What Is Steampunk? Your Journey Starts Here!
Futuristic, yet retro at the same time, Steampunk is truly one-of-a-kind. The genre blends the aesthetic and technology of the 19th century with elements of science fiction. Its literary and audiovisual works take place in an alternate reality where technological progress is based not on electricity, but on the steam engine.
Steampunk, a World of Steam
Steam is a central element of steampunk. The technology featured in this universe is generally just as advanced as that of our modern world, but it uses steam as its energy source instead of electricity, gas or oil. As a result, steampunk technology takes on a retro look reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution era.
As Douglas Fetherling so aptly put it, “Steampunk is a genre that imagines how different the past might have been had the future come earlier.”
In short, steampunk features modern technology with a retro look.
The steampunk aesthetic is inspired by the fashions of Victorian Era in England (1837-1901), but also by the Belle Epoque in France (1871-1914) and the Civil War era in the United States (1861-1865). The clothing from these eras is often modernized by the addition of mechanical elements with gears showing.
The rules of steampunk fashion: For men, long coats and top hats are de rigueur. For women, corsets and steampunk goggles are recurring elements. Wearing a steampunk watch is great for both genders.
And the Punk in All This?
To explain how “punk” fits into steampunk, we’ll need to go back to the origins of the genre. The term “steampunk” first appeared in 1987, in a letter sent to Locus Magazine by American writer Kevin Jeter. The author jokingly used the word steampunk to describe the Victorian fiction he was writing with his acolytes Tim Powers and James Blaylock. The term “punk” was basically a parodic reference to “cyberpunk,” because the libertarian ideology of punk is much less pronounced in steampunk than in cyberpunk.
Today steampunk has grown from a simple joke into a genre in its own right, present in every cultural medium (film, TV shows, video games, etc.). For some, it has also become a way of life. In fact, steampunk enthusiasts are known as Steamers.
The General Public Knows What Steampunk Is Without Realizing It
The term “steampunk” itself is still relatively unknown. However, the genre — and especially its visual identity — is deeply embedded in popular culture, through many well-known works that are not always explicitly labeled as steampunk.
To begin with, some of the illustrious Jules Verne’s novels could almost be placed in the steampunk category. As a matter of fact, in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus is a futuristic submarine developed in a classical era (1867-1868). But since this classic of French literature was written in the 19th century, it is more accurately described as early science fiction rather than steampunk.
The Nautilus, the futuristic submersible imagined by Jules Verne, was more advanced than all other submarines at that time.
Another notable example is The Wild Wild West. In this famous television series — as well as its film adaptation — two secret agents travel across the American West of the 1870s, using anachronistic mechanical and technological inventions to defeat their enemies. This blend of western tropes, futuristic gadgets, and retro aesthetics makes it an iconic example of steampunk on television.
More recently, steampunk has reached a much broader audience thanks to Arcane, the animated series produced by Netflix. Set in the universe of League of Legends, the show portrays the city of Piltover, a true showcase of modern steampunk combining steam-powered machinery, gears, experimental technologies, and social conflict. Its refined visual style, paired with mature storytelling and a strong artistic direction, has significantly contributed to popularizing the genre’s codes among viewers who may not have been familiar with steampunk.
The city of Piltover in the Netflix series Arcane
Alan Moore’s comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (which has been adapted by Hollywood) is another good example of the steampunk genre. The story takes place in an imaginary Victorian age and it features characters from the popular literature of the late 19th century (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man etc.), bringing them together in an elite unit to protect Victorian England from fantastic futuristic threats.
The Sherlock Holmes movies are another of the most well-known steampunk works. The movies follow the adventures of the famous detective in an alternate British Empire packed with mysticism and retrofuturistic gadgets.
Finally, steampunk has made numerous appearances in video games. BioShock Infinite (2013) is a prime example of the genre. The game takes place in 1912, in a floating, anachronistic city. Steampunk outfits, airship, dirigible, automaton, steam powered machinery… you name it, it’s all there! More recently, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 follows in this tradition, offering a distinctive universe that blends Belle Époque influences, strange machinery, and bold artistic direction. This title illustrates the genre’s ability to reinvent itself by merging historical heritage, artistic imagination, and contemporary storytelling.
