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Joined: 5/12/2011
Posts: 240
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Help me out, ya'll.
I am planning a short story about some nuns in 1840ish who build a flying machine.
That's science fiction--technology before the real thing appeared historically. But what else? What sub-genre would you put that in?
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Joined: 8/13/2011
Posts: 272
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At a guess, I'd probably pick 'Alternate History' as you're separating from established historical fact. If this is however a relatively restrained concept (eg they're going to invent and destroy it, rather than reorganize the world) then it'll probably fit into Hard or Soft sci fi depending on how exacting you are with the science.
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Joined: 5/12/2011
Posts: 240
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It's not as much about the machine itself as it is about the metaphor of building and flying.
Maybe soft sci-fi?
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Joined: 5/7/2011
Posts: 42
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I would actually throw out there that it could be Steampunk. If it's Industrial Revolution, 1840s-ish, and about technology (metaphor or not) that changes the world, then I would say it probably fits in that. Otherwise, I suppose soft science fiction would probably be apt, as well.
I'd say write the story first and see where it takes before putting the label on it, though. You might be restricting yourself a little by trying to define the thing before it's been made.
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Joined: 5/12/2011
Posts: 240
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I am just wondering if there is a label, since I'm not a genre expert. But I have looked up some of the real-life factors I want to include in the story and will need to move it up to the 60s, which makes me feel more steam-punkish about it.
It won't change the world though. It will just be a secret project between these two people. It's just a short story.
Will write it and pop it up here and see what folks say!
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Joined: 5/7/2011
Posts: 42
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Well Steampunk (at those stories that take place in our world) has two general story archetypes: alternate history and secret history. The first is pretty self-explanatory. It's works like "The Difference Engine." Secret history stories are more like "Lord Kelvin's Machine" and "Infernal Devices" where technological things are going on right under the common man's nose; it never affects the world at large, but it's going on regardless. I think your story might easily fit under that style.
I do fully understand about labels, though. Sometimes I, too, write better when I know exactly what sort of story I'm writing before I've begun. Didn't mean to sound discouraging.
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Joined: 5/12/2011
Posts: 240
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Well okay then! I will call it steampunk. I sort of always wanted to be a steampunk fan, but haven't a clue where to start with that. While we're on the topic if you were on a desert island with only one steampunk book, what would it be?
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