steamfunk means A subgenre of science fiction that combines elements of steampunk with a focus on Black culture and Afrofuturism. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 100 out of 100.
Why “steamfunk” is a great word
Steamfunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction that merges the anachronistic brass-and-steam technology of steampunk with the rhythms, history, and speculative visions of Black diasporic culture. The term is a portmanteau, a blend of 'steampunk' (a genre featuring steam-powered technology in an anachronistic setting) and 'funk' (a style of music and cultural aesthetic with strong African American roots), popularized by the 2013 short story anthology 'Steamfunk!' co-edited by Milton Davis and Balogun Ojetade. Unlike mainstream "steampunk," which often defaults to a Victorian, Eurocentric setting, or the broader canvas of "Afrofuturism," which spans cosmic futures and ancient pasts, steamfunk is a specific, grounded reclamation. It is the hiss of a pneumatic cane in a Parisian salon owned by a Haitian inventor, the intricate clockwork of an airship navigating the currents above a thriving Black Wall Street, and the tactile pulse of a djembe drum driving a difference engine. It is the reclamation of history's gears, turning now to a different, long-suppressed rhythm.
Etymology
Blend of steampunk + funk. Popularized by the 2013 short story anthology Steamfunk! co-edited by Milton Davis and Balogun Ojetade.
noun
- A subgenre of science fiction that combines elements of steampunk with a focus on Black culture and Afrofuturism.“By reimagining the past, Nisi Shawl’s steamfunk novel “Everfair” soars towards a feminist, afrofuturist vision of liberational technology.”