I was reminded during Emerald City Comic Con why I like to attend comicand sci-fi conventions. The theoretical exposition of the unreal iseverywhere! Turns out most people are freely giving of their ideas onhow this thing could happen, or that thing could be real. It evenleads to a somewhat heated discussion given the right personalitiesand any given slightly controversial subject. In most cases, however,the individuals are simply trying to make that thing that is soappealing have some extra nuance of realism. Let's face it, whodoesn’t want to stand on the bow of a great steam-driven airship andhold their hands out to the sides while screaming at the top of theirlungs?  “I am king of the world!” Ok, I know, not everyone is going togamble for a low berth ticket on a doomed airship, falling in lovebefore it plummets, killing nearly everyone on board, but I think youget the point. We all long for the suspension of disbelief whenreading our favorite stories.Sometimes it seems to me when reading steampunk, that this is lost infavor of the esoteric or wildly bizarre technology, which falsely fuels theunderlying narrative. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the genre andits one basic rule that anything goes! However, I have always thoughtthe road to buy-in, was paved through the viability of the notion.Where did the technology come from? Who invented it? Why did theyinvent it? Sometimes these answers are implied and create the fabulouscausality for juxtaposition in storytelling.  However, other times,when not answered or implied, they tend to fuel a dissociation withthe characters and possibly the plot.When it comes to steampunk, I think that there has to be a commonthread that enables the suspension of disbelief. Stories placed in thefar future need only have a plausible path to their eventuality.Steampunk, having usually taken place in the glorious Victorian past,needs a little more narrative and exposition when it comes to creatinga believable thread which will immerse the reader. I personally enjoythe fantasy crossover. You get instant buy-in if the reader likes theidea of gnomes creating the technology.  Sometimes it only takes a fewsmall twists in their recollection of history to make the worldrelatable and real.  In either case, it’s always nice to embrace astory which makes you want to put on your best corset, grab yourparasol, and buy a ticket on the next airship to your favoritegathering.