An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships

Overall the reading is interesting but I was looking for more illustrations to use in scrapbooking. There is plenty of information in the book to start your imagination and create scrapbook pages. I feel it was a good buy.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an overview of what Steampunk is. The history and style information in this book is wonderful. The art and pictures alone make me glad that I bought this book.

This was a great book over all, very informative on the Steampunk genre. Though some of the excerpts written by some aurthors in the book were a bit snobbish and rude to an extent, making it seem as if those reading their input were not welcomed to enjoy the steampunk aesthetic, or were not a part of a special clique and were thus frowned upon, it was still an informative read.

I bought this book as reference material for a steampunk project I'm working on.
With over 200 pages I was only able to pull less than 6 visual references and two or three other book titles I had never heard of.

I found more material by putting Victorian Era Technology into google.

Consider this a waste of money.

If you want to read a bunch of articles on trends in steam punk, some comparison of classic sci-fi writers and a bunch of other non-sense because you have no idea what the genre is about, then this book may be good for you.

I bought this sight unseen at a Steampunk convention just days after it's release. It is very lovely, full of pretty photos and some nice articles. I have to say it does try to cover a lot of ground, and there is just no way to cover everything, even with as ambitious an undertaking as a genre "bible"... It manages to be pretty comprehensive, even if you can actually get a lot more details on every little bit online, it would be sort of preposterous to ask that a printed book cover the vastness of the internet resources on a subject as individual and hard to pin down as Steampunk. What disappointed me, really, was the most un-steampunk tonality of many of the articles. Every convention and event I have attended featured friendly, outgoing, DIY-loving people eager to help each other and share their crafting knowledge, musical interests, literary loves... many sections of this "bible" take a very demeaning tone, describing what is "absolutely NOT steampunk" and telling you what you "MUST NOT" call steampunk-- as though a collection of people who have more financially invested in a fantasy genre than you have the right to dictate how you should view the entire movement. For example, the section by "reknowned" author Cathrynne M. Valente is particularly condescending and vitriolic; mainly decrying the use of *gears* in artwork and fashion as childish and overdone, implying that there is a frosty clique of elite and erudite steampunks tittering behind their hands at anyone who is so uncouth as to wear a *gear* on their clothing. Oddly, this snide little section didn't stop the editors from including an awful lot of gear imagery in the book. It's funny, another reviewer also felt that some of these people were WAY TOO INTO IT.... well, there is that, but anyone can go to any extreme they want, and it's not really a problem until they start getting all "holier than thou" on you, and suddenly what is mostly a fun, dynamic, creative movement steeped in literature and music and fashion is-- in one fell swoop-- reduced to a snotty clique you can't possibly join. I adore steampunk, I love the events, the people, the fashion and the creativity... but this little "bible" lays out some sections like a rulebook, and I really don't think such a diverse movement with so many aspects needs a rulebook as much as it might need a directory. If they had stuck to showing aspects and listing bands, books and artists, with their lovely photos and mostly positive articles about what people are doing in this genre they may have been a five star bit of publishing.

This is a wonderful overview into the world of steampunk. How is steampunk defined? One definition is an equation on notebook cover created by John Coulthart, an English designer:
"STEAMPUNK = Made Scientist Inventor [invention (steam x airship or metal man / baroque stylings) x (pseudo) Victorian setting] + progressive or reactionary politics x adventure plot"
This definition has been widened to include the Edwardian era and the whole Industrial Revolution.

Steampunk has grown from being just a literary genre to a part of pop culture. There are Steampunk conventions, fashion, music and movies that many are a part of today.

The author traces the beginnings of Steampunk to the writings of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. He analyses the inspiration for their works and the works of other steampunk authors such as Tim Powers, K.W. Jeter, James Blaylock, Cherie Priest, Gail Carrigan and Ekaterina Sedia. Steampunk fiction has also captured an appreciative audience in graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Molly Crabapple and Alan Moore, to name but a few. Illustrations of not just the authors' book covers and excerpts from graphic novels but also their imaginary inventions takes the reader on a beautiful visual journey.

Illustrations on the art and craftsmanship that went into some Steampunk art is also covered in this book. The Church Tank by Frank Kuksi, the Sultan's Elephant that was on display at the 2007 Machines of the Isle of Nantes exhibition, Jake von Slatt's Steampunk workshop which showed restorations of objects such as PC that was modified into a Victorian PC or a Stratocaster guitar are some of the art shown in great and beautiful detail in this book.

For those who want to know more about adapting to a Steampunk lifestyle, there is a chapter covering fashion, necessary accessories and an insight into the Steampunk subculture. A culture would not be complete without the 'endorsement' of Hollywood and indicating the growing movement in this genre, anime and movies such as the Golden Compass, The Skype Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Extraordinary League of Gentlement, Steamboy and Sherlock Holmes have been well received.

And what is to be the future of Steampunk? Is it only clockworks, airships and floating cities or will this genre evolve to include green technology and fictionalize more history and machines to encompass countries and cultures beyond the US and Great Britain? It's certainly a fast growing genre and one that is reaching more and more countries and I think we will see more contributions in terms of art, literature and music from more diversified people.

~A “Coffee Table Book” has been described as a larger, hard-cover book mainly intended for display and casual reading. It is usually a light read, featuring mostly photographs and minimal text…perhaps giving an overview of a specific subject. There is no plot or story line, but rather snippets of information pertaining to the subject.
~I have several such books in my personal Steampunk library.
~This is a very good Steampunk reference book. There are a vast number of photographs and a fairly large amount of explanatory text to accompany the photo. This really is a good book to leave sitting around for guest to page through. It will inspire questions and open conversations about a somewhat misunderstood topic.
~I am not going to pretend to be an ‘expert’ on the subject of Steampunk. I know there is way too many various opinions on what is and what isn’t…what is acceptable and what should not be allowed. I DO know that it was enjoyable to read. It encouraged me to continue on with my own journey into Steampunk.
~I don’t think you would regret acquiring this book and leisurely reading through it.

The award winning, best selling author, Jeff Vandemeer's bio, in The Steampunk Bible, states that "all four of his cats have yet to reveal any Steampunk tendencies." Then cats don't reveal anything, they keep their secrets, so that doesn't mean anything. Those cats might be building gadgets under the bed, some freaky mouse traps, perhaps. Co-author S. J. Chamber's is a Poe Scholar, her fiction and nonfiction has appeared in numerous publications. S. J. Chamber's bio in the book states that she wrote this, her first book, "via the Popov Lightenin-o-gramatic 6000 aboard the recommissioned H. M.S. Victoria." The book is as fun as their bios and both authors did a fantastic job in writing about a very hard to define genre and subculture.

The very last sentence of the Steampunk Bible is my favorite, "Maybe one day we'll all be Steampunks." The book is jammed with interesting, enlightening, and fun information on Steampunk. It also includes amazing photos. It's a wonderful book covering Poe, Verne, Wells, the industrial revelation, the arts and crafts of rayguns and rocket ships, goggles, corsets, Steampunk music, movies, comics, and televion, as well as the future of Steampunk and much more. This is a great book that will crank your gears. If everyone reads it, then, indeed, we will probably all be Steampunks.

Knowing of my interest in all things steampunk, the Wife bought this book for me from the store. While the book may not have the full range it might have had (and no book can really cover it completely because of steampunk's protean nature)it does give a good explanation of what steampunk is, where it came from and where is it going. It provides a very good jumping off point for further exploration into a fascinating lifestyle that does not rage at the machine as much as it embraces a machine "of a different hue." Of necessity, it is complete in an examination of steampunk's influence upon popular culture (films, television and music)simply because of the nature of publishing -- the book is fairly current to the eve of the manuscript's last revision, but steampunk has the temperament of a charging steam-elephant and will not be stopped; each passing day brings yet another inroad into general life. As the band Abney Park stated in a recent music video (complete with more than 200 images of steampunk inventions, some working, some decorative), there's a steampunk revolution coming, and we've reset the clock to 1886...don't ask us why, that's how we get our kicks.

Four Years ago, I was living on the central oregon . coast. and bought this wonderful Steampunk book I love this little book so.
when i got home. I sat down and read it cover to cover . Maybe my love of Steampunk has something to do with how drab life is today IMHO.
or it may do with my family being British. Please Mr. VanderMeer write a 3rd Steampunk book.

This was a beautiful book with lavish illustrations tracing the Steampunk movement. Its origins in the industrial revolution and the literature of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to its influence in modern day fiction, fashion, art, craftsmanship, and film, are all documented with beautiful photography, illustrations, and prints on almost every single page of the book; it's worth reading just for the visual experience as the layout of the pages has been well thought out to give the reader a feast for the eyes.

There were some sections that I found rather disappointing. For example, the section on Steampunk fashion made me feel that if I didn't have the right boots/goggles/work belt, then I wouldn't be considered to be serious about my Steampunk. This smacked of the elitist point of view to me, as I know many people that have some outstanding costumes and have won prizes, but don't check all the blocks they say are necessary in this book. Also the section on much went on just a little too long for such a new sound.

However, I did find the book thought-provoking and insightful, and made me consider that Steampunk and other movements are actually springing up all around the globe full of people wanting to disconnect from our technological and virtual society. The do-it-yourself ethic in which Steampunk is highly invested, focuses on creating things with your own hands in order to reconnect with the world around you while at the same time giving yourself meaning and purpose in your life; we can see this mindset slowing taking hold through various avenues such as homesteading and self sufficiency groups.
I would recommend it to readers who are interested in this genre, if it can be called such; those who are just dipping a toe into Steampunk, and anyone else who would like a beautiful, and unusual coffee table book.

Originally reviewed on: [...]

Have you noticed that Steampunk seems to be everywhere? Are you curious and want to know more?

If you don't know a lot about Steampunk, but you like the new Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law) movies, then you've experienced Steampunk. Jules Verne and HG Wells meet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: new, improved, and updated. It's about the clothes, the gadgets, and the time period. Plus, it's lots of fun because there's always a little bit of the fantastical thrown into the mix.

If you want to know more about Steampunk, then The Steampunk Bible (Jeff Vandermeer) is one of the books I'd recommend.

Here's why I recommend it:
It gives detailed background information on the literature: the Steampunk movement began with books.
It explores the other areas that have morphed from the Steampunk books: fashion, cosplay (grownups playing dress up), the craftsmen who make Steampunk gadgets, the conferences, gatherings, exhibits, as well as the music, art, photography, and films.
It includes aspects of the global nature of the movement and how the movement manifests in other countries and cultures.

Who will enjoy The Steampunk Bible? This book is for the neophyte, who wants to learn more, and for the seasoned Steampunk veteran as well as those between these extremes. I'd bet that someone who knows a lot about Steampunk would learn something from this book. Before reading it, I didn't realize the extensive influence and many facets of Steampunk.

One of the nice features is the seven chapters focus on a different aspect of Steampunk. So, you can return to a specific section and find what you want.

Photographs and Illustrations: The other big plus is the liberal use of photographs and illustrations. Do you like ray guns? Wondering about period costumes or Steampunk creations and the artisans who make them? There are pictures and illustrations to satisfy your curiosity.

To be honest, I've sipped coffee and spent a few hours admiring the pictures. No one will complain that there aren't enough pictures.

It's a Keeper: The excellent background information coupled with plenty of illustrations makes this book a keeper. It'll stay on my bookshelf as a reference and as a fun book to take up again and again. Who wouldn't want to look at a Steampunk guitar, a steam powered elephant, or lust over a Steampunk laptop?

[...]

If you're intrigued by steampunk, the literary sub-genre or the culture, this book is a good place to start. It's also one of the more beautiful books I've seen in quite a while, especially at so reasonable a price. It's hardcover, on glossy high quality paper, with many illustrations and photographs in rich color. Abrams Image does nice work.
What of the contents? Well, it's a history of steampunk in all its variations, from the literature of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and the Edisonades, to the tinkerers and jewelry designers who make steampunkesque artifacts, to the costume and fashion-obsessed fans who are the most obvious and visible aspect of the phenomenon. There's also an extensive chapter on steampunk film, anime and television. I already knew a lot of this, but much was new to me, and even the familiar was entertainingly presented.
Some of the reviewers complain that it's not comprehensive enough, but it's not the "Steampunk Encyclopedia." A larger compendium might be welcome, and I'm certain someone somewhere is working on it right now. I am not a steampunk novice, and I didn't know everything that's in this book. For the first-timer, curious about steampunk, this is an excellent primer.

This book is filled with the clever inventions from all types of Steampunk characters and eras.
I loved the pictures, the musings and the whimsical bits of advice each section covered about the Steampunk genre and the "hopeful" eveolution of it all.
I am a Steampunk fanatic, but haven't had the courage to go to a convention yet.
Armed with the knowledge of this book, I will get myself to the very next convention I can, fully dressed and ready to interact with everyone I meet.
I bought this book in hardback, as there is simply not a chance of it being anything less than a Collector's edition.
I am seriously thinking about buying another copy, as mine is less than 3 days old and it is getting dog-earred already.
Absolute treasure!

This book attempts to rollup all that makes Steampunk: the victorian-era fantastical tales of Poe, Verne and Welles, the art style using old found items in newly-inspired ways, the vintage look of brass and corsets and the modern genre of science fiction which redefines our future by relooking at the past. Steampunk Bible includes looks at recent novels, television shows, art projects and style. It is well-illustrated and an easy read on the topic.

This book is an excellent overview of the Steampunk community. From this, you can see that Steampunks are heavily interested in art and literature -- so much so that the book gives you the impression that Steampunk is an art and literary movement rather than a subculture. (And, truth be told, that would not be an inaccurate assessment from certain viewpoints.) The book is both a feast of words and a feast of images. An art object itelf, The Steampunk Bible is still a worthwhile purchase even if you never read a word of it.

The authors succeed, and very well, in educatiing the reader about the styles, themes, and conventions of Steampunk and their historical antecedents in literature. And they show how those historical precedents inform the modern Steampunk literary subgenre, Steampunk art, and costume. (Though the inclusion of Edgar Allan Poe as a Steampunk forefather is quite a stretch.)

What the authors fail to do, however, is illustrate how the literary science fiction subgenre of steampunk became a subculture and lifestyle. The reason for that failure is that they've taken great care to avoid THE G WORD: GOTH ! While Steampunk, as a literary subgenre, stands alone, the subculture itself didn't form independently. It germinated within, and was nurtured by, the Goth subculture. Goths who favored Victorian style found it easy to incorporate Steampunk elements into their dress and, in the beginning, it found favor with other Goths on the dance floors of Goth clubs. It's not exaggerating to say that many of the original Steampunks were once Goths. Even today, there is still quite a bit of overlap between Steampunk and Goth -- so much so that it is impossible to tell where one leaves off and the other begins.

(Want some proof ? OK. For example, Abney Park, arguably Steampunk's biggest band, began life as a Goth band. The Steampunk Bible gives this no mention despite including them in the book. And, for their music list, the book's authors outright usurp Goth musician Voltaire as a Steampunk artist. This, despite Voltaire's own repeated assertions, over a 20+ year career, that he is most certainly a Goth. I mean, come on: The guy that wrote the songs "Zombie Prostitute," "Graveyard Picnic," and "The Vampire Club" and the books "What Is Goth ?" and "Paint It Black: A Guide To Gothic Homemaking" is Steampunk ? Give me a break!)

So, other than this glaring sin of omission, The Steampunk Bible is an excellent book for those want to delve into the world of airships and clockwork automatons. Pick it up.

Finally, a word of warning: Though the authors keep hammering home how "punk" Steampunk is, the truth is that Steampunk has nothing to do with true Punk. The word "steampunk" didn't even originate in the Punk community but was coined, instead, by a sci-fi author, K.W. Jeter. So those that decide to dandify and don googles and a Victorian duster shouldn't delude themselves: Jello Biafra would laugh at you and Henry Rollins would probably just punch you out if you suggested to them how Punk you really are.

Vandermeer's neo-vintage gem is more than worthwhile for the photography and art alone. The images have me inspired and scrambling for sketchpad and charcoal. The steampunk history and bibliography inside are worthy treasures as well for any speculative Victorianistas out there.
Right. My foolproof plan: fire up the armored dirigible, make speed to the bookstore, and lower Miss Quidsworth to purchase a couple of copies.

Frankly, I do not even use the idiotic word, "Steampunk" because it was invented by a bunch of immature [blank] who are revisionists. I read Verne, et al, but never shall I use that word to describe their work. They wrote science fiction.

Calling great literary minded writers like Jules Gabriel Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Herbert George Wells, "Steampunk" is an insult.

Frankly, I do not even use the idiotic word, "Steampunk" because it was invented by a bunch of immature [blank] who are revisionists. I read Verne, et al, but never shall I use that word to describe their work. They wrote science fiction.

Calling great literary minded writers like Jules Gabriel Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Herbert George Wells, "Steampunk" is an insult.

My boyfriend was really excited to get this book because he is actually IN it!! He flipped through the book excitedly only to find he was mis-credited in a photo. The giant picture on page 135-136 labels him as Jesse Nobles, who is the photographer. It should read Captain Anthony LaGrange. The black man in that photo is Captain Anthony LaGrange. We run a local steampunk group here in Columbus, Ohio: The Airship Archon. Just thought people might want to know. It may get corrected on future versions.