Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retro futuristic technology and aesthetics prominently inspired by nineteenth century industrial, steam powered machinery and design, blending Victorian era industrial imagery with speculative fiction elements.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleThe Difference Engine (1990) by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling 1 Defining TraitAnachronistic, retro-futuristic technology styled after 19th-century Victorian visions of the future 1 Connections
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Steampunk (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationSecond paragraph, opening sentence
Steampunk features anachronistic technologies or retro-futuristic 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.
History section, Difference Engine sentence
William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's novel The Difference Engine (1990) is often credited with bringing about widespread awareness of steampunk.
History section, K. W. Jeter coinage sentence
It was coined by science fiction author K. W. Jeter, 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).
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