What Is Steampunk? Your Journey Starts Here!
Roaring steam engines, exposed gears, Victorian elegance, and futures imagined too soon… Steampunk is a cultural movement that blends 19th-century aesthetics and technology with elements of science fiction. Far more than a simple retrofuturistic look, it has grown into a rich imaginary world, a genre in its own right, and for some, a true way of life. Welcome to a universe where steam never stopped fueling dreams.
Born at the crossroads of history and speculation, steampunk asks a deceptively simple yet dizzying question: what if the future had been built using the technologies of the past? Its literary and visual works unfold in an alternative reality where technological progress relies not on electricity, but on steam power.
Image credit: Steampunk Avenue
Steampunk, a world of steam
The 19th century witnessed an industrial revolution that transformed nearly every aspect of daily life. During this period, countless inventions and innovations emerged, reshaping society and laying the foundations of the modern world. The telegraph, public lighting, and photography are just a few examples. Yet the technology that had the greatest impact on the century was undoubtedly the steam engine. As it became widespread, it drove the rapid development of transportation—most notably with the invention of the steam locomotive in 1804. This breakthrough ushered in an unprecedented era of connectivity and expansion, profoundly altering societies and ways of life.
It comes as no surprise, then, that steam lies at the very heart of steampunk. In this universe, technology is often as advanced as that of our modern world, but it runs on steam rather than electricity, gas, or oil. As a result, steampunk technology adopts a distinctly retro appearance, echoing the age of the Industrial Revolution.
In short, steampunk portrays modern technology dressed in a retro aesthetic.
Majestic airships, gear-driven automatons, mechanical weapons, and improbable machines populate steampunk worlds. This striking technology—both familiar and deliberately anachronistic—plays a central role in the genre’s visual identity and its enduring power of fascination.
Steampunk fashion: a reinterpretation of 19th-century style
Steampunk also expresses itself through a highly recognizable fashion aesthetic, directly inherited from 19th-century clothing styles. Victorian England (1837–1901), the French Belle Époque (1871–1914), and Civil War–era America (1861–1865) are among the primary sources of inspiration for this retrofuturistic style. These periods represent a golden age of structured garments, assertive silhouettes, and social codes made visible through dress.
For men, steampunk fashion draws from Victorian dandies and industrial-era engineers: long coats, frock coats, tailored waistcoats, high-collared shirts, and top hats or bowler hats form the foundation of the look. Pocket watches, canes, leather gloves, and aviator goggles complete the ensemble, reinforcing the image of an explorer, inventor, or adventurer from another age.
On the women’s side, steampunk fashion largely takes inspiration from the corseted silhouette of the 19th century. The corset—an iconic garment—structures the outfit and recalls Victorian elegance, while long skirts, bodices, lace, and ankle boots evoke the Belle Époque. These classic codes are often subverted through the addition of mechanical elements, industrial materials, or accessories inspired by engineering and adventure.
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.
Where historical reenactment strives for accuracy, steampunk embraces freedom. By reworking the visual codes of nineteenth-century fashion, it turns each outfit into a bold visual statement, standing at the crossroads of historical elegance and science fiction.
But where does the “punk” fit in?
To understand the role of “punk” in steampunk, one must return to the genre’s origins. The term “steampunk” first appeared in 1987, in a letter written by American author Kevin Jeter to Locus magazine. Jokingly, he used the word to describe the Victorian-era fiction he was writing alongside his peers Tim Powers and James Blaylock. The word “punk” mainly serves as a playful nod to cyberpunk, as the libertarian, rebellious ideology of punk is far less pronounced in steampunk than it is in cyberpunk.
What began as a joke has since become a fully fledged genre, present across all cultural media—film, television series, video games, and more. For some, it is even a lifestyle. Steampunk enthusiasts are often called Steamers, or Vaporists in France.
The general public knows steampunk—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 submarine imagined by Jules Verne
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.
Now you know what steampunk is! So what’s next?
If the world of steampunk intrigues you and you’d like to explore it further, the Aether Archives are an excellent place to start. Through in-depth features, analyses, and long-form articles, they offer a deeper understanding of steampunk culture—its origins, codes, and many variations—well beyond surface-level visuals.
