Is it possible for a steampunk civilization?

Is it possible in any way for a proto-steampunk civilization to survive and actually be similar to steampunk? I'm tired so excuse me if I'm talking weird :p
 
Not really. The entiere premise of steampunk, in its common* sense is about an inflated use of steam-work or spring-work for anything, especially stuff that would be less costly and possibly more comfortable and efficient with other techniques (such as, let's say, electric production).

It would require entier technological fields to be ignored for the sake of it.

* And possibly dullest. For something so promising in terms of esthetics, litterature and exploration, it really reduced itself to a really bland and souless pseudo-Victorian quirk. But I digress.
 
As a lasting thing? No definitely not. But if you could somehow delay the development of the internal combustion engine for an additional decade or so you'd get a decade of steam and heavily mechanical goods. Many devices and appliances that would be considered "steampunk" were actually invented in the 1900-1920 period but because of the internal combustion engine they rarely met with more than passing adoption. An additional decade before internal combustion would see much more development in things like steam powered automobiles, aircraft, machinery, household appliances, etc.

But without a major POD I think a extra decade of steam as king is probably stretching it.

What's interesting to me is that modern steam engines, if somehow magically transported to the 1910s, would probably outperform 1910s combustion engines to the point nobody would be investing in internal combustion.
 
What about a society which has a cultural/religious prohibition on the use of electricity??

Can you have an internal combustion engine without electric spark plugs?

I'm thinking no electricity would mean later use of gas lamps, proper development of mechanical computers, further use of steam.. .
 

Puzzle

Donor
Can you have an internal combustion engine without electric spark plugs?

Yes, they call them diesels, or more generally compression ignition engines. I also suspect if an engineer was sufficiently motivated an entirely mechanical spark plug analogue could be made.
 
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