Like several works of entertainment in the “steampunk”
genre, Thief is a cacophonous combination
of medieval and Victorian—or even, possibly, Victorian ideas of the medieval
combined with 21st century ideas of the Victorian and Victorian
ideas of the medieval…or something. From
the technologies, art design, cityscape, to the characters and their
lifestyles. Another recent title also emphasizes this blend of the medieval,
Victorian, and modern technology (see The Order 1886). Of course, the Final Fantasy
series blazed trails in this regard, with Final
Fantasy VI (FF3 for SNES owners in the US) even featuring an epic storyline
that pitted magic (the medieval) versus technology (the modern). You can guess
which force was labeled most dangerous and untrustworthy. Why these two periods, of all periods, should
go together is an interesting question, and one that, among other authors and
texts, takes us back to the Victorian poet who revived the Arthurian saga. Lord
Alfred Tennyson sought a return of a chivalric ideal, not unlike Malory did in
his own time. But Tennyson had his own intents and purposes, and wasn’t merely
resurrecting the medieval.
