by AR DeClerck
The
Victorian Era stretched from 1837 to 1901, during the reign of Queen
Victoria of England. Many readers know the characteristics that
define the Victorian Era; prudish snobbery in the high and
upper-middle classes and a conviction that the British Empire was,
and always would be, the foremost power in the world. There was a
sharp divide in the classes during this historical period, with the
poor usually being very poor while the middle class was growing in
both number and power. The British Empire was increasing its reach
and wealth all over the world and the British “lifestyle” found
its way into homes on every continent.
There
is much to say about the truth of the Victorian world. It was a time
of invention and the beginning of many social and economic changes
for British people. However, we’re not here to discuss the truth of
Victorian times, but to talk about the fiction. Steampunk is
traditionally set in or around this era and describes the world if
the industrial revolution had gone in a very different direction.
Steam, rather than combustion engines powered by coal or electricity,
would have been the mechanical genius of the day. Steampunk authors
give us a peek into a world where human ingenuity extends into the
realm of steam mechanics and alternate forms of energy.
Alternate
history in terms of science would have, believe it or not, a direct
impact on everyday life. I like to focus, in particular, on how
steampunk authors incorporate ideas of modern sexuality into their
books. Gail Carriger, for example, threw out the book in terms of
what a “proper” British female might be like in order to create
her feisty heroine Alexia Tarabotti. Alexia is a member of the
high-brow upper middle class gentry and yet her father was “a
foreigner”. It’s very interesting how this perceived difference
in Alexia’s parentage creates in her an ability to shrug off the
disdain of her peers and be exactly the woman she chooses to be. This
strong will vexes Alexia’s love interest, and makes me laugh every
time I read the stories. Carriger has women dressed in men’s
clothing and a rather flamboyant male character with no worry that it
goes outside the boundaries of societal acceptance. The disdain of
society is there, but her characters simply don’t care that they
are different.
When
I sat down to write The Alchemist’s Kiss I decided to keep the very
strict societal boundaries that most of the higher classes lived by
in Victorian England. I did this, to be honest, because it created
more obstacles for my hero and my heroine to overcome. A brash
American (gasp) heroine from Civil War-torn Virginia not only
traveling with, but living with, a single man would have been unheard
of in 1869 London. However, as was true with society at that time,
power buys acceptance. Icarus’ appointment as the Warden of London
creates in the story an ability for him to flaunt the normal rules.
This does not, however, erase the way he was raised. When he figures
out (finally) that he is in love with Cora he decides that he cannot
offer her the proper life a lady of her caliber deserves. This
antiquated ideal mixes with the modern one that Cora is a woman of
her own mind, and once she decides to make Icarus her own there is no
stopping her.
I
thoroughly enjoy the way steampunk authors choose to approach the
ideas about sexuality in their novels. As with any alternate history
genre there is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions.
The author has complete power to change or erase any characteristics
about the world that clash with their overall vision. Romance in
Victorian times was usually a stiff and formal affair, with scheduled
interludes and arranged marriages. This takes all the fun out of a
good romantic romp, so steampunk authors are challenged with bringing
together two characters without sacrificing the world building and
overall feel of the genre itself.
The genre of steampunk
is a wide-open one with possibilities around every corner. Authors
should not be afraid to think outside the proverbial box when it
comes to writing steampunk because anything is possible. This
is especially true when writing romance into steampunk. Victorian men
and women were still, essentially, men and women. They had sex and
they fell in love, just like men and women do today. The most
difficult obstacle for the steampunk author is figuring out how to
bring the two together and still remain true to the period. I would
urge steampunk authors who add romance into the mix to experiment
with the same issues of sexuality that we experience today. Build
your world so that the hows and whys of their behavior and reactions
seem normal and a seamless romance full of modern sexuality can come
to life.
Author Bio:
AR DeClerck is a wife and mother of 2
daughters. She lives in the Quad Cities, IL and works as a dialysis
technician. She grew up in the mountains of NC and has always been an
avid reader. She started writing in high school and never stopped.
AR writes
adventure romance novels in many sub genres. She publishes through
Nevermore Press and currently has 5 novels available with a few more
in the works and thousands more in her head. She credits her love of
reading and writing to her mother who always has a book handy.
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