Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that combines Victorian-era aesthetics with retro futuristic technology like steam-powered machinery and clockwork. It imagines a world where the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution, particularly steam power, continued to develop in fantastic ways, often seen in literature, art, and film that blend Victorian settings with advanced, anachronistic inventions.
- Technology: The core of steampunk is technology that feels both archaic and advanced. This includes steam-powered robots, airships, mechanical gadgets, and clockwork devices.
- Aesthetics: The visual style is heavily influenced by the Victorian era, featuring corsets, goggles, top hats, and an overall industrial look with gears and cogs.
- Themes: Steampunk often features themes of adventure, exploration, and societal rebellion against a backdrop of a gritty, industrial-era urban setting, often London.
- Key works: Some classic examples include Jules Verne's novels like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, H.G. Wells's The Time Machine, and more modern works like The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.