The 'Punk' in Steampunk

So far, we have worked out that the ‘steam’ in steampunk refers to the industrial or the inventor era. And the biggest example of that is the Industrial Revolution, which is why steampunks are generally set in the Victorian era or at least in a Victorianesque setting.

So, what then does the ‘punk’ in steampunk refer to?

As you have probably guessed, the ‘punk’ refers to the anti-establishment, the superimposition of the new onto the old.

“Punk as a philosophy is all about turning expectations and power structures on their respective ears. Punk is not conforming.”

- Author Camryn Rhys –

I take it to mean change or rebellion.

And not just against science, though that seemed to be the way it all started.

Punk is about the liberation of the individual in an anti-establishment sense. This explains why steampunk is so popular.

But while steampunk is generally set in the Victorian period which was a great example of change, in reality there was little change in some quarters e.g. in women’s rights.

Steampunk rectified this with alternate history.

Thus, steampunk allows us to view the world in a new light. What would the world have been like if this had happened etc. is pretty a common element in steampunk.

So back to the question that I asked in the beginning,

is the movie HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE steampunk?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347149/