Steampunk

Originating as a literary genre within speculative fiction, "steampunk" was the term coined to cover stories and novels that fused elements of science fiction and Gothic horror with a Victorian modality or setting. This type of writing coalesced during the late 1980s and early 1990s but it has bits and pieces that inform and predate it.

Are you a fan of Captain Nemo and his submarine the Nautilus? Do you go for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Have a love of steam-engines and computers at the same time? If so, you'll probably find you'll really enjoy steampunk!

While the genre first got a foothold in the world of literature it's now become more of a full-fledged subculture with an active legion of participants who spend countless hours crafting all sorts of tools, props, furniture and elaborate costumes to bring this past-that-never-was to life.

Making steampunk mods to modern bits of technology is the number one activity of the post-modern steampunk. Here are some tips and suggestions for getting into the right frame of mind for adapting accessories and technology to the steampunk universe.

1) Clockworks - the mechanical technology of the Victorian clockwork was quite sophisiticated and can be aesthetically adapted to just about any aspect of steampunk accessories.

2) Woodwork - anything that would conventionally be plastic or alloy could be covered or painted to appear as woodwork

3) Brasswork - gold or brass colored metal work is aesthetically the most apprpropriate for the approximation of a semi-antiqued time period.

4) Reclaimed, Recycled and Reused - steampunks like to take things that both do and don't have a specific purpose and reinvent them into fantastical devices, tools and accessories.

If there's one part of the steampunk world that has a LOT of interest, it's steampunk fashions! Costumers, cosplayers and more are into this mix of vintage and modern clothing and styles.

If you want to work on your steampunk look, the first thing you want to do is research Victorian and Edwardian fashions from England. Most steampunkers base their style on a mix of fashions from those time periods and then combine those clothes with modern or fantasy touches.   

Victorian England is considered to be the time during which Queen Victoria reigned, which was 1837 to 1901. The Edwardian era was the time period that followed, marked by King Edward's reign, which ran from 1901 to 1910.