[Somebody Explain, Please] Steampunk - What the heck is up with that, people?

[Jharviss]

That sounds VERY interesting. I'd like to see how you pull that off.

Did you also do a bit with batteries... Westinghouse, Tesla, Edison, Volta, Ampere sorts of things?

From what I recall, electricity's charge is partially due to magnetic fields and electron-spin... But my memory is a bit fuzzy.

We've mostly avoided using electricity.  Tephra's magnet-based technology is so advanced that, with the invention of electricity, they would have weapons off the power scale very quickly.  Electricity would make things like rail-guns and coil-guns possible, which is what we wanted to avoid.  

We've been dabbling in "Tephra Future," however, which takes place three-hundred years after electricity is invented, and is basically a magnetech steampunk gone sci-fi space explorer.  It's out there.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Ironically, I had been considering something vaguely steampunk for a future era for Eschaton.

[sparkletwist]

Personally, when I think steampunk I think Brass and gleaming metal that's far too ornate for what the thing really has to do. Adventure, optimism, imperialism (good God imperialism) are all aspects as I see it.

I think there has to be more to it than just this, because by this definition, Crystalstar counts too-- and I hardly think it can possibly be considered steampunk! :D

To me, Steampunk is an expansion of the world that was created in the early sci-fi of Wells, Verne, and so on. Advanced science with steam-powered technology, and all of its social connotations. There was a great deal of income inequality in this era-- robber barons, big trusts, and so on-- and so in some ways the cyberpunk (since that coinage was the basis of "steampunk" anyhow) ethos of megacorps and such does and should transfer over.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

The genre, like many genres, has expanded beyond its early roots and does not necessarily have to include punk or steam in it. It does have to have a kind of Vernian technobable, and a semi dystopian vision is most common.

At least in regards to the original question, what is meant when people say "steampunk," the definition far exceeds the original (which was too limited to be a full subgenre). A subgenre has to be flexible to allow for expansion and exploration of new ideas--in fantasy especially.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

EDIT: you know what there aren't a lot of? "Dieselpunk" worlds.  Maybe Gloria counts.

The technology may not be old enough yet that it feels like a different world.  Also it could be so close to the Pulp genre/style that most people lump them together.

[LD]

sparkletwist- well you do have the flying machines that are powered by crystals... and your "science-fantasy" vibe.