Steampunk

[seriousfic]

I just had a thought. I know one of the problems with steampunk is that it's glamorizing a period which is also known for colonialism and slavery, so why not just say the Africans have technology as advanced as the Europeans? That way you could have black characters in your cast who are awesome at their medicine or encryption or whatever. Same thing goes for Oriental or Native American characters. There's probably a story in just everyone having different sorts of technology and then having to make them work together.

I mean, as long as you didn't say that the only reason the PoC have advanced tech is that they were uplifted by an alien race or found ancient artifacts or something like that. Unless everyone got cool alien steampunk technology.

So, anyway, point... has anyone written a steampunk story where non-Victorians have advanced technology?

ETA: You know, for a strictly Doylist reasoning of "let's get straight to zeppelins with pleasingly diverse crews," you could say the Europeans met a society where homosexuality was the norm (similar to ancient Greece) and then go "oh, you're cool, I guess this whole homophobia thing isn't all it's cracked up to me." I know, almost insultingly simplistic, but what if it were... the Floating Isle of Lesbos?

Comments

[angel-gidget.livejournal.com]

Wasn't something like that the case in the Meridian comics published by Crossgen?

[mcity.livejournal.com]

>I mean, as long as you didn't say that the only reason the PoC have advanced tech is that they were uplifted by an alien race or found ancient artifacts or something like that.

I don't see why you have to bring Reginald Hudlin into this.

[axolotl-lan.livejournal.com]

Hmm I know the webcomic girl genius has indicated that there are non-victorians with steampunk tech. There are main cast from other regions. Admittedly, the cast is pretty white dominant but they do well to make it seem as if it is an overall transportation issue. Zeppelins are good- but not that good. Sea travel still appears to be the main long distance route.

The kids kept at the castle indicate that the source of steampunkness 'the spark' can happen to anyone making them super mad-sciency awesome.