ABSTRACT
Steampunk is a deviant avatar of Gothic. No longer morbid or melancholy, Steampunk’s industrial and diurnal concerns might appear to be entirely secular. The Gothic interest in vampires and demons, ghosts and graveyards has been replaced by a maker-culture of pistons, cogs and gears. Yet significant congruencies between Gothic and Steampunk persist. Although Steampunk’s brass goggles have overtaken the silver pentagrams and crucifixes of Goth, they share flamboyant, retro styles and social gatherings. Moreover, both cultures project a selective version of history via vintage nostalgia for the Victorian/Edwardian eras. These shared cultural and aesthetic preferences reflect even more fundamental commonalities that emanate from the crucial Gothic archetype of the Mad Scientist, the obsessive savant whose desire for knowledge and power defies natural law. This chapter explores Steampunk’s link to a Gothic heritage that is simultaneously secular and sacred, scientific and magical.
