Alternate World Building: Retrofuturism and Retrophilia in Steampunk and Dieselpunk Narratives

Iolanda Ramos

doi:10.5334/as.23

Abstract

This essay draws on William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s steampunk and alternate history novel The Difference Engine (1990) and Len Deighton’s dieselpunk and alternate history thriller SS-GB (1978) for the purpose of discussing the blurring of genres within speculative fiction and addressing retrofuturism and retrophilia within an alternate world building framework. Thus, it provides a background for the analysis of the concept of genre blending and the merging of pre-determined tropes and topics within the scope of science fiction, fantasy, adventure and mystery plots so as to characterize alternate history as a blended genre.

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Alternate World Building: Retrofuturism and Retrophilia in Steampunk and Dieselpunk Narratives

Abstract

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