I'm writing a short story for a school project. I wanted to do something a bit different. I have always liked steam punk and cyberpunk stories so I decided to create one were the two crossover . I have a few ideas, but I wanted to know if anyone had a couple of ideas as well . Hope that makes sense
Hmm, I think it depends what sort of aesthetic you want, as much of anything. What time period do you see this story being based on, what kind of technology do you want to have around, and what kind of themes do you want the story to focus on? Most people will think of cybernetically enhanced humans and computers with virtual worlds as being iconic cyberpunk elements. The "punk" element originally referred to the protagonists of such stories being rebels or misfits fighting against, or trying to avoid being crushed by an oppressive system, though that got a bit lost as the genre developed. Steampunk is more associated with adventure, the power of technology and really pretty outfits, so it's often a more optimistic genre than cyberpunk and more conformist (characters are more likel to be part of the established power structure than fighting against it), though several stories do focus on the brutalities of Empire, and the social inequality of the time, becoming closer to that aspect of cyberpunk. A hybrid of the two might fall under "dieselpunk", based on a fantastic version of the period roughly from the equivalent of 1910 to 1945. That was the period that first introduced practical computers, and also includes the period of social dissatisfaction and rebellion embodied in the "lost generation", and political turmoil in places like Spain, Germany and Russia. Another --punk that lies between the two might be "atompunk", for pieces based on the early Cold War and the rise of space travel and revolutionary new technologies with a hidden dark side, operating alongside the social and cultural turmoil of the sixties, and the oppressive presence of the Cold War.
Thank you so much ! I really needed this, now i have a pretty good idea what i want to write. Thanks again
Cool. I rambled a bit, probably because I wrote it when I was a bit sleep deprived. But to sum up, I think there are two important elements of any Xpunk setting, beyond the aesthetics. One is that they're mostly based on periods that saw a big paridigm change caused by new technology (the steam engine, home computers, etc), and the settings explore the hopes and / or fears that come with where that technology could lead us. The other is that there's usually social upheaval, discontent or progress--people are changing or struggling against the status quo, or enjoying freedoms that didn't exist until recently.