, racism, and discrimination. All of these things need to be considered when creating a world with this kind of setting. Visit the English Heritage site here to read more about Victorian England.
The American West is another good setting. For those who like steampunk technology and aesthetics and the dangerous and violent but fascinating environment and history of the American West, this rich and interesting period might be the right one for your world. For more information on various aspects of the American West, see this archive.
Making a world where magic is outlawed and science reigns supreme could be interesting, but how science and magic have an impact on an era like Victorian England or the American West is important to consider.
Why Research the Era?
Doing research doesn't sound as fun as writing it, but it's necessary to make sure your world is well-developed.
If you don’t understand the era in which your world is taking place, it may leave it feeling flat. I’ve run into that problem myself, so I recommend researching the era that is being explored to create a convincing world that can appeal to your audience.
For example, if you want your steampunk world set in the 19th century Victorian England to be realistic and you want to include an event that happened during that time, make sure the event you're depicting doesn’t have any inaccuracies in it.
How Will the Economy and Political System Work?
It helps to have some knowledge of what the era was like and how society operated during that period. For an alternate history with steam-powered technology to work, you need to understand economics and politics in that time.
You can ask questions, take notes, and think about how society worked in the era you're writing about, and see how you can apply what you've learned into your world.
What Technology Will Your World Have?
Technology isn't supposed to be your main focus when building your world, but its role in the genre is essential. There are several obvious examples, such as an airship-something that I have been guilty of using too much of in my own work.
The steampunk technology should impact the people and cultures that exist in your world, rather than just being something that you simply put into it without putting thought into why that technology exists.
In a previous post, I stated that you need to think about the people who live in your world. Why are the people living in your world using the technology they have invented? Will some people be happier without that technology, or is it somehow needed for their society to function? Have they been forced to adapt to advanced technologies by a higher authority, or are inventors chosen to advance and improve society?
Taking the time to build a few explanations for what kind of technology exists in your world and why the people use it can make the world come alive.
A Challenging, But Exciting Experience
Building your first steampunk world is going to be an exciting and challenging experience, but hopefully, with the help of this guide, you have at least got a rough idea of what to expect and how to plan.
Ashley Lalonde
Ashley Lalonde is a student at Algonquin College. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Asian dramas, playing video games, and writing her own fanfiction and original stories.
