The Steampunk Romantic Hero

Ahoy! A new breed of romantic hero has been spotted on the horizon, quickly sailing toward our island on his airship. How shall we recognize this paragon? Let us check A Natural History of the Romantic Hero for informative clues…

Genus: Steampunk Romance Hero (not to be confused with an unromantic hero, I beg you.)

Appearance: Most often found in Victorian garb: top hats and tails, polished black boots. The cut maybe be Victorian, but the cloth could very well be canvas or futuristic polymer. The Steampunk hero may fool you; he is anachronistic in essence, choosing the best from multiple time periods with no thought to linear continuity. Look for the brass goggles--they're a dead giveaway to identifying this reclusive specimen.

Habitat: From the Victorian age to the far future, the Steampunk hero can be found in his laboratory tinkering with extraordinary machines. Though gas lights his workspace, steam powers his experiments, and coal smoke fills the air, do not assume the object of his research to be so easily pinned down in time; Nanotechnology is a passion of his. When not in the workshop, the Steampunk hero enjoys flying his airship to parts undiscovered and riding his steam-powered bicycle through Hyde Park.


Heroine: Expect his match to be equal in daring and wits. The Steampunk heroine is no fainting violet. She is more likely to be the one fending off airpirates whilst her hero unclogs the engine of the airship. A corset is no impediment to her astounding feats of physical prowess. Her most distinguishing characteristic is subversiveness.

Villain: A megalomaniac, the Steampunk villain is set upon world domination. Often also a mad scientist, expect his takeover scheme to include giant machines.

By my calculations, the first Steampunk Romantic hero will touch down on the island in six months time. Let the mudslinging begin!