Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Steampunk: The World of Tommorow, Yesterday

Steampunk the term is a combination of steam denoting the steam powered era of the 19th century, and punk, referring to cyberpunk's speculative interpretation of the future as exampled in literature such as William Gibson's Neuromancer. Speculative fiction writers such as Jules Verne, authors who offered a future beyond the means of their immediate present, are also sources of inspiration. A subset of steampunk has emerged to include the alteration of modern technology to reflect the aesthetics of older technology. For example, a new laptop is modified to look as though it existed in the Victorian era. The modifications to existing technology are truly amazing, both creatively, and in the dichotomy between new and old existing as one. The following links are fascinating portals to a new understanding of design, innovation, and historical connection. The image above is taken from The Steampunk Workshop site linked below.

An excellent video peak into a steampunk workshop
Overview and podcast
Steam punk inspired "commercial"
An excellent collection of images, ideas, and resources

Blog encompassing all things steampunk

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