Where did steampunk come from?
The task of defining “steampunk” has become surprisingly difficult. Wildly differing definitions are currently in use, from the strictly traditional (late 19th century London-based alternate history science fiction) to the Lewis Carrollian (steampunk means whatever a person wants it to mean). But certain tropes appear in most definitions of steampunk. Steam power and dirigibles are…
Planetary romance, zombie mentors, and the rise of fascism: European pulp fiction 1914-1945
In my previous column I covered the history of European sci-fi pulps from their origins up to the beginning of World War I. Now we’re ready to delve into their history up through World War II. https://gizmodo.com/an-introduction-to-pulp-fiction-in-europe-before-1914-5785897 Not surprisingly, the European pulp industry was heavily affected by World War I. 45 new pulps debuted in…