The Steampunk User’s Manual features beautiful images and entertaining text about the incredibly popular Science Fiction subgenre that imagines future technology and fashion via a 19th century perspective and toolbox. The Steampunk User’s Manual provides a conceptual how-to guide across all aspects of Steampunk that motivates and awes both the armchair enthusiast and the committed creator. The idea here is to give readers points of reference that are both refreshingly down-to-earth and completely over-the-top—that utterly doable jewellery project juxtaposed with that stunningly crazy and jaw-dropping art installation. The book features sections on fashion, art, crafts, music, large-scale installations, fiction, filmmaking, etc. By combining the functional and the delightfully out-there, The Steampunk User’s Manual not only satisfies readers—it also entertains and inspires them at a very high level and provides an updated look at the world of Steampunk, which has already changed since the publication of The Steampunk Bible.
This was a nicely illustrated and well written (it IS Jeff VanderMeer, after all) exploration of the evolution of Steampunk. It covered all the facets of the movement: literature, fashion, art, movies. It further cemented my belief that anyone who thinks that Steampunk is merely an aesthetic is completely missing the point - Steampunk is a response to romanticization of the imperialism and class issues of the Victorian era. One thing I hadn't known before was that the artsy side is a rejection of current mass market consumerism, which does seem like an appropriate parallel.
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19 February, 2012:
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19 February, 2012:
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