The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk

Zusatztext Kathe Albrecht's book opens our eyes to a whole new field of philosophical and aesthetic inquiry, and marks a significant turn in the current debates concerning the future of Homo sapiens. Informationen zum Autor Kathe Hicks Albrecht serves on the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a presidential appointment, and is a faculty member at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Albrecht has represented educators on many national and international boards including the Visual Resources Association, Digital Future Coalition, National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH), and the US Commerce Department's Conference on Fair Use (CONFU). Albrecht holds a doctorate in Philosophy and Art Theory (IDSVA), a Masters, Art History (American University), and Bachelors, Art History (UCLA). Klappentext What is steampunk and why are people across the globe eagerly embracing its neo-Victorian aesthetic? Old-fashioned eye goggles, lace corsets, leather vests, brass gears and gadgets, mechanical clocks, the look appears across popular culture, in movies, art, fashion, and literature. But steampunk is both an aesthetic program and a way-of-life and its underlying philosophy is the key to its broad appeal. Steampunk champions a new autonomy for the individual caught up in today's technology-driven world. It expresses optimism for the future but it also delivers a note of caution about our human role in light of the ubiquitous machine. Thus, despite adopting an aesthetic and lifestyle straight out of the Victorian scientific romance, steampunk addresses significant twenty-first century concerns about what lies ahead for humankind. The movement recovers autonomy from prevailing trends even as it challenges us to ask what it is to be human today. Vorwort The book is a comprehensive and scholarly analysis of the steampunk movement, from its beginnings as a sub-genre of science fiction to its current status as global phenomenon impacting art, philosophy, fashion, film, and culture. Zusammenfassung What is steampunk and why are people across the globe eagerly embracing its neo-Victorian aesthetic? Aesthetic program, literary genre, philosophy, and subculture, Steampunk embraces a universal vision that questions our relationship with time itself. This book provides a deep dive into the movement's relationship to current philosophical trends and the relationship of the individual to the networked world. At once explanation, history, interpretation, and wide-ranging survey, the book brings in perspectives from cultural and literary studies, art history and aesthetics, to reveal the wide-reaching potential of Steampunk as genre and sensibility. Connecting high and popular culture, this book demonstrates how Steampunkegalitarian, inclusive, optimisticpresents a universal vision of the future. It provides readers with an understanding of significant issues in philosophical thought whilst relating these to the important role that visual culture plays in contemporary society. Offering fresh perspectives across various disciplines, it serves as an essential introduction to Steampunk for both enthusiasts and specialists, spanning fashion design, art history, contemporary philosophy, and Internet studies. In doing so, the book forges an illuminating path that will guide historians of the present well into the future. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction1. The Origins of Steampunk: Science Fiction and Victoriana2. The Victorian/Steampunk Connection: Upheaval, Discovery and the Birth of Modernism3. The Steampunk Aesthetic in Contemporary Visual Art4. Performing Steampunk5. Steampunk's Challenge to Contemporary Philosophy6. Beyond SteampunkBibliographyNotesIndex...

Préface
The book is a comprehensive and scholarly analysis of the steampunk movement, from its beginnings as a sub-genre of science fiction to its current status as global phenomenon impacting art, philosophy, fashion, film, and culture.

Auteur
Kathe Hicks Albrecht serves on the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a presidential appointment, and is a faculty member at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Albrecht has represented educators on many national and international boards including the Visual Resources Association, Digital Future Coalition, National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH), and the US Commerce Department's Conference on Fair Use (CONFU). Albrecht holds a doctorate in Philosophy and Art Theory (IDSVA), a Masters, Art History (American University), and Bachelors, Art History (UCLA).

Texte du rabat

What is steampunk and why are people across the globe eagerly embracing its neo-Victorian aesthetic? Old-fashioned eye goggles, lace corsets, leather vests, brass gears and gadgets, mechanical clocks, the look appears across popular culture, in movies, art, fashion, and literature. But steampunk is both an aesthetic program and a way-of-life and its underlying philosophy is the key to its broad appeal.

Steampunk champions a new autonomy for the individual caught up in today's technology-driven world. It expresses optimism for the future but it also delivers a note of caution about our human role in light of the ubiquitous machine. Thus, despite adopting an aesthetic and lifestyle straight out of the Victorian scientific romance, steampunk addresses significant twenty-first century concerns about what lies ahead for humankind. The movement recovers autonomy from prevailing trends even as it challenges us to ask what it is to be human today.

Contenu
Introduction 1. The Origins of Steampunk: Science Fiction and Victoriana 2. The Victorian/Steampunk Connection: Upheaval, Discovery and the Birth of Modernism 3. The Steampunk Aesthetic in Contemporary Visual Art 4. Performing Steampunk 5. Steampunk's Challenge to Contemporary Philosophy 6. Beyond Steampunk Bibliography Notes Index