steampunk

steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic victorian or quasi-victorian alternate history setting. it could be described by the slogan “what the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.” it includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes.

medieval steampunk: speculative fiction set during the middle ages.

victorian steampunk: a modern science fiction work (post-1930s) that is set in the early parts of the industrial revolution.

western steampunk: science fiction set in the american old west.

industrial/modern steampunk: science fiction taking place in the late industrial age, early modern age; i.e. world war 1, world war 2
examples of steampunk:
wild wild west
final fantasy 7
van helsing
the time machine
h-llboy
sky captain and the world of tomorrow
a lifestyle choice, wherein the partic-p-nts embrace deliberate anachronism and quasi-anachronism as seen in steampunk fiction. often characterized by modifying one’s electronic gadgets to make them look a century out-of-date.
not to be confused with renaissance re-enactors, who claim to eschew technology entirely; steampunks love fiddly gears and shiny metal things.
directly from wikipedia:

steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. the term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in victorian era england—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of h. g. wells and jules verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles or -n-log computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality. also see robert sandberg’s work.
abney park (alb-m cover artwork) shows members dressed in steampunk outfits of the time. also the golden comp-ss book series by philip pullman, describes the use and interest of steampunk subculture. also look at h. g. wells’s the time machine.
a fantasy story style that involves using steam era technology to make highly complicated and advanced machines.
the anime steam boy was heavily influanced by steam punk.
a type of subculture that mixes the clothing styles of past generations (such as the victorian era) with modern conveniences, creating inventions that look as if they could have been created generations ago. for instance, a gameboy would be powered by steam and contain clockwork parts rather than silicon and electrical wiring. this “mad-scientist” culture is based on works by such authors as jules verne and h.g. wells. related to the punk subculture by the “do-it-yourself” att-tude, though many steampunks will buy ready made materials and customize them. the entire subculture is based on mostly on aesthetics, though functionality is highly prized as well.
person 1: “i love those goggles! they’re so steampunk; where did you get them?”
person 2: “i got the goggles at the hardware store and used the cogs from this old clock i had sitting around. the br-ss-coloured paint was sitting in the garage too.”
person 1: “well, what was your inspiration?”
person 2: “i was reading the time machine and watching suckerpunch. i don’t really know which it’s supposed to be; i just thought it would look cool.”
subgenre of “punk” fashion using style combinations from the victorian era england and the industrial revolution. different from grunge, hobo, cyberpunk, hippie, or dirty punk.
his white b-tton down, fitted pants, boots, and belts create his steam punk look.
a delayed afterbirth of all the lame subcultures sp-wned in the 1990’s, because everything has to evolve into a trend and everyone needs to feel they can wholeheartedly ascribe to something.
“i was kicked from the steampunk kickball team because my metallic accoutrements were more silver-colored than bronze.”

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