Movies and TV are leaving the science fiction genre behind

Pa Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 hour ago

Sci-fi is experiencing a modern renaissance thanks to the rise of conceptual sci-fi streaming series such as Silos, The three-body problemand Fundbut one of the most popular and most inventive subgenres has been left in the dust, without a major movie or show in the last five years. Steampunk, a retro-futuristic and anachronistic genre of steam-powered inventions, historical fiction, and generally bits of mystery and horror, has been consigned to the dustbin of history. Despite the lack of interest from Hollywood, fans are still flocking to special conventions and showing off amazing outfits on social media, so what went wrong?

The sudden rise and fall of steampunk

Steampunk was coined after the rise of cyberpunk in the 1980s, but its roots go back to classic film adaptations of the 1950s science fiction novels, including 20,000 leagues under water, Time machineand Journey to the Center of the Earth. Doctor Who Daleks and Wild Wild West brought the genre to television by proving it combining Victorian London with steam technology was a winning formula. It captured the imagination of sci-fi fans, who embraced overcoats, tall hats, and an abundance of goggles as the new wave of sci-fi convention fashion.

Steampunk novels such as The difference engine William Gibson, and even graphic novels, including Hellboy and League of Extraordinary Gentlemenwhile Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies helped push steampunk into the back ground. Even anime plunged into the genre, p Cabaneri of the Iron Fortress and Steel alchemist fully embracing the look, feel and even sound of steampunk. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was as good as it could get for the genre.

Why Hollywood keeps failing

In 2018, the adaptation of the film Deadly engines hit theaters bringing to life the wild post-apocalyptic tale of cities on wheels, but didn’t just flop; it lost so much money, an estimated $190 million, that Hollywood hasn’t touched steampunk since. The closest we’ve had since then Poor thingsa twist on the classic fairy tale Frankensteinbut even this is more gothic horror. It’s a similar story in literature: not a single steampunk novel has broken through in the last six years Shaking the world or Jack’s strange affair with spring heels did at the end of Aug.

The problem with steampunk is that it’s such a visually intensive genre, and creating the feeling of a living, breathing world is hard to do on a shoestring budget. It’s easy in literature, when talented writers can paint pictures using only words and weave a wildly inventive story without worrying about how expensive it would be to portray a two-ton steam cannon in live action. Even in the anime, like Kabaneri show, the most basic scenes become visually intense when there are countless moving mechanisms and pipes filling the background.

Aside from the expense of bringing steampunk to life, it’s hard to explain the confusing settings over the course of a 2-hour film. The use of alternate history and retro-futuristic technology can make this genre a hit with sci-fi fans, but it’s usually too dense to be thought of as mindless entertainment, and typical plots can quickly become very confusing for the average moviegoer. Even movies like 2011 Three musketeersthat put a steampunk twist on a classic story are getting slammed on review sites for their convoluted plots.

The future of steampunk

If steampunk can’t take over Hollywood studios, it’s no wonder so many classic science fiction writers like E. E. Doc Smiththe father of the space opera, have never been filmed. With complex visuals and complex plots, fans can’t trust studios struggling to bring the most conventional sci-fi to life, and are forced to look elsewhere for the genre’s future, going back to where it all started: novels. Authors such as Jennifer Haskin (Clockwork handle) and Dan Willis (A pound of flesh) are among many that support the genre in a single environment where imagination can run wild, creativity can flourish, and characters can wear giant glasses and cool anthers while putting the finishing touches on a steam-powered airship.