Steampunk (or Steam Punk) is a sub-genre of science fiction, also incorporating elements of fantasy and alternate history speculative fiction. It was conceived the 1980's and brought forth even more in 1990 by cyberpunk father William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, in their book, The Difference Engine, and has continually grown from there. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is the main source of power, such as during Victorian era Britain, but also the Old American West, or even points in the future where other sources of power were not explored, developed, or have perhaps been destroyed. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them, while borrowing heavily from Victorian (and other)sensibilities, customs, architecture, and fashion of the mid 1800's to early 1900's.
With the help of the Internet the genre has exploded. There are now hundreds of websites dedicated to it, there are conventions and books and magazines...even Star Wars and Legos have been brought into the mix...
Above is a Lego Airship, and to the right is a Steam Punk R2D2. Below is an awesome Steam Punk rendering of Han Solo and Boba Fett...
I also want to give an idea of what some of the fashion and technology look like, and while the Han Solo art above is especially indicative, here's more...
Obviously, lots of wood and brass goes into the technology, anything that can be run by steam or clockwork is perfect, and goggles are IN.
I haven't touched on nearly a fraction of a fraction of the stuff that is out there, online, waiting for you to discover it, but hopefully I've done enough between this page here to ignite something in you and inspire you to seek more out on your own. From what I've found it's an extremely accepting and enthusiatic community, especially for the Internet, and dammit, everything just...looks...cooler!
