It seems like nobody has the balls to go all out Steampunk, it always has to be mixed with magic or fantasy. I think the fact that the genre has been overtaken by goths sort of muddies the water a bit as well. and I just found out Lego is doing a steampunk line: http://io9.com/holy-lego-is-making-a-steampunk-line-496044951
I'm not sure I'd call Crimson Skies steampunk. That was all feasible 1930s-1940s technology, just alternate history that led to different tech emphasis. Maybe avgas-punk...? Not sure with that one.
mmmmmmmmmmaybe. The general flavour and optimism of it gives a better picture of what was really considered high tech at the time. Maybe read until you feel like youve gained as much as you wanted to gain from it. Its kinda like jules verne or something. You wouldnt read it just for inspiration on a steampunk submarine…
if you want steampunk done right (imo) you should read "outlaws of the air" by george griffith. In the age where steam was the main propulsion deal they fantasized more about more efficient (but usually totally hypothetical) fuels. OOtA, if i remember correctly, is centred around burning a special powder as fuel. So it's…