Glad to have my Pandora.

[rygD]

Faster than light travel is science fiction. So you could have that as an element in a steampunk setting where its possible yet has nothing to do with retrofuturism or steampunk technology as steampunk does not necessarily mean things that are scientifically impossible as we currently understand.

So many issues with that second sentence I don't know where to start.  Steampunk was inspired by old science fiction and cyberpunk attitudes.  Both parents are science fiction, as is the offspring.  Science fiction does not mean that something is "scientifically impossible" or even improbable (not sure what you were trying to get at there).  It is fiction based on or inspired by science, just as historical fiction is based on or inspired by history.  Consider biopunk and related fiction.  It usually deals with things that are already well within our abilities (or soon expected to be), focuses on aspects of that, then sometimes takes it to the extreme, or adds a plot relevant to that.

Steampunk is one of the most well known examples of retrofuturism.  I don't know how you can think that you can include a steampunk setting and not have retrofuturism and steampunk technology.  Steampunk, just like real, modern human society, is heavily influenced by the relevant past and present technology.  The point of steampunk is the retrofuturism and the different path technological development could have taken, and how those would have created a different world.

In case you weren't aware, the *punk genres are often rebellious against, or at least shunning, the world that gave rise to them, and where it is going.  Since I don't read the most recent steampunk I can't say if it is both the "real" world and the fictional world in that case, or just the "real" one.

My version of steampunk is basically a Steampunk world involving magic, which then has elements of normal mad scientist type of deal. Yes its victorian era and industrial revolution.. But with a twist. Its on its own planet. So its less what i've seen from literature with either take a glorified imperialistic mindset.. or simply make things a bit glorified OI ITS CHIMNEY SWEEPS IN LONDON! My stories have Mages, Satyrs(own version), Werewolves, Vampires, and my own version of "demons" that don't have a negative connotation. The world isn't all that happy either its been through four massive grand world  wars, and a lot of very grim issues do come up(racism, genocide, murder, torture just rather horrible things.)  So it is a Fantasy-Steampunk with sci-fi elements.  I can ramble on for hours about my story.. I'm less writing a story as I am more of a lore... 

You are really only reinforcing my guess that you would like what I was thinking.  Enough with the off topic here, I suppose.

 

[dflatline]

Faster than light travel is science fiction. So you could have that as an element in a steampunk setting where its possible yet has nothing to do with retrofuturism or steampunk technology as steampunk does not necessarily mean things that are scientifically impossible as we currently understand.

So many issues with that second sentence I don't know where to start.  Steampunk was inspired by old science fiction and cyberpunk attitudes.  Both parents are science fiction, as is the offspring.  Science fiction does not mean that something is "scientifically impossible" or even improbable (not sure what you were trying to get at there).  It is fiction based on or inspired by science, just as historical fiction is based on or inspired by history.  Consider biopunk and related fiction.  It usually deals with things that are already well within our abilities (or soon expected to be), focuses on aspects of that, then sometimes takes it to the extreme, or adds a plot relevant to that.

Steampunk is one of the most well known examples of retrofuturism.  I don't know how you can think that you can include a steampunk setting and not have retrofuturism and steampunk technology.  Steampunk, just like real, modern human society, is heavily influenced by the relevant past and present technology.  The point of steampunk is the retrofuturism and the different path technological development could have taken, and how those would have created a different world.

In case you weren't aware, the *punk genres are often rebellious against, or at least shunning, the world that gave rise to them, and where it is going.  Since I don't read the most recent steampunk I can't say if it is both the  "real" world and the fictional world in that case, or just the "real" one.

You've completely misunderstood my post. I said, quite clearly, that faster than light travel is science fiction but not specifically steampunk. Therefore "a steampunk story with science fiction elements" may be "a steampunk story in a universe where faster than light travel is possible" as an example. My last sentence which you're having trouble with is stating that you can have a steampunk setting that is scientifically and technologically plausible with current understanding, i.e there is no speculatory element in the science or technology.

While 'science fiction' is hard to define, it does not mean "fiction inspired by science" it at least has to include some imaginative or speculatory element. This is why a novel centered around a modern day pathology lab studying the ebola outbreak would not be 'science fiction' but one dealing with polymorphic parasite that arrived on a comet is.