IMAGINE a world where the Victorians fully realised the potential of their technology and stuck with it, creating massive steam-powered machines and even human upgrades powered by steam and, perhaps, a tickle of electricity.
That is the world of steampunk, where retrofuturistic technology in science fiction is used to shape the world. Often, it’ll come with distinctly British characters and adapted Victorian attire, too.
If this corner of fiction sounds like something you’d be interested in, you’re in luck! In October, a group of steampunk enthusiasts will be coming to Ashton-under-Lyne to host a special event that, given the time of year, will have a special Halloween twist mixed in, too. With steampunk very much a hot favourite across entertainment media, the event couldn’t come at a better time!
Immerse Yourself in Steampunk in Tameside
Discover the incredible setting of steampunk being fully embraced by Ashton Steampunk later this year! Hosting a new meet-up at Portland Basin Museum, the enthusiasts will transform the space into their retrofuturistic aesthetic and, as it’s taking place on 18 October, sprinkle in some extra Halloween spookiness. Across entertainment media, there’s often a darker, scarier side to the potential of steampunk, so themes will mix very well.
Taking place from 10:30 to 15:30 on that Saturday, Portland Basin Museum will become home to a ukulele band, a whole bunch of people in their steampunk fineries, and many market stalls selling accessories and clothing for any new steampunk enthusiasts in attendance. It’s a wonderfully unique event that indulges in one of the most popular settings of distinctly British sci-fi. Better still, there’s plenty to enjoy to get pumped up for the event at home!
Explore the World of Steampunk at Home
The best place to start for some steampunk action is, of course, classic novels. H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine is an all-time great, while Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake is generally seen as the sub-genre’s origin. From there, you’ve got His Dark Materials, The Girl in the Steel Corset, Mortal Engines, and Leviathan to add to your reading list. You can also enjoy seeing the steampunk setting brought to life in superb TV shows and films.
Easily the best of these in terms of writing and story, and arguably how steampunk is depicted, is in the first season of Arcane. It depicts a distinct divide between the affluent Piltover and the impoverished Undercity, both of which use steampunk in different ways. On the big screen, the excellent The Prestige – which very much deserves at least two watches – has some steampunk-ness bundled in, as does the Oscar-collecting Poor Things with Emma Stone.
Steampunk has been embraced by every corner of entertainment for its distinct aesthetic, even in the newest forms of media. Just scrolling through the hundreds of slots found at the casino online, particularly the progressive jackpot slots, it’s the steampunk ones that stand out. Of them all, Fortunium Gold Mega Moolah is the biggest. Not only is it tied to the millionaire-making jackpot, but the gameplay goes all-in on the steampunk theme, from the reel setup to the music and game sounds.
This isn’t the only corner of gaming to embrace steampunk, though. Video game developers have very much enjoyed toying with the possibilities of the theme for decades. Final Fantasy VI, released in 1994, shifted the series from medieval to steampunk, but perhaps the most iconic is BioShock. With its sunken steampunk city and the ever-present epitome of steampunk creations, the Big Daddies, 2007’s BioShock remains the epitome of steampunk home entertainment.
Steampunk is a fascinating corner of fiction, and while there’s plenty to enjoy in the meantime, the event at Portland Basin Museum on 18 October promises to be special.