History YMMV / TheDifferenceEngine

* InferredHolocaust: the {{steampunk}} dream of a Victorian information age is somewhat deconstructed by the heavy hints that they're using it to catalogue people for the purposes of the then-popular doctrine of eugenics. [[spoiler:The ending (set in the 1990's) implies that what's left of humanity only exists as simulated information.]]

* AlternateHistoryWank: Although the Engines and associated steam technologies needed [[UpToEleven a stronger version of the then nascent British industry]] to work, the history of the rest of the world is accelerated as through magic, with subtle hints at the 20th century developments:
** Japan has its own revolution in the early 1850s, transforms overnight into a technological society, and acquires her own Engine (even the Meiji Revolution still took almost 3 decades in RealLife);
** The Union and Confederacy split 10 years earlier, fight a bloody war and then [[DividedStatesofAmerica stay separate, which together with the independence of California and Texas]] eliminates any chance of America becoming a superpower;
** Karl Marx raises himself to fame as a philosopher despite having no conditions to breed sponsors and a disenfranchised working class as he witnessed in RealLife;
** France becomes an Empire at the same moment as in RealLife and they still aim to conquer Mexico, just 10 years too quickly;

* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of UsefulNotes/WilliamGladstone and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.

** Japan has her own revolution in the early 1850s, transforms overnight into a technological society, and acquires her own Engine (even the Meiji Revolution still took almost 3 decades in RealLife);

* GenrePopularizer: SteamPunk

* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of UsefulNotes/WilliamGladstone and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.

* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of [[Creator/WilliamGladstone Gladstone]] and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.
--

** The Union and Confederacy split 10 years earlier (without war - something which no politician would have accepted back then);
** Neither the Union nor the Confederacy show any territorial expansionism, leaving the Brits to explore the central North American lands before them;

* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of [[WilliamGladstone Gladstone]] and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.

* InferredHolocaust: the {{steampunk}} dream of a Victorian information age is somewhat deconstructed by the heavy hints that they're using it to catalogue people for the purposes of the then-popular doctrine of eugenics. The ending (set in the 1990's) implies that humanity only exists as simulated information.
* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of [[WilliamGladstone Gladstone]] and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.

** Japan has her own revolution in the early 1850s, transforms overnight in a technological society, acquires her own Engine (even the Meiji Revolution still took almost 3 decades in RealLife);
** the Union and Confederacy split 10 years earlier (without war - something which no politician would have accepted back then);
** neither Union nor Confederacy show any territorial expansionism, leaving the Brits to explore the central American lands before them;

** France becomes an Empire at the same moment as in RealLife and they still aim to conquer Mexico, just 10 years to quickly;

* ShoutOut:
** The "Rad" nickname and the term "Rad Lord" are [[{{Pun}} puns]] for the late 19th century [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randlord Rand Lords]], South African mining tycoons. Who were risen from the commoners like Sterling and Gibson's Lords.
** Brian Mallory recalls a Hindu water-boy, whom he clearly holds in high regard, from his time in India. It is a good guess that he was named [[RudyardKipling Gunga Din]].

** Despite the oft-repeated penchant of the ruling party for lavish public construction and infrastructure, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Stink The Great Stink]] still happens, even earlier than in RealLife.
*** Though in this case it's due to pollution from the factories instead of inadequate sewerage systems.
** Someone obviously never thought of [[ButterflyOfDoom the butterfly effect]].

* ShoutOut: The "Rad" nickname and the term "Rad Lord" are [[{{Pun}} puns]] for the late 19th century [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randlord Rand Lords]], South African mining tycoons. Who were risen from the commoners like Sterling and Gibson's Lords.

* YeGoodeOldeDays: cross with JiveTurkey: only "Dandy Mick" and Sybil use [[PurpleProse the flowery language of the early-Victorian times]], known to the modern public from period literature and the speeches of Gladstone and his peers. Mallory, most male characters from Engine-punchers to lowly workers, ''Disraeli himself'' use a language similar to that of modern men.

** Someone obviously never thought of [[ButterflyOfDoom the butterfly effect]].

** France becomes an Empire at the same moment as in RealLife and they still aim to conquer Mexico, just 10 years to quickly.