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Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates
retrofuturistic Retrofuturism (adjective ''retrofuturistic'' or ''retrofuture'') is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipatin ...
technology and
aesthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed th ...
s inspired by 19th-century
industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or the American "Wild West", where steam power remains in mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. Steampunk most recognizably features anachronistic technologies or retrofuturistic inventions as people in the 19th century might have envisioned them — distinguishing it from Neo-Victorianism — and is likewise rooted in the era's perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. Such technologies may include fictional machines like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
. Other examples of steampunk contain alternative-history-style presentations of such technology as
steam cannon A steam cannon is a cannon that launches a projectile using only heat and water, or using a ready supply of high-pressure steam from a boiler. The first steam cannon was designed by Archimedes during the Siege of Syracuse. Leonardo da Vinci was al ...
s,
lighter-than-air A lifting gas or lighter-than-air gas is a gas that has a density lower than normal atmospheric gases and rises above them as a result. It is required for aerostats to create buoyancy, particularly in lighter-than-air aircraft, which include fre ...
airships, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as
Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...
's
Analytical Engine The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, which was a des ...
. Steampunk may also incorporate additional elements from the genres of fantasy,
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
,
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
, alternate history, or other branches of
speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, na ...
, making it often a hybrid genre. As a form of speculative fiction, it explores alternative futures or pasts but can also address real-world social issues. The first known appearance of the term ''steampunk'' was in 1987, though it now retroactively refers to many works of fiction created as far back as the 1950s or earlier A popular subgenre is Japanese steampunk, consisting of steampunk-themed
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and anime, with steampunk elements having appeared in mainstream manga since the 1940s. Steampunk also refers to any of the artistic styles, clothing fashions, or
subculture A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, poli ...
s that have developed from the aesthetics of steampunk fiction, Victorian-era fiction,
art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
design, and films from the mid-20th century. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.


History


Precursors

Steampunk is influenced by and often adopts the style of the 19th-century scientific romances of
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
, H. G. Wells, Mary Shelley, and
Edward S. Ellis Edward Sylvester Ellis (April 11, 1840 – June 20, 1916) was an American author who was born in Ohio and died at Cliff Island, Maine. Ellis was a teacher, school administrator, journalist, and the author of hundreds of books and magazine ...
's '' The Steam Man of the Prairies''. Several more modern works of art and fiction significant to the development of the genre were produced before the genre had a name. ''
Titus Alone ''Titus Alone'' is a novel written by Mervyn Peake and first published in 1959. It is the third work in the Gormenghast trilogy. The other works are ''Titus Groan'', and ''Gormenghast''. With the trilogy, a fourth work, the novella '' Boy in ...
'' (1959), by Mervyn Peake, is widely regarded by scholars as the first
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
in the genre proper, while others point to Michael Moorcock's 1971 novel '' The Warlord of the Air'', which was heavily influenced by Peake's work. The film '' Brazil'' (1985) was an early cinematic influence, although it can also be considered a precursor to the steampunk offshoot
dieselpunk Dieselpunk is a retrofuturistic subgenre of science fiction similar to steampunk or cyberpunk that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern ...
. '' The Adventures of Luther Arkwright'' was an early (1970s) comic version of the Moorcock-style mover between timestreams. In fine art, Remedios Varo's paintings combine elements of Victorian dress, fantasy, and technofantasy imagery. In television, one of the earliest manifestations of the steampunk ethos in the mainstream media was the CBS television series ''
The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...
'' (1965–69), which inspired the later film.


Origin of the term

Although many works now considered seminal to the genre were published in the 1960s and 1970s, the term ''steampunk'' originated largely in the 1980s as a tongue-in-cheek variant of '' cyberpunk''. It was coined by science fiction author
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the '' Star Trek'' and '' Star Wa ...
, who was trying to find a general term for works by Tim Powers ('' The Anubis Gates'', 1983), James Blaylock ('' Homunculus'', 1986), and himself ('' Morlock Night'', 1979, and '' Infernal Devices'', 1987) — all of which took place in a 19th-century (usually Victorian) setting and imitated conventions of such actual Victorian speculative fiction as H. G. Wells' '' The Time Machine''. In a letter to science fiction magazine '' Locus'', printed in the April 1987 issue, Jeter wrote:


Modern steampunk

While Jeter's '' Morlock Night'' and '' Infernal Devices'', Powers' '' The Anubis Gates'', and Blaylock's ''
Lord Kelvin's Machine ''Lord Kelvin's Machine'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James P. Blaylock. It was released in 1992 by Arkham House in an edition of 4,015 copies. The author's first book published by Arkham House, the novel is the third in Blayl ...
'' were the first novels to which Jeter's neologism would be applied, the three authors gave the term little thought at the time. They were far from the first modern science fiction writers to speculate on the development of steam-based technology or alternative histories. Keith Laumer's ''
Worlds of the Imperium ''Worlds of the Imperium'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Keith Laumer. It originally appeared in ''Fantastic (magazine), Fantastic Stories of the Imagination'' between February and April 1961. The following year it was published b ...
'' (1962) and
Ronald W. Clark William Ronald Clark, known as Ronald William Clark (2 November 1916 – 9 March 1987) was a British author of biography, fiction and non-fiction. Early life and education Clark was born in London as William Ronald Clark, the only child of bank c ...
's ''
Queen Victoria's Bomb ''Queen Victoria's Bomb'' is a steampunk novel by Ronald W. Clark, published in 1967. Its plot surrounds the invention of a nuclear weapon in the Victorian era which might be used to win the Crimean War. See also *''Anti-Ice'' *''To Visit the ...
'' (1967) apply modern speculation to past-age technology and society. Michael Moorcock's '' Warlord of the Air'' (1971) is another early example. Harry Harrison's novel ''
A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! ''Tunnel Through the Deeps'' (also published as ''A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!'') is a 1972 alternate history/science fiction novel by American writer Harry Harrison. It was serialized in ''Analog'' magazine beginning in the April 1972 issu ...
'' (1973) portrays Britain in an alternative 1973, full of atomic locomotives, coal-powered flying boats, ornate submarines, and Victorian dialogue. '' The Adventures of Luther Arkwright'' (mid-1970s) was one of the first steampunk comics. In February 1980,
Richard A. Lupoff Richard Allen Lupoff (February 21, 1935 – October 22, 2020) was an American science-fiction and mystery author, who also wrote humor, satire, nonfiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he a ...
and
Steve Stiles Stephen Willis Stiles (July 16, 1943 – January 11, 2020) was an American cartoonist and writer, coming out of the science fiction fanzine tradition. He won the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist. Early life and education Steven Willis Stil ...
published the first "chapter" of their 10-part
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
''The Adventures of Professor Thintwhistle and His Incredible Aether Flyer''. In 2004, one anonymous author described steampunk as "Colonizing the Past so we can dream the future." The first use of the word "steampunk" in a title was in
Paul Di Filippo Paul Di Filippo (born October 29, 1954) is an American science fiction writer. He is a regular reviewer for print magazines ''Asimov's Science Fiction'', ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'', ''Science Fiction Eye'', ''The New York Re ...
's 1995 ''Steampunk Trilogy'', consisting of three short novels: "Victoria", "Hottentots", and "Walt and Emily", which, respectively, imagine the replacement of Queen Victoria by a human/newt clone, an invasion of Massachusetts by Lovecraftian monsters, and a love affair between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.


Japanese steampunk

Japanese steampunk consists of steampunk
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
comics and anime productions from Japan. Steampunk elements have consistently appeared in mainstream manga since the 1940s, dating back to
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
's epic science-fiction trilogy consisting of '' Lost World'' (1948), '' Metropolis'' (1949) and ''
Nextworld Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...
'' (1951). The steampunk elements found in manga eventually made their way into mainstream anime productions starting in the 1970s, including television shows such as Leiji Matsumoto's '' Space Battleship Yamato'' (1974) and the 1979 anime adaptation of
Riyoko Ikeda is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group, by some, although her status as one of them has been debated due to a focus more on epic stories than the internal psychology of those mangaka. She was one of the most ...
's manga '' Rose of Versailles'' (1972). Influenced by 19th-century European authors such as Jules Verne, steampunk anime and manga arose from a Japanese fascination with an imaginary fantastical version of old
Industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
Europe, linked to a phenomenon called '' akogare no Pari'' ("the Paris of our dreams"), comparable to the West's fascination with an "exotic" East. The most influential steampunk animator was Hayao Miyazaki, who was creating steampunk anime since the 1970s, starting with the television show '' Future Boy Conan'' (1978). His manga ''
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind may refer to * Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga), ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (manga), a manga series by Hayao Miyazaki * Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film), ''Nausicaä of the Valle ...
'' (1982) and its 1984 anime film adaptation also contained steampunk elements. Miyazaki's most influential steampunk production was the Studio Ghibli anime film '' Laputa: Castle in the Sky'' (1986), which became a major milestone in the genre and has been described by ''The Steampunk Bible'' as "one of the first modern steampunk classics." Archetypal steampunk elements in ''Laputa'' include airships, air pirates, steam-powered robots, and a view of
steam power A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
as a limitless but potentially dangerous source of power. The success of ''Laputa'' inspired Hideaki Anno and
Studio Gainax Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; ja, 株式会社ガイナックス, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', '' Royal Space Force'', ''Gunbuster'', '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue Wat ...
to create their first hit production, '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water'' (1990), a steampunk anime show which loosely adapts elements from Verne's '' Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea'', with
Captain Nemo Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ( ...
making an appearance. Based on a concept by Miyazaki, ''Nadia'' was influential on later steampunk anime such as
Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter, animator and film director. He is best known as the creator of '' Akira'', in terms of both the original 1982 manga series and the 1988 animated film adaptation. He was decorated a ''Chevalier'' of th ...
's anime film ''
Steamboy is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk action film produced by Sunrise, directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release as a director, following '' Akira'' (1988). The film was released in Japan by Toho on July 17, 20 ...
'' (2004). Disney's animated steampunk film ''
Atlantis: The Lost Empire ''Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' is a 2001 American animated science fiction film, science fiction action film, action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ...
'' (2001) was influenced by anime, particularly Miyazaki's works and possibly ''Nadia''. Other popular Japanese steampunk works include Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli anime films '' Porco Rosso'' (1992) and ''
Howl's Moving Castle ''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...
'' (2004),
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
's video game and anime franchise '' Sakura Wars'' (1996) which is set in a steampunk version of Meiji/ Taishō era Japan, and
Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
's manga and anime franchise '' Fullmetal Alchemist'' (2001).


Relationships to retrofuturism, DIY craft and making

Steampunk used to be confused with retrofuturism. Indeed, both sensibilities recall "the older but still modern eras in which technological change seemed to anticipate a better world, one remembered as relatively innocent of industrial decline." For some scholars, retrofuturism is considered a strand of steampunk, one that looks at alternatives to historical imagination and usually created with the same kinds of social protagonists and written for the same type of audiences. One of steampunk's most significant contributions is the way in which it mixes
digital media Digital media is any communication media that operate in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital media can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital electronics device. ' ...
with traditional handmade art forms. As scholars Rachel Bowser and Brian Croxall put it, "the tinkering and tinker-able technologies within steampunk invite us to roll up our sleeves and get to work re-shaping our contemporary world." In this respect, steampunk bears more in common with DIY craft and making.


Art, entertainment, and media


Art and design

Many of the visualisations of steampunk have their origins with, among others, Walt Disney's film ''
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...
'' (1954), including the design of the story's submarine the '' Nautilus'', its interiors, and the crew's underwater gear; and
George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...
's film '' The Time Machine'' (1960), especially the design of the time machine itself. This theme is also carried over to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Disney parks, in the themed area the "Screampunk District" at Six Flags Magic Mountain and in the designs of The Mysterious Island section of Tokyo DisneySea theme park and Disneyland Paris'
Discoveryland Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...
area. Aspects of steampunk design emphasise a balance between form and function. In this it is like the Arts and Crafts Movement. But John Ruskin, William Morris, and the other reformers in the late nineteenth century rejected machines and industrial production. On the other hand, steampunk enthusiasts present a "non- luddite critique of technology". Various modern utilitarian objects have been modified by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style. Examples include computer keyboards and electric guitars. The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era, rejecting the aesthetic of
industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advan ...
. In addition, an art exhibit called Anachrotechnofuturism held in Seattle from September 12th to October 3rd aimed to imagine how the past can move past the failures of the present and create a more perfect future all within the framing of a steampunk aesthetic. In 1994, the Paris Metro station at Arts et Métiers was redesigned by Belgian artist Francois Schuiten in steampunk style, to honor the works of Jules Verne. The station is reminiscent of a submarine, sheathed in brass with giant cogs in the ceiling and portholes that look out onto fanciful scenes. The artist group ''Kinetic Steam Works'' brought a working steam engine to the
Burning Man Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred ...
festival in 2006 and 2007. The group's founding member, Sean Orlando, created a Steampunk Tree House (in association with a group of people who would later form the ''Five Ton Crane Arts Group'') that has been displayed at a number of festivals. The Steampunk Tree House is now permanently installed at the Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware. The Neverwas Haul is a three-story, self-propelled mobile art vehicle built to resemble a Victorian house on wheels. Designed by Shannon O’Hare, it was built by volunteers in 2006 and presented at the Burning Man festival from 2006 through 2015. When fully built, the Haul propelled itself at a top speed of 5 miles per hour and required a crew of ten people to operate safely. Currently, the Neverwas Haul makes her home at Obtainium Works, an "art car factory" in
Vallejo, CA Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to the ...
owned by O’Hare and home to several other self-styled "contraptionists". In May–June 2008, multimedia artist and sculptor
Paul St George Paul St George is a London based multimedia artist and sculptor, best known for ''The Telectroscope'', an art installation visually linking London and New York. St George's other projects have included ''Minumentals'', miniatures of famous l ...
exhibited outdoor interactive video installations linking London and Brooklyn, New York, in a Victorian era-styled
telectroscope : The telectroscope (also referred to as 'electroscope') was the first conceptual model of a television or videophone system. The term was used in the 19th century to describe science-based systems of distant seeing. The name and its concep ...
. Utilizing this device, New York promoter Evelyn Kriete organised a transatlantic wave between steampunk enthusiasts from both cities, prior to White Mischief's '' Around the World in 80 Days'' steampunk-themed event. In 2009, for Questacon, artist Tim Wetherell created a large wall piece that represented the concept of the clockwork universe. This steel artwork contains moving gears, a working clock, and a movie of the moon's terminator in action. The 3D moon movie was created by Antony Williams. Steampunk became a common descriptor for homemade objects sold on the craft network Etsy between 2009 and 2011, though many of the objects and fashions bear little resemblance to earlier established descriptions of steampunk. Thus the craft network may not strike observers as "sufficiently steampunk" to warrant its use of the term. Comedian
April Winchell April Terri Winchell (born January 4, 1960) is an American actress, writer, and radio host. She is prehaps best known as the second and current voice of Clarabelle Cow, having voiced the character since 1996. Early life Winchell was born in 1 ...
, author of the book ''Regretsy: Where DIY meets WTF'', cataloged some of the most egregious and humorous examples on her website "Regretsy". The blog was popular among steampunks and even inspired a music video that went viral in the community and was acclaimed by steampunk "notables". From October 2009 through February 2010, the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, hosted the first major exhibition of steampunk art objects, curated and developed by New York artist and designer Art Donovan, who also exhibited his own "electro-futuristic" lighting sculptures, and presented by Dr. Jim Bennett, museum director. From redesigned practical items to fantastical contraptions, this exhibition showcased the work of eighteen steampunk artists from around the globe. The exhibit proved to be the most successful and highly attended in the museum's history and attracted more than eighty thousand visitors. The event was detailed in the official artist's journal ''The Art of Steampunk'', by curator Donovan. In November 2010, The Libratory Steampunk Art Gallery was opened by Damien McNamara in Oamaru, New Zealand. Created from papier-mâché to resemble a large cave and filled with industrial equipment from yesteryear, rayguns, and general steampunk quirks, its purpose is to provide a place for steampunkers in the region to display artwork for sale all year long. A year later, a more permanent gallery,
Steampunk HQ Steampunk HQ is an art collaboration and gallery in the historic Victorian precinct of Oamaru, New Zealand. Opened in November 2011, it celebrates its own industrial take on steampunk via an array of contraptions and sculptures, complemented by a ...
, was opened in the former Meeks Grain Elevator Building across the road from The Woolstore, and has since become a notable tourist attraction for Oamaru. In 2012, the ''Mobilis in Mobili: An Exhibition of Steampunk Art and Appliance'' made its debut. Originally located at New York City's Wooster Street Social Club (itself the subject of the television series ''
NY Ink ''NY Ink'' is an American reality documentary television series that debuted June 2, 2011 on TLC. TLC renewed the series for a second season in August 2011, also noting that the series' first season averaged 1.3 million viewers per episode. Film ...
''), the exhibit featured working steampunk tattoo systems designed by Bruce Rosenbaum, of ModVic and owner of the Steampunk House, Joey "Dr. Grymm" Marsocci, and Christopher Conte. with different approaches. " cycles, cell phones, guitars, timepieces and entertainment systems" rounded out the display. The opening night exhibition featured a live performance by steampunk band
Frenchy and the Punk Frenchy and the Punk are a Euro-American Acoustic Alternative post-punk cabaret duo based in New York City. They were listed in the top 25 duos in May 2012 by Yahoo Music Blog's List of the Day. Punk guitarist Scott Helland, originally from the b ...
. The stills at
The Oxford Artisan Distillery The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD, previously known as The Spirit of TOAD) is the first ever legal distillery in Oxford, England. It is the first certified organic "grain-to-glass" distillery in the United Kingdom, covering all parts of the di ...
are nicknamed " Nautilus" and "
Nemo Nemo may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Games * ''Nemo'' (arcade game), a 1990 arcade game by Capcom based on ''Little Nemo'' * NEMO (video game console), an unreleased console Music * Nemo (American band), an indie rock band * Nemo ...
", named after the submarine and its captain in the
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
1870 science fiction novel '' Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas''. They were built in copper by South Devon Railway Engineering using a steampunk style.


Fashion

Steampunk fashion has no set guidelines but tends to synthesize modern styles with influences from the Victorian era. Such influences may include bustles,
corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effe ...
s, gowns, and petticoats; suits with waistcoats, coats, top hats and bowler hats (themselves originating in 1850 England), tailcoats and spats; or military-inspired garments. Steampunk-influenced outfits are usually accented with several technological and "period" accessories: timepieces, parasols, flying/driving goggles, and ray guns. Modern accessories like cell phones or music players can be found in steampunk outfits, after being modified to give them the appearance of Victorian-era objects. Post-apocalyptic elements, such as gas masks, ragged clothing, and tribal motifs, can also be included. Aspects of steampunk fashion have been anticipated by mainstream high fashion, the
Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...
and
aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...
styles, neo-Victorianism, and the Romantic Goth subculture. In 2005,
Kate Lambert Kate Lambert, known professionally as "Kato", is a British model, fashion designer, singer and entrepreneur. A native of Wales, Kato emigrated to the United States in 2007. She became a US citizen in 2019. One of the most recognisable fac ...
, known as "Kato", founded the first steampunk clothing company, "Steampunk Couture", mixing Victorian and post-apocalyptic influences. In 2013, IBM predicted, based on an analysis of more than a half million public posts on message boards, blogs, social media sites, and news sources, "that 'steampunk,' a subgenre inspired by the clothing, technology and social mores of Victorian society, will be a major trend to bubble up and take hold of the retail industry". Indeed, high fashion lines such as
Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace,
Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
, and
Christian Dior Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...
had already been introducing steampunk styles on the fashion runways. In episode 7 of
Lifetime Lifetime may refer to: * Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey * ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band * ...
's ''
Under the Gunn ''Under the Gunn'' (also known as ''Project Runway: Under the Gunn'') is an American reality competition series that premiered January 16, 2014, on Lifetime. Production of the series began in November 2013, with the finale filmed on December 17, ...
'' reality series, contestants were challenged to create avant-garde "steampunk chic" looks. '' America's Next Top Model'' tackled steampunk fashion in a 2012 episode where models competed in a steampunk-themed photo shoot, posing in front of a steam train while holding a live owl.


Literature

The educational book ''Elementary BASIC – Learning to Program Your Computer in BASIC with Sherlock Holmes'' (1981), by Henry Singer and
Andrew Ledgar Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...
, may have been the first fictional work to depict the use of
Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...
's
Analytical Engine The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, which was a des ...
in an adventure story. The instructional book, aimed at young programming students, depicts Holmes using the engine as an aid in his investigations, and lists programs that perform simple data processing tasks required to solve the fictional cases. The book even describes a device that allows the engine to be used remotely, over telegraph lines, as a possible enhancement to Babbage's machine. Companion volumes—''Elementary Pascal – Learning to Program Your Computer in Pascal with Sherlock Holmes'' and ''From Baker Street to Binary – An Introduction to Computers and Computer Programming with Sherlock Holmes''—were also written. In 1988, the first version of the science fiction tabletop role-playing game '' Space: 1889'' was published. The game is set in an alternative history in which certain now discredited Victorian scientific theories were probable and led to new technologies. Contributing authors included Frank Chadwick,
Loren Wiseman Loren Keith Wiseman (March 7, 1951 – February 14, 2017) was an American wargame and role-playing game designer, game developer and editor. Career Game Designers' Workshop After graduating from Illinois State University, Loren Wiseman co ...
, and Marcus Rowland. William Gibson and
Bruce Sterling Michael Bruce Sterling (born April 14, 1954) is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the ''Mirrorshades'' anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre. Sterling's first ...
's novel ''
The Difference Engine ''The Difference Engine'' (1990) is an alternative history novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. It is widely regarded as a book that helped establish the genre conventions of steampunk. It posits a Victorian era Britain in which great t ...
'' (1990) is often credited with bringing about widespread awareness of steampunk. This novel applies the principles of Gibson and Sterling's cyberpunk writings to an alternative Victorian era where
Ada Lovelace Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (''née'' Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the A ...
and
Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...
's proposed steam-powered mechanical computer, which Babbage called a
difference engine A difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial, polynomial functions. It was designed in the 1820s, and was first created by Charles Babbage. The name, the difference engine, is derived from the method ...
(a later, more general-purpose version was known as an
Analytical Engine The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, which was a des ...
), was actually built, and led to the dawn of the information age more than a century "ahead of schedule". This setting was different from most steampunk settings in that it takes a dim and dark view of this future, rather than the more prevalent utopian versions.
Nick Gevers Nick Gevers (born 1965) is a South African science fiction editor and critic, whose work has appeared in ''The Washington Post Book World'', '' Interzone'', Scifi.com, SF Site, ''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' and ''Nova Express''. H ...
's original anthology ''Extraordinary Engines'' (2008) features newer steampunk stories by some of the genre's writers, as well as other science fiction and fantasy writers experimenting with neo-Victorian conventions. A retrospective reprint anthology of steampunk fiction was released, also in 2008, by Tachyon Publications. Edited by
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
and
Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy. The tr ...
and appropriately entitled ''
Steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
'', it is a collection of stories by James Blaylock, whose "Narbondo" trilogy is typically considered steampunk; Jay Lake, author of the novel '' Mainspring'', sometimes labeled " clockpunk"; the aforementioned Michael Moorcock; as well as Jess Nevins, known for his annotations to '' The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (first published in 1999). Younger readers have also been targeted by steampunk themes, by authors such as Philip Reeve and Scott Westerfeld. Reeve's quartet ''
Mortal Engines ''Mortal Engines'' is a young-adult science fantasy novel by Philip Reeve, published by Scholastic UK in 2001. The book focuses on a futuristic, steampunk version of London, now a giant machine striving to survive on a world that is runni ...
'' is set far in Earth's future where giant moving cities consume each other in a battle for resources, a concept Reeve coined as ''Municipal Darwinism''. Westerfeld's ''Leviathan'' trilogy is set during an alternate First World War fought between the "clankers" ( Central Powers), who use steam technology, and "darwinists" ( Allied Powers), who use genetically engineered creatures instead of machines. "Mash-ups" are also becoming increasingly popular in books aimed at younger readers, mixing steampunk with other genres. Stefan Bachmann's ''The Peculiar'' duology was labeled a "steampunk fairytale," and imagines steampunk technology as a means to stave off an incursion of faeries in Victorian England. Suzanne Lazear's ''Aether Chronicles'' series also mixes steampunk with faeries, and ''The Unnaturalists'', by Tiffany Trent, combines steampunk with mythological creatures and alternate history. While most of the original steampunk works had a historical setting, later works often place steampunk elements in a fantasy world with little relation to any specific historic era. Historical steampunk tends to be science fiction that presents an alternate history; it also contains real locales and persons from history with alternative fantasy technology. "Fantasy-world steampunk", such as China Miéville's ''
Perdido Street Station ''Perdido Street Station'' is a novel by British writer China Miéville, published in 2000 by Macmillan. Often described as weird fiction, it is set in a world where both magic and steampunk technology exist. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award an ...
'', Alan Campbell's ''Scar Night'', and Stephen Hunt's Jackelian novels, on the other hand, presents steampunk in a completely imaginary
fantasy realm A fantasy world is a world created for/from fictional media, such as literature, film or games. Typical fantasy worlds involve magic or magical abilities, nonexistent technology and, sometimes, either a historical or futuristic theme. Some worl ...
, often populated by
legendary creature A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses ...
s coexisting with steam-era and other anachronistic technologies. However, the works of China Miéville and similar authors are sometimes referred to as belonging to the " New Weird" rather than steampunk. Self-described author of "far-fetched fiction"
Robert Rankin Robert Fleming Rankin (born 27 July 1949) is a prolific British author of comedic fantasy novels. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers lists with ''Snuff Fiction'' in 1999, by ...
has incorporated elements of steampunk into narrative worlds that are both Victorian and re-imagined contemporary. In 2009, he was made a Fellow of the Victorian Steampunk Society. The comic book series '' Hellboy'', created by Mike Mignola, and the two '' Hellboy'' films featuring
Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
and directed by
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...
, all have steampunk elements. In the comic book and the first (2004) film, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a Nazi SS scientist who has an addiction to having himself surgically altered, and who has many mechanical prostheses, including a clockwork heart. The character
Johann Krauss Johann Kraus is a fictional character in the comic book series ''Hellboy'', created by Mike Mignola. He is featured in the comic book '' B.P.R.D.'', published by Dark Horse Comics. Kraus is a disembodied ectoplasmic spirit with psychic abiliti ...
is featured in the comic and in the second film, '' Hellboy II: The Golden Army'' (2008), as an ectoplasmic medium (a gaseous form in a partly mechanical suit). This second film also features the
Golden Army ''Hellboy II: The Golden Army'' is a 2008 American superhero film based on the fictional character Hellboy created by Mike Mignola. The film was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro from a story by him and Mignola, and is a sequel to the ...
itself, which is a collection of 4,900 mechanical steampunk warriors.


Steampunk settings


Alternative world

Since the 1990s, the application of the steampunk label has expanded beyond works set in recognisable historical periods, to works set in fantasy worlds that rely heavily on steam- or spring-powered technology. One of the earliest short stories relying on steam-powered flying machines is "The Aerial Burglar" of 1844. An example from juvenile fiction is ''
The Edge Chronicles ''The Edge Chronicles'' is a children's fantasy novel series written by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. It consists of four trilogies, plus four additional books, and other books related to the universe (The Edge). The series was originally ...
'' by Paul Stewart and
Chris Riddell Chris Riddell ( ) (born 13 April 1962) is a South African-born British illustrator and occasional writer of children's books and a political cartoonist for the ''Observer''. He has won three Kate Greenaway Medals - the British librarians' ann ...
. Fantasy steampunk settings abound in tabletop and
computer role-playing games A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
. Notable examples include '' Skies of Arcadia'', '' Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends'', and '' Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura''. One of the first steampunk novels set in a Middle-earth-like world was the '' Forest of Boland Light Railway'' by BB, about
gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...
s who build a
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
. Fifty years later, Terry Pratchett wrote the Discworld novel ''
Raising Steam ''Raising Steam'' is the 40th ''Discworld'' novel, written by Terry Pratchett. It was the penultimate one, published before his death in 2015. Originally due to be published on 24 October 2013, it was pushed back to 7 November 2013 (and March 18, ...
,'' about the ongoing industrial revolution and
railway mania Railway Mania was an instance of a stock market bubble in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, speculators invested more money, which further incre ...
in Ankh-Morpork. The gnomes and goblins in '' World of Warcraft'' also have technological societies that could be described as steampunk, as they are vastly ahead of the technologies of men, but still run on steam and mechanical power. The Dwarves of the ''Elder Scrolls'' series, described therein as a race of Elves called the
Dwemer ''The Elder Scrolls'' is a series of Action role-playing game, action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on Nonlinear gameplay, free-form gameplay in an ...
, also use steam-powered machinery, with gigantic brass-like gears, throughout their underground cities. However, magical means are used to keep ancient devices in motion despite the Dwemer's ancient disappearance. The 1998 game '' Thief: The Dark Project'', as well as the other sequels including its 2014 reboot, feature heavy steampunk-inspired architecture, setting, and technology. Amidst the historical and fantasy subgenres of steampunk is a type that takes place in a hypothetical future or a fantasy equivalent of our future involving the domination of steampunk-style technology and aesthetics. Examples include
Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director, producer and screenwriter. His films combine fantasy, realism and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. Debuting as a di ...
and Marc Caro's ''
The City of Lost Children ''The City of Lost Children'' (french: La Cité des enfants perdus) is a 1995 science fantasy film directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Jeunet and Gilles Adrien, and starring Ron Perlman. An international co-production of ...
'' (1995), '' Turn A Gundam'' (1999–2000), '' Trigun'', and
Disney's The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
film '' Treasure Planet'' (2002). In 2011, musician Thomas Dolby heralded his return to music after a 20-year hiatus with an online steampunk alternate fantasy world called the Floating City, to promote his album ''
A Map of the Floating City ''A Map of the Floating City'' is the fifth studio album by English new wave/synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby, released on 24 October 2011. It was Dolby's first full-length studio album since 1992's ''Astronauts & Heretics'' and his last to ...
''.


American West

Another setting is "Western" steampunk, which overlaps with both the Weird West and
Science fiction Western The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referr ...
subgenres. One of the earliest steampunk books set in America was '' The Steam Man of the Prairies'' by
Edward S. Ellis Edward Sylvester Ellis (April 11, 1840 – June 20, 1916) was an American author who was born in Ohio and died at Cliff Island, Maine. Ellis was a teacher, school administrator, journalist, and the author of hundreds of books and magazine ...
. Recent examples include the TV show and the movie adaption '' Wild Wild West'', the Italian comics about
Magico Vento Magico or Mágico may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Magico'' (manga), a Japanese manga series * ''Mágico'' (album), an album by Charlie Haden * '' Mágico: Carta de Amor'', an album by Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden * M ...
,
Devon Monk Devon Monk is an American writer of urban fantasy novels. She has also published over 50 short stories in fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and young adult magazines and anthologies. Monk currently resides in Oregon with her husband, two ...
's ''Dead Iron'', and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disneyland-style
Disney Parks Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...
around the world.


Fantasy and horror

Kaja Foglio Kaja Foglio (born January 12, 1970) is a Seattle-based writer, artist, and publisher. Foglio co-won the first Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2009 for ''Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones'', a series which went ...
introduced the term "Gaslight Romance", gaslamp fantasy, which
John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part o ...
and John Grant define as "steampunk stories ... most commonly set in a romanticised, smoky, 19th-century London, as are Gaslight Romances. But the latter category focuses nostalgically on icons from the late years of that century and the early years of the 20th century—on
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
, Jekyll and Hyde, Jack the Ripper,
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
and even Tarzan—and can normally be understood as combining supernatural fiction and
recursive fantasy Recursive science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction, which itself takes the form of an exploration of science fiction within the narrative of the story. Analysis In the book ''Resnick at Large'', authors Mike Resnick and Robert J. Sawyer des ...
, though some gaslight romances can be read as fantasies of history." Author/artist James Richardson-Brown coined the term ''steamgoth'' to refer to steampunk expressions of fantasy and
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
with a "darker" bent.


Post-apocalyptic

Mary Shelley's '' The Last Man'', set near the end of the 21st century after a plague had brought down civilization, was probably the ancestor of post-apocalyptic steampunk literature. Post-apocalyptic steampunk is set in a world where some cataclysm has precipitated the fall of civilization and steam power is once again ascendant, such as in Hayao Miyazaki's post-apocalyptic anime '' Future Boy Conan'' (1978, loosely based on Alexander Key's ''
The Incredible Tide ''The Incredible Tide'' is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel for young adults written by Alexander Key, published in 1970. It was the source material for the 1978 Japanese anime television series ''Future Boy Conan'', directed by Hayao Mi ...
'' (1970)), where a war fought with superweapons has devastated the planet. Robert Brown's novel, ''The Wrath of Fate'' (as well as much of Abney Park's music) is set in a Victorianesque world where an apocalypse was set into motion by a time-traveling mishap. Cherie Priest's Boneshaker series is set in a world where a zombie apocalypse happened during the Civil War era. ''
The Peshawar Lancers ''The Peshawar Lancers'' is an alternate history, steampunk, post-apocalyptic fiction adventure novel by S. M. Stirling, with its point of divergence occurring in 1878 when the Earth is struck by a devastating meteor shower. The novel's plot take ...
'' by
S.M. Stirling Stephen Michael Stirling (born September 30, 1953) is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author who was born in France. Stirling is well known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and his later time travel/alternate his ...
is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a
meteor shower A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extre ...
in 1878 caused the collapse of industrialized civilization. The movie 9 (which might be better classified as "stitchpunk" but was largely influenced by steampunk) is also set in a post-apocalyptic world after a self-aware war machine ran amok. '' Steampunk Magazine'' even published a book called ''A Steampunk's Guide to the Apocalypse'', about how steampunks could survive should such a thing actually happen.


Victorian

In general, this category includes any recent science fiction that takes place in a recognizable historical period (sometimes an
alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
version of an actual historical period) in which the Industrial Revolution has already begun, but electricity is not yet widespread, "usually Britain of the early to mid-nineteenth century or the fantasized Wild West-era United States", with an emphasis on steam- or spring-propelled gadgets. The most common historical steampunk settings are the
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
and Edwardian eras, though some in this "Victorian steampunk" category are set as early as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and as late as the end of World War I. Some examples of this type include the novel ''
The Difference Engine ''The Difference Engine'' (1990) is an alternative history novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. It is widely regarded as a book that helped establish the genre conventions of steampunk. It posits a Victorian era Britain in which great t ...
'', the comic book series '' League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'', the Disney animated film ''
Atlantis: The Lost Empire ''Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' is a 2001 American animated science fiction film, science fiction action film, action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ...
'', Scott Westerfeld's ''Leviathan'' trilogy, and the roleplaying game '' Space: 1889.'' The anime film ''
Steamboy is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk action film produced by Sunrise, directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release as a director, following '' Akira'' (1988). The film was released in Japan by Toho on July 17, 20 ...
'' (2004) is another example of Victorian steampunk, taking place in an alternate 1866 where steam technology is far more advanced than reality. Some, such as the comic series '' Girl Genius'', have their own unique times and places despite partaking heavily of the flavor of historic settings. Other comic series are set in a more familiar London, as in the ''
Victorian Undead ''Victorian Undead'' is a series of comics about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson dealing with the supernatural. The first series ''Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Zombies'' is a six-issue American comic book limited series published by W ...
'', which has
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
, Doctor Watson, and others taking on zombies,
Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
, and Count Dracula, with advanced weapons and devices. Another example of this genre is the '' Tunnels'' novels by
Roderick Gordon Roderick Gordon (born November 1960) is the author of ''Tunnels'', a bestselling children's book and the first book in the ''Tunnels'' series by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. Biography Born in November 1960, Roderick grew up in Highgate ...
and Brian Williams. These are set in the modern day, but with an underground Victorian world that is working to overthrow the world above. Detective graphic novel series
Lady Mechanika Lady Mechanika is a steampunk comic created by comic artist Joe Benitez. History of the series The ''Lady Mechanika'', a comic series in the steampunk genre, was originally planned as a six-part story. Aspen MLT agreed to produce the serial and b ...
is set in an alternative Victorian-like world.
Karel Zeman Karel Zeman (3 November 1910 – 5 April 1989) was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator, best known for directing fantasy films combining live-action footage with animation. Because of his creative use of special effec ...
's film ''
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne ''Invention for Destruction'' ( cs, Vynález zkázy) is a 1958 Czechoslovak black-and-white science fiction adventure film, directed by Karel Zeman, produced by Zdeněk Novák, and starring Lubor Tokoš, Arnošt Navrátil, and Miloslav Holub. ...
'' (1958) is a very early example of cinematic steampunk. Based on
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
novels, Zeman's film imagines a past that never was, based on those novels. Other early examples of historical steampunk in cinema include Hayao Miyazaki's anime films such as '' Laputa: Castle in the Sky'' (1986) and ''
Howl's Moving Castle ''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...
'' (2004), which contain many archetypal anachronisms characteristic of the steampunk genre. "Historical" steampunk usually leans more towards science fiction than fantasy, but a number of historical steampunk stories have incorporated magical elements as well. For example, ''Morlock Night'', written by
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the '' Star Trek'' and '' Star Wa ...
, revolves around an attempt by the wizard
Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
to raise
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
to save the Britain of 1892 from an invasion of Morlocks from the future. Paul Guinan's '' Boilerplate'', a "biography" of a robot in the late 19th century, began as a website that garnered international press coverage when people began believing that Photoshop images of the robot with historic personages were real. The site was adapted into the illustrated hardbound book ''Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel'', which was published by Abrams in October 2009. Because the story was not set in an alternative history, and in fact contained accurate information about the Victorian era, some booksellers referred to the tome as "historical steampunk".


East Asia

Fictional settings inspired by East Asian rather than Western history, especially those inspired by
Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
, have been called "silkpunk". The term originated with the author
Ken Liu Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short fic ...
, who defined it as "a blend of science fiction and fantasy hatdraws inspiration from classical
East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea a ...
antiquity", with a "technology vocabulary (...) based on organic materials historically important to East Asia (bamboo, paper, silk) and seafaring cultures of the Pacific (coconut, feathers, coral)", rather than the brass and leather associated with steampunk. Liu used the term to describe his ''Dandelion Dynasty'' series, which began in 2015. Other works described as silkpunk include
Neon Yang Neon Yang, formerly JY Yang, is a Singaporean writer of English-language speculative fiction best known for the ''Tensorate'' series of novellas published by Tor.com. The first ''Tensorate'' novella, '' The Black Tides of Heaven'', was a finali ...
's ''
Tensorate ''The Black Tides of Heaven'' is a 2017 LGBT fantasy novella by Singaporean author Neon Yang. The story centers around the twin children of the Protector, whose magic powers cause them to become entangled in the political machinations of their mo ...
'' series of novellas, which began in 2017. Lyndsie Manusos of
Book Riot A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...
has argued that the genre does "not fit in a direct analogy with steampunk. Silkpunk is technology and poetics. It is engineering and language."


Music

Steampunk music is very broadly defined. Abney Park's lead singer Robert Brown defined it as "mixing Victorian elements and modern elements". There is a broad range of musical influences that make up the steampunk sound, from
industrial dance Electronic body music (acronymized to EBM) is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of industrial music and synth-punk with elements of disco and dance music. It developed in the early 1980s in Western Europe as an outgrowth of both ...
and world music to folk rock, dark cabaret to straightforward punk, Carnatic to
industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
, hip-hop to opera (and even industrial hip-hop opera),
darkwave Dark wave (also typeset as darkwave) is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as be ...
to progressive rock, barbershop to big band. Joshua Pfeiffer (of
Vernian Process Vernian Process is an American band formed in San Francisco in 2003. Taking its name from the works of 19th century author Jules Verne, Vernian Process is a band that creates music themed around Victorian scientific romance and its modern counte ...
) is quoted as saying, "As for Paul Roland, if anyone deserves credit for spearheading Steampunk music, it is him. He was one of the inspirations I had in starting my project. He was writing songs about the first attempt at manned flight, and an Edwardian airship raid in the mid-80s long before almost anyone else..." Thomas Dolby is also considered one of the early pioneers of retro-futurist (i.e., Steampunk and Dieselpunk) music.
Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo The Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a ...
was once quoted as saying, "Thomas Dolby is to Steampunk what
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
was to Punk!" Steampunk has also appeared in the work of musicians who do not specifically identify as steampunk. For example, the music video of "Turn Me On", by David Guetta and featuring Nicki Minaj, takes place in a steampunk universe where Guetta creates human androids. Another music video is "
The Ballad of Mona Lisa "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" (commonly referred to as simply "Mona Lisa") is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released February 1, 2011, as the first single from the group's third studio album, '' Vices & Virtues'' (2011). Vocalist B ...
", by
Panic! at the Disco Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
, which has a distinct Victorian steampunk theme. A continuation of this theme has been used throughout the 2011 album ''
Vices & Virtues ''Vices & Virtues'' is the third studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on March 22, 2011, by Fueled by Ramen. Produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker, the album was recorded as a duo by vocalist and multi-instrum ...
'', in the music videos, album art, and tour set and costumes. In addition, the album '' Clockwork Angels'' (2012) and its supporting tour by progressive rock band
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
contain lyrics, themes, and imagery based around steampunk. Similarly, Abney Park headlined the first "Steamstock" outdoor steampunk music festival in
Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.
, which also featured Thomas Dolby,
Frenchy and the Punk Frenchy and the Punk are a Euro-American Acoustic Alternative post-punk cabaret duo based in New York City. They were listed in the top 25 duos in May 2012 by Yahoo Music Blog's List of the Day. Punk guitarist Scott Helland, originally from the b ...
,
Lee Presson and the Nails Lee Presson and the Nails is a swing band that formed in San Francisco in October 1994 during the late 1990s swing revival. History The band won a California Music Award (Bammie) in 1998 for Best Swing/Cabaret Act and an ''SF Weekly'' Awar ...
,
Vernian Process Vernian Process is an American band formed in San Francisco in 2003. Taking its name from the works of 19th century author Jules Verne, Vernian Process is a band that creates music themed around Victorian scientific romance and its modern counte ...
, and others. The music video for the Lindsey Stirling song "Roundtable Rival", has a Western steampunk setting.


Television and films

''
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne ''Invention for Destruction'' ( cs, Vynález zkázy) is a 1958 Czechoslovak black-and-white science fiction adventure film, directed by Karel Zeman, produced by Zdeněk Novák, and starring Lubor Tokoš, Arnošt Navrátil, and Miloslav Holub. ...
'' (1958) and ''
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen ''The Fabulous Baron Munchausen'' ( cz, Baron Prášil) is a 1962 Czechoslovak romantic adventure film directed by Karel Zeman, based on the tales about Baron Munchausen. The film combines live-action with various forms of animation and is high ...
'' (1962), both directed by
Karel Zeman Karel Zeman (3 November 1910 – 5 April 1989) was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator, best known for directing fantasy films combining live-action footage with animation. Because of his creative use of special effec ...
, have steampunk elements. The 1965 television series ''
The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...
'', as well as the 1999 film of the same name, features many elements of advanced steam-powered technology set in the Wild West time period of the United States. ''
Two Years' Vacation ''Two Years' Vacation'' (french: Deux ans de vacances) is an adventure novel by Jules Verne, published in 1888. The story tells of the fortunes of a group of schoolboys stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific, and of their struggles t ...
'' (or ''
The Stolen Airship ''The Stolen Airship'' ( cz, Ukradená vzducholoď; it, I ragazzi del capitano Nemo) is a 1966 live-action/animated film by Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman. The story is based loosely on Jules Verne's novels '' Two Years' Vacation'' and ''The Myste ...
'') (1967) directed by
Karel Zeman Karel Zeman (3 November 1910 – 5 April 1989) was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator, best known for directing fantasy films combining live-action footage with animation. Because of his creative use of special effec ...
contains steampunk elements. The BBC series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' also incorporates steampunk elements. Several storylines can be classed as steampunk, most notably ''The Evil of the Daleks'' (1966), wherein Victorian scientists invent a time travel device using mirrors and static electricity. During season 14 of the show (in 1976), the formerly futuristic looking interior set was replaced with a
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
-styled wood-panel and brass affair. In the 1996 American co-production, the TARDIS interior was re-designed to resemble an almost Victorian library with the central control console made up of an eclectic array of anachronistic objects. Modified and streamlined for the 2005 revival of the series, the TARDIS console continued to incorporate steampunk elements, including a Victorian typewriter and
gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
, for many years. ''
Dinner for Adele ''Dinner for Adele'' ( cs, Adéla ještě nevečeřela) is a 1977 Czech parody comedy film directed by Oldřich Lipský. Alternative titles were ''Adele Hasn't Had Her Dinner Yet'', ''Nick Carter in Prague'' and ''Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet''. ...
'' (1977) directed by Oldřich Lipský involves steampunk contraptions. The 1979 film '' Time After Time'' has Herbert George "H.G." Wells following a surgeon named John Leslie Stevenson into the future, as John is suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Both separately use Wells's time machine to travel. ''
The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians ''The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians'' ( cs, Tajemství hradu v Karpatech) is a 1981 Czech comedy film directed by Oldřich Lipský. It is based on Jules Verne's novel '' The Carpathian Castle''. Production The film marks Lipský's third ...
'', (1981) directed by Oldřich Lipský, contains steampunk elements. The 1982 American TV series ''
Q.E.D. Q.E.D. or QED is an initialism of the Latin phrase , meaning "which was to be demonstrated". Literally it states "what was to be shown". Traditionally, the abbreviation is placed at the end of mathematical proofs and philosophical arguments in pri ...
'' is set in Edwardian England, stars Sam Waterston as Professor Quentin Everett Deverill (from whose initials, by which he is primarily known, the series title is derived, initials which also stand for the Latin phrase ''
quod erat demonstrandum Q.E.D. or QED is an initialism of the Latin phrase , meaning "which was to be demonstrated". Literally it states "what was to be shown". Traditionally, the abbreviation is placed at the end of mathematical proofs and philosophical arguments in p ...
'', which translates as "which was to be demonstrated"). The Professor is an inventor and scientific detective, in the mold of
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
. The plot of the Soviet film ''
Kin-dza-dza! ''Kin-dza-dza!'' (russian: link=no, italics=yes, Кин-дза-дза!) is a 1986 Soviet film released by the Mosfilm studio and directed by Georgiy Daneliya, with a story by Georgiy Daneliya and Revaz Gabriadze. Plot The story begins in 1980s M ...
'' (1986) centers on a desert planet, depleted of its resources, where an impoverished dog-eat-dog society uses steampunk machines, the movements and functions of which defy Earthly logic. In making his 1986 Japanese film ''
Castle in the Sky , titled ''Laputa: Castle in the Sky'' for release in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The first film produced by Studio Ghibli, ...
'', Hayao Miyazaki was heavily influenced by steampunk culture, the film featuring various airships and steampowered contraptions as well as a mysterious island that floats through the sky, accomplished not through magic as in most stories, but instead by harnessing the physical properties of a rare crystal—analogous to the lodestone used in the
Laputa Laputa uh·poo·tuhis a flying island described in the 1726 book ''Gulliver's Travels'' by Jonathan Swift. It is about in diameter, with an adamantine base, which its inhabitants can manoeuvre in any direction using magnetic levitation. The ...
of Swift's
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...
—augmented by massive propellers, as befitting the Victorian motif. The first "Wallace & Gromit" animation "
A Grand Day Out ''A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit'', later marketed as ''A Grand Day Out'', is a 1989 British stop-motion animated short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature fil ...
" (1989) features a space rocket in the steampunk style. The second half of
Back to the Future III ''Back to the Future Part III'' is a 1990 American science fiction Western film and the final installment of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary St ...
(1990) gradually evolves into steampunk. ''
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. ''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'', often referred to as just ''Brisco'' or ''Brisco County'', is an American weird western television series created by Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse. It ran for 27 episodes on the Fox network starting i ...
'', a 1993 Fox Network TV science fiction-Western set in the 1890s, features elements of steampunk as represented by the character Professor Wickwire, whose inventions were described as "the coming thing". The short-lived 1995 TV show '' Legend'', on UPN, set in 1876 Arizona, features such classic inventions as a steam-driven "quadrovelocipede", trigoggle and
night-vision goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
(à la teslapunk), and stars John de Lancie as a thinly disguised Nikola Tesla. Alan Moore's and Kevin O'Neill's 1999 '' The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' graphic novel series (and the subsequent 2003
film adaption A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
) greatly popularised the steampunk genre. ''
Steamboy is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk action film produced by Sunrise, directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release as a director, following '' Akira'' (1988). The film was released in Japan by Toho on July 17, 20 ...
'' (2004) is a Japanese animated action film directed and co-written by
Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter, animator and film director. He is best known as the creator of '' Akira'', in terms of both the original 1982 manga series and the 1988 animated film adaptation. He was decorated a ''Chevalier'' of th ...
('' Akira''). It is a retro science-fiction epic set in a steampunk Victorian England. It features steamboats, trains, airships and inventors. The 2004 film '' Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' contains steampunk-esque elements such as costumes and vehicle interiors. The 2007
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
miniseries '' Tin Man'' incorporates a considerable number of steampunk-inspired themes into a reimagining of
L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...
's '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. Despite leaning more towards
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
influences, the "parallel reality" of Meanwhile, City, within the 2009 film '' Franklyn'' contains many steampunk themes, such as costumery, architecture, minimal use of electricity (with a preference for gaslight), and absence of modern technology (such as there being no motorised vehicles or advanced weaponry, and the manual management of information without computers). The 2009–2014
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
television series ''
Warehouse 13 ''Warehouse 13'' is an American science fiction television series that originally ran from July 7, 2009, to May 19, 2014, on the Syfy network, and was executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins for Universal Cable Productions. Described ...
'' features many steampunk-inspired objects and artifacts, including computer designs created by steampunk artisan Richard Nagy, a.k.a. "Datamancer". The 2010 episode of the TV series ''
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
'' entitled "Punked" (which first aired on October 11, 2010) prominently features the steampunk subculture and uses Los Angeles-area steampunks (such as the
League of STEAM The League of S.T.E.A.M. (''Supernatural and Troublesome Ectoplasmic Apparition Management''), a.k.a. the "Steampunk Ghostbusters", is an American performance art troupe from Southern California popular in the steampunk community and specializing ...
) as extras. The 2011 film '' The Three Musketeers'' has many steampunk elements, including gadgets and airships. '' The Legend of Korra'', a 2012–2014 Nickelodeon animated series, incorporates steampunk elements in an industrialized world with East Asian themes. The '' Penny Dreadful'' (2014) television series is a Gothic Victorian fantasy series with steampunk props and costumes. The 2015 GSN reality television game show ''
Steampunk'd ''Steampunk'd'' is an American reality television series broadcast by Game Show Network. The series, hosted by Jeannie Mai, premiered August 19, 2015. The contestants (called "makers") are crafters and designers who specialize in the steampunk ...
'' features a competition to create steampunk-inspired art and designs which are judged by notable steampunks Thomas Willeford, Kato, and Matthew Yang King (as Matt King). Based on the work of cartoonist Jacques Tardi, ''
April and the Extraordinary World ''April and the Extraordinary World'' (french: Avril et le Monde truqué, lit=April and the Deceptive World) is a 2015 animated alternate history film co-directed by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci, co-written by Ekinci and Benjamin Legrand ...
'' (2015) is an animated movie set in a steampunk Paris. It features airships, trains, submarines, and various other steam-powered contraptions. Tim Burton's 2016 film '' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' features steampunk costumes, props, and vehicles. Japanese anime ''
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a Japanese anime television series by Wit Studio. It was broadcast for 12 episodes on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from April to June 2016. The series was streamed on Amazon Prime Instant Video service. Two compilation films pre ...
'' (2016) features a steampunk zombie apocalypse. The American fantasy animated sitcom, '' Disenchantment'', created by Matt Groening for Netflix, features a steampunk country named Steamland, led by an odd industrialist named Alva Gunderson voiced by Richard Ayoade, first appears in the season 1 episode, "The Electric Princess." The country is portrayed as driven by logic and is egalitarian, governed by science, rather than magic, as is the case for Dreamland, where the protagonist, Princess Bean, is from. The country has cars, automatic lights, submarines, and other modern technologies, all of which are steam-powered, and references to Groening's other series, ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
''. Steamland appears in three episodes of the show's second season, showing an explorers club as part of the country's high society, flying zeppelins, and robots with light bulbs for heads that chase the protagonists through the streets. Some even argued that Steamland is "
dieselpunk Dieselpunk is a retrofuturistic subgenre of science fiction similar to steampunk or cyberpunk that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern ...
-inspired."


Video games

A variety of styles of video games have used steampunk settings. ''
Steel Empire ''Steel Empire'' (originally released as in Japan, and otherwise known in various English materials as ''The Steel Empire'' or ''Empire of Steel'') is a horizontally scrolling shooter released on the Sega Genesis 1992. Versions for the Game Bo ...
'' (1992), a shoot 'em up game originally released as ''Koutetsu Teikoku'' on the Sega Mega Drive console in Japan, is considered to be the first steampunk video game. Designed by Yoshinori Satake and inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's anime film '' Laputa: Castle in the Sky'' (1986), ''Steel Empire'' is set in an alternate timeline dominated by steam-powered technology. The commercial success of ''Steel Empire'', both in Japan and the West, helped propel steampunk into the video game market, and had a significant influence on later steampunk games. The most notable steampunk game it influenced is '' Final Fantasy VI'' (1994), a Japanese role-playing game developed by Squaresoft and designed by Hiroyuki Ito for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...
. ''Final Fantasy VI'' was both critically and commercially successful, and had a considerable influence on later steampunk video games. ''
The Chaos Engine ''The Chaos Engine'' is a top-down run and gun video game developed by The Bitmap Brothers and published by Renegade Software in March 1993. The game is set in a steampunk Victorian age in which one or two players must battle the hostile creat ...
'' (1993) is a run and gun video game inspired by the Gibson/Sterling novel ''
The Difference Engine ''The Difference Engine'' (1990) is an alternative history novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. It is widely regarded as a book that helped establish the genre conventions of steampunk. It posits a Victorian era Britain in which great t ...
'' (1990), set in a Victorian steampunk age. Developed by
the Bitmap Brothers The Bitmap Brothers are a British video game developer founded in 1987. The company entered the video game industry in 1988 with the scrolling shooter ''Xenon''. They quickly followed with '' Speedball''. Prior to becoming the publisher of th ...
, it was first released on the
Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
in 1993; a sequel was released in 1996. The graphic adventure puzzle video games '' Myst'' (1993), ''
Riven ''Riven'' is a puzzle adventure video game. It is the sequel to ''Myst'' and second in the ''Myst'' series of games. Developed by Cyan Worlds, it was initially published by Red Orb Entertainment, a division of Broderbund. ''Riven'' was distribu ...
'' (1997), '' Myst III: Exile'' (2001), and '' Myst IV: Revelation'' (all produced by or under the supervision of Cyan Worlds) take place in an alternate steampunk universe, where elaborate infrastructures have been built to run on steam power. '' The Elder Scrolls'' (since 1994, last release in 2014) is an
action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...
where one can find an ancient extinct race called dwemers or dwarves, whose steampunk technology is based on steam-powered levers and gears made of copper-bronze material, which are maintained by magical techniques that have kept them in working order over the centuries. '' Sakura Wars'' (1996), a visual novel and tactical role-playing game developed by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
for the
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
console, is set in a steampunk version of Japan during the Meiji and Taishō periods, and features steam-powered mecha robots. '' Thief: The Dark Project'' (1998), its sequels, ''
Thief II ''Thief II: The Metal Age'' is a 2000 stealth video game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Like its predecessor '' Thief: The Dark Project'', the game follows Garrett, a master thief who works in and around ...
'' (2000), '' Thief: Deadly Shadows'' (2004) and its reboot '' Thief'' (2014) are set in a steampunk metropolis. The 2001
computer role-playing game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
'' Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura'' mixed fantasy tropes with steampunk. The ''
Professor Layton ''Professor Layton'' is a puzzle video game, puzzle adventure game, adventure video game series and transmedia franchise developed by Level-5 (company), Level-5. The property consists primarily of seven main video games, a mobile spin-off, an an ...
'' series of games (2007 debut) has several entries showcasing steampunk machinery and vehicles. Notably '' Professor Layton and the Unwound Future'' features a quasi-steampunk future setting. ''
Solatorobo ''Solatorobo: Red the Hunter'', originally released in Japan as is an action role-playing video game developed by CyberConnect2 for the Nintendo DS. Originally released in Japan by Bandai Namco Games in October 2010, an English version was relea ...
'' (2010) is a role-playing video game developed by CyberConnect2 set in a floating island archipelago populated by anthropomorphic cats and dogs, who pilot steampunk airships and engage in combat with robots. ''
Resonance of Fate ''Resonance of Fate'' is a role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released in January 2010 in Japan and March 2010 in Western territories. The game uses a fast-paced strateg ...
'' (2010) is a role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is set in a steampunk environment with combat involving guns. ''
Impossible Creatures ''Impossible Creatures'' is a 2003 steampunk real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Its unique feature is that the armies used in gameplay are all created by the player, and involve combi ...
'' (2003) real-time strategy game inspired by the works of
H. G. Welles Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''
The Island of Doctor Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the islan ...
". Developed by Relic Entertainment, it sees an adventurer building an army of genetically spliced animals to battle against a mad scientist who has abducted his father. The player's headquarters is a steam-powered "Hovertrain"
locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
, which functions as both a science lab and mobile command center. Coal is a key resource in the game, and must be burned to provide power to the players many base buildings. The ''
SteamWorld ''SteamWorld'' is a series of video games depicting the adventures of a race of steam-driven robots in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world. The games are developed and published by Swedish video game developer Image & Form Image & Form Internat ...
'' series of games (2010 debut) has the player controlling steam-powered robots. '' Minecraft'' (2011) has a steampunk-themed
texture pack Texture mapping is a method for mapping a texture on a computer-generated graphic. Texture here can be high frequency detail, surface texture, or color. History The original technique was pioneered by Edwin Catmull in 1974. Texture mapping ...
. '' Terraria'' (2011) is a video game developed by Re-Logic. It is a 2D open world platform game in which the player controls a single character in a generated world. It has a Steampunker
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
in the game who sells items referencing Steampunk. '' LittleBigPlanet 2'' (2011) has the world Victoria's Laboratory, run by Victoria von Bathysphere, which mixes steampunk themes with confections. ''
Guns of Icarus Online ''Guns of Icarus Online'' (also known as ''Guns of Icarus Alliance'') is a steampunk-themed multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by American studio Muse Games. It is a follow-up to '' Flight of the Icarus'' (formerl ...
'' (2012) is multiplayer game with steampunk themes. '' Dishonored'' (2012) and '' Dishonored 2'' (2016) are set within a fictional world with heavy steampunk influences, wherein whale oil, as opposed to coal, served as catalyst for their industrial revolution. '' Dishonored'' is a series (2012 debut) of
stealth Stealth may refer to: Military *Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles **Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology **Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** Stea ...
games with role-playing elements developed by Arkane Studios and widely considered to be a spiritual successor of the original ''Thief'' trilogy. Set in the Empire of the Isles, a steampunk Victorian metropolis where technology and supernatural magic coexist. Steam-powered robots and mechanical combat suits are present as enemies, as well as the presence of magic. The major locations in the Isles include Dunwall, the Empire's capital city which uses the burning of whale oil as the city's main fuel source, and Karnaca, which is powered by wind turbines fed by currents generated by a cleft mountain along the city's borders. '' BioShock Infinite'' (2013) is a first-person shooter game set in 1912, in a fictional city called Columbia, which uses technology to float in the sky and has many historical and religious scenes. '' Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth'' (2014), a Japanese otome game for the PS Vita is set in a steampunk Victorian London, and features a cast with several historical figures with steampunk aesthetics. ''
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. ''Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.'', known in Japan with the subtitle ''Lincoln vs. Aliens'' (リンカーン VS エイリアン ''Rinkān Bāsasu Eirian''), is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo fo ...
'' (2015), a Japanese tactical RPG game for the
3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
set in a steampunk fantasy version of London where you are a conscript in the strike force S.T.E.A.M. (short for Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace). '' They Are Billions'' (2017), is a steampunk strategy game in a post-apocalyptic setting. Players build a colony and attempt to ward off waves of zombies. ''
Frostpunk ''Frostpunk'' is a City-building game, city-building survival game, survival videogame developed and published by 11 bit studios. Players take on the role of a leader in an alternate history, alternate-history late 19th century, in which they mus ...
'' (2018) is a city-building game set in 1888, but where the Earth is in the midst of a great Ice Age. Players must construct a city around a large steampunk heat generator with many steampunk aesthetics and mechanics, such as a "Steam Core."


Toys

Mattel's '' Monster High'' dolls Robecca Steam and Hexiciah Steam. The ''
Pullip Pullip ( ko, 푸리프) is a fashion doll created by Cheonsang Cheonha of South Korea in 2003. Pullip has a jointed plastic body (1:6 scale) and a relatively oversized head (1:3 scale), with eyes that can move from side to side and eyelids that can ...
Dolls'' by Japanese manufacturer Dal have a steampunk range.
Hornby Hornby may refer to: Places In England * Hornby, Lancashire * Hornby, Hambleton, village in North Yorkshire * Hornby, Richmondshire, village in North Yorkshire Elsewhere * Hornby, Ontario, community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canad ...
's world of
Bassett-Lowke Bassett-Lowke was an English toy manufacturing company based in Northampton. Founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, the company specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets. Bassett-Lowke started as a m ...
steampunk models


Culture and community

Because of the popularity of steampunk, there is a growing movement of adults that want to establish steampunk as a culture and lifestyle. Some fans of the genre adopt a steampunk aesthetic through fashion, home decor, music, and film. While Steampunk is considered the amalgamation of Victorian aesthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies, it can be more broadly categorised as
neo-Victorian Neo-Victorianism is an aesthetic movement that features an overt nostalgia for the Victorian period, generally in the context of the broader hipster subculture of the 1990s-2010s. It is also likened to other "neos" (e.g. neoconservatism, neoli ...
ism, described by scholar Marie-Luise Kohlke as "the afterlife of the nineteenth century in the cultural imaginary". The subculture has its own magazine, blogs, and online shops. In September 2012, a panel, chaired by steampunk entertainer
Veronique Chevalier Veronique Chevalier (born Berenice Chloe Sztuczka) is a France-born American mistress of ceremonies, singer-songwriter, music producer, comedian and parodist popular in the steampunk community. She produces live cabaret in Southern California ...
and with panelists including magician
Pop Hadyn Whit "Pop" Haydn (born July 19, 1949 as Whitney Wesley Hadden in Clarksville, Tennessee) is an American magician, and the winner of seven performing awards (for performances in showrooms at the Magic Castle) from the Academy of Magical Arts. ...
and members of the steampunk performance group the
League of STEAM The League of S.T.E.A.M. (''Supernatural and Troublesome Ectoplasmic Apparition Management''), a.k.a. the "Steampunk Ghostbusters", is an American performance art troupe from Southern California popular in the steampunk community and specializing ...
, was held at
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
's
Comikaze Expo L.A. Comic Con is a three-day multi-genre convention"Comic-Con vs. ...
. The panel suggested that because steampunk was inclusive of and incorporated ideas from various other subcultures such as goth, neo-Victorian, and cyberpunk, as well as a growing number of fandoms, it was fast becoming a ''
super-culture A super culture is a collection of cultures and/or subcultures, that interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a degree of sense of unity. In other words, Super-culture is a culture encompassing several subcultu ...
'' rather than a mere subculture. Other steampunk notables such as
Professor Elemental Paul Alborough (born 1 June 1975), professionally known as Professor Elemental, is a steampunk and chap hop musical artist. Career Professor Elemental began his career as Emcee Elemental. The character of Professor Elemental arose from a plann ...
have expressed similar views about steampunk's inclusive diversity. Some have proposed a steampunk philosophy that incorporates punk-inspired anti-establishment sentiments typically bolstered by optimism about human potential. A 2004 ''Steampunk Manifesto'', later republished in '' SteamPunk Magazine'', lamented that most "so-called" steampunk was nothing more than dressed-up recreationary
nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...
and proposed that "authentic" steampunk would "take the levers of technology from the echnocratsand powerful." American activist and performer Miriam Rosenberg Rocek impersonated anarcha-feminist
Emma Goldman Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist political activist and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the ...
to inspire discussions around gender, society and politics. ''SteamPunk Magazine'' was edited and published by anarchists. Its founder,
Margaret Killjoy Margaret Killjoy is an American author and musician. She has published fiction novels in the steampunk and folk horror genres, and is best known for her two-book ''Danielle Cain'' series. Killjoy is involved in several musical projects across genr ...
, argued "there have always been radical politics at the core of steampunk." Diana M. Pho, a science-fiction editor and author of the multicultural steampunk blo
''Beyond Victoriana''
similarly argued steampunk's "
progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
roots" can be traced to its literary inspirations, including Verne's
Captain Nemo Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ( ...
. Steampunk authors Phenderson Djèlí Clark, Jaymee Goh,
Dru Pagliassotti Dru Pagliassotti (born November 29, 1966) is an author of fantasy literature and the editor of ''The Harrow'' online magazine.Moore, Jean Cowden.CLU bookworm writes a novel" ''Ventura County Star'', April 25, 2008. Xyr first published novel was ' ...
, and
Charlie Stross Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine ' ...
consider their work political. These views are not universally shared. Killjoy lamented that even some diehard enthusiasts believe steampunk "has nothing to offer but designer clothes." Pho argued many steampunk fans "don't like to acknowledge that their attitudes could be considered ideological." The largest online steampunk community
''Brass Goggles''
which is dedicated to what it calls the "lighter side" of steampunk, banned discussion about politics. Cory Gross, who was one of the first to write about the history and theory of steampunk, argued that the "sepia-toned yesteryear more appropriate for Disney and grandparents than a vibrant and viable philosophy or culture" denounced in the ''Steampunk Manifesto'' was in fact representative of the genre. Author
Catherynne M. Valente Catherynne M. Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has a ...
called the punk in steampunk "nearly meaningless." Kate Franklin and James Schafer, who at the time managed one of the largest steampunk groups on Facebook, admitted in 2011 that steampunk hadn't created the "revolutionary, or even a particularly progressive" community they wanted. Blogger and podcaster Eric Renderking Fisk announced in 2017 that steampunk was no longer punk, since it had "lost the anti-authoritarian, anti-establishment aspects." Others argued explicitly against turning steampunk into a political movement, preferring to see steampunk as "escapism" or a "fandom". In 2018, Nick Ottens, editor of the online alternate-history magazine ''Never Was'', declared that the "lighter side" of steampunk had won out. To the extent that steampunk is
politicized Politicisation (also politicization; see English spelling differences) is a concept in political science and theory used to explain how ideas, entities or collections of facts are given a political tone or character, and are consequently assigned ...
, it appears to be an American and British phenomenon. Continental Europeans and Latin Americans are more likely to consider steampunk a hobby than a cause.


Social events

June 19, 2005 marked the grand opening of the world's first steampunk club night, "Malediction Society", in Los Angeles. The event ran for nearly 12 years at The Monte Cristo nightclub, interrupted by a single year residency at Argyle Hollywood, until both the club night and The Monte Cristo closed in April 2017. Though the steampunk aesthetic eventually gave way to a more generic
goth A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were: *Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history *Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history Goth or Goths may also refer to: * Goth (surname) ...
and
industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
aesthetic, Malediction Society celebrated its roots every year with "The Steampunk Ball". 2006 saw the first "SalonCon", a neo-Victorian/steampunk convention. It ran for three consecutive years and featured artists, musicians ( Voltaire and Abney Park), authors (
Catherynne M. Valente Catherynne M. Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has a ...
,
Ekaterina Sedia Ekaterina Sedia (born July 9, 1970) is a Russian fantasy writer. She immigrated to the United States and attended college in New Jersey to obtain her Ph.D. Her most famous work is ''The Alchemy of Stone'', a steampunk novel that examines sexism a ...
, and
G. D. Falksen Geoffrey D. Falksen is an American steampunk writer. Career Falksen's work includes several short stories set in his "Cities of Ether" setting, as well as the adventure stories "An Unfortunate Engagement" and "The Mask of Tezcatlipoca," featured ...
), salons led by people prominent in their respective fields, workshops and panels on steampunk—as well as a seance, ballroom dance instruction, and the Chrononauts' Parade. The event was covered by MTV and ''The New York Times''. Since then, a number of popular steampunk conventions have sprung up the world over, with names like
Steamcon Steamcon was one of the largest steampunk conventions/symposia in the United States. Located in the Seattle area of Washington state, Steamcon held its first symposium in 2009. Steamcon grew out of the desire of its founders to host a steampun ...
( Seattle), the
Steampunk World's Fair Steampunk World's Fair (SPWF) was the largest annual Steampunk festival on the East Coast of the United States and one of the biggest in the world held over the course of a weekend during the month of May in Piscataway, New Jersey or Somerset, N ...
(
Piscataway, New Jersey Piscataway () is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of the New York metropolitan area, in the Raritan Valley. At the 2010 United States Census, the population was 56,044, an increase of 5,562 (+11.0%) fr ...
), Up in the Aether: The Steampunk Convention (
Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...
), Steampunk NZ ( Oamaru, New Zealand), Steampunk Unlimited (
Strasburg Railroad The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rai ...
,
Lancaster, PA Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...
). Each year, on Mother's Day weekend, the city of
Waltham, MA Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the Technological and industrial history of the United States, American Industrial Revolution ...
, turns over its city center and surrounding areas to host the
Watch City Steampunk Festival Watch City Steampunk Festival, previously known as "International Steampunk City" and the "Watch City Festival," is the oldest annual open-air, indoor/outdoor steampunk festival in the United States, and is held in Waltham, Massachusetts. It beg ...
, a US outdoor steampunk festival. In
Kennebunk, ME Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 census (The population does not include Kennebunkport, a separate town). Kennebunk is home to several beaches, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife R ...
the
Brick Store Museum The Brick Store Museum, located at 117 Main Street in the town of Kennebunk, Maine, is one of only a few museums that opened during the Great Depression in the United States. It focuses on preserving the heritage of the Kennebunks through its col ...
hosts the Southern Maine Steampunk Fair annually. During the first weekend of May, the Australian town of
Nimmitabel Nimmitabel is a small town in the Monaro region in southeast New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council local government area. At the , Nimmitabel had a population of 320. Etymology Nimmitabel means "the place where man ...
celebrates Steampunk @ Altitude with some 2,000 attendance. In recent years, steampunk has also become a regular feature at San Diego Comic-Con International, with the Saturday of the four-day event being generally known among steampunks as "Steampunk Day", and culminating with a photo-shoot for the local press. In 2010, this was recorded in the
Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the world's largest steampunk photo shoot. In 2013, Comic-Con announced four official 2013 T-shirts, one of them featuring the official
Rick Geary Rick Geary (born February 25, 1946) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. He is known for works such as ''A Treasury of Victorian Murder'' and graphic novel biographies of Leon Trotsky and J. Edgar Hoover. Geary has won two awards from th ...
Comic-Con toucan mascot in steampunk attire. The Saturday steampunk "after-party" has also become a major event on the steampunk social calendar: in 2010, the headliners included The Slow Poisoner, Unextraordinary Gentlemen, and Voltaire, with
Veronique Chevalier Veronique Chevalier (born Berenice Chloe Sztuczka) is a France-born American mistress of ceremonies, singer-songwriter, music producer, comedian and parodist popular in the steampunk community. She produces live cabaret in Southern California ...
as Mistress of Ceremonies and special appearance by the
League of STEAM The League of S.T.E.A.M. (''Supernatural and Troublesome Ectoplasmic Apparition Management''), a.k.a. the "Steampunk Ghostbusters", is an American performance art troupe from Southern California popular in the steampunk community and specializing ...
; in 2011, UXG returned with Abney Park. Steampunk has also sprung up recently at Renaissance Festivals and Renaissance Faires, in the US. Some festivals have organised events or a "Steampunk Day", while others simply support an open environment for donning steampunk attire. The
Bristol Renaissance Faire The Bristol Renaissance Faire is a Renaissance fair held in a Renaissance-themed park in the village of Bristol in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Its 30 acre site runs along the Wisconsin-Illinois state line west of Interstate 94. It recreates a visit ...
in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the Wisconsin/ Illinois border, featured a Steampunk costume contest during the 2012 season, the previous two seasons having seen increasing participation in the phenomenon. Steampunk also has a growing following in the UK and Europe. The largest European event is "
Weekend at the Asylum Weekend at the Asylum (commonly shortened to just The Asylum) is likely the largest and longest running steampunk festival in the world. Since 2009, the festival (or convivial in steampunk parlance) has been held each year in Lincoln and current ...
", held at
The Lawn, Lincoln The Lawn is an early nineteenth century Greek revival building on Union Road, in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, to the west of Lincoln Cathedral. The complex features a walled garden and children's play area. The building housed The Lawn Hosp ...
, every September since 2009. Organised as a not-for-profit event by the Victorian Steampunk Society, the Asylum is a dedicated steampunk event which takes over much of the historical quarter of
Lincoln, England Lincoln () is a cathedral city, a non-metropolitan district, and the county town of Lincolnshire, England. In the 2021 Census, the Lincoln district had a population of 103,813. The 2011 census gave the Lincoln Urban Area, urban area of Lincoln, ...
, along with Lincoln Castle. In 2011, there were over 1000 steampunks in attendance. The event features the Empire Ball, Majors Review, Bazaar Eclectica, and the international Tea Duelling final. The Surrey Steampunk Convivial was originally held in New Malden, but since 2019 has been held in Stoneleigh in southwestern London, within walking distance of H. G. Wells's home. The Surrey Steampunk Convivial started as an annual event in 2012, and now takes place thrice a year, and has spanned three boroughs and five venues. Attendees have been interviewed by BBC Radio 4 for
Phill Jupitus Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is an English stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, cartoonist and podcaster. Jupitus was a team captain on all but one BBC Two-broadcast episode of music quiz ''N ...
and filmed by the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...
. The West Yorkshire village of Haworth has held an annual Steampunk weekend since 2013, on each occasion as a charity event raising funds for Sue Ryder's "Manorlands" hospice in Oxenhope. In September 2021, Finland's first steampunk festival was held at the Väinö Linna Square and the Werstas Workers' House in Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland.


Other

A 2018 physics Ph.D. dissertation used the phrase "Quantum Steampunk" to describe the author's synthesis of some 19th century and current ideas. The term has not been widely adopted. A 2012 conference paper on human factors in computing systems examines the use of steampunk as a
design fiction Design fiction is a design practice aiming at exploring and criticising possible futures by creating speculative, and often provocative, scenarios narrated through designed artifacts. It is a way to facilitate and foster debates, as explained by ...
for human-computer interaction (HCI). It concludes that "the practices of DIY and appropriation that are evident in Steampunk design provide a useful set of design strategies and implications for HCI".
Steampunk HQ Steampunk HQ is an art collaboration and gallery in the historic Victorian precinct of Oamaru, New Zealand. Opened in November 2011, it celebrates its own industrial take on steampunk via an array of contraptions and sculptures, complemented by a ...
, a museum and arts centre dedicated to steampunk in Oamaru, New Zealand, along with its associated art gallery ( The Libratory), was the world's first steampunk museum. The town of Oamaru and the English city of Lincoln have both claimed the title of "Steampunk Capital of the World".Murray, J.,
Lincoln is Officially the World’s Most Steampunk Location
" ''Visit Lincoln'', 30 April 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2022.


See also

* Air pirate – Common stock character in steampunk * * * *
Dark academia Dark academia is an internet aesthetic and subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof. The aesthetic centres on traditional educational clothing, interior design, activities such as writi ...
* * * *


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Steampunk Culture
Documentary produced by
Off Book ''Off Book'' is a web series on digital culture and art created for PBS by Kornhaber Brown, a Webby award-winning production studio that creates web series, videos, and motion graphics. The series has been viewed more than six million times, and ...

Steampunk Wiki
{{Authority control Fantasy genres Science fiction fandom Fantasy fandom History of fashion Retro style Science fantasy Science fiction culture Science fiction genres Science fiction themes Subcultures 1980s neologisms Works about the Industrial Revolution