So a couple years before steampunk hit, I predicted it would be big, and my prediction and timing were just about perfect. I wasn’t at the time certain if it would be here to stay or not. I’m back to give you another prediction. We’ve had a great boom, but it’s about to wane. And this is a good thing.
I’m not saying it will wane immediately. We have a couple years at this rate, maybe three. After that, I think it will recede into yet another genre in a crowded field. The costuming trend will also fade at cons.
We simply got too saturated too quickly, and my prescient mind saw the slow descent today.
But here’s why it’s a good thing. In terms of writing, fewer books means better books. Cherie Priest will still be around, I think there’s a couple books left coming out in the Boneshaker universe, and who knows, may she’ll keep on with it. Scott Westerfield will keep up with his series, Girl Genius will continue to genius through her universe. Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine will be working on their series which I think will do well. But there’s been a lot of dreck. This will fade and thankfully so. Some of the second tier purveyors I saw failed because they got caught up in the aesthetic without recognizing or requiring substance. I think the Steampod Podcast died because every story I heard on it spent more time choosing a name for the featured device than actually worrying about plot, character, or sentence construction. I’ll be glad to see this level of steampunk go.
And costuming. There’s brilliant work out there, and it will survive. People will keep working on it, and keep showing up to cons with it. Eventually, though, we’ll lose the “make it in brown and brass and put some gears somewhere” crowd.
I’m rarely wrong on these things. It could be saved by a really brilliant movie, something good enough to appeal to a mass market and still really please the aficionado. I can’t foresee that.
So the secret is to find the next thing. Not sure yet. I hope it’s good horror, or good dark fantasy. We’ll see.
The costumes and imagery is what makes steampunk so appealing for some. As for the genre writers, like any niche subject, the best ones will continue.
I am open to the next thing, as long as it is not sparkly vamps in love or flaming hellspawn with hearts.