The term Steampunk is a play on cyberpunk and, according to various Wiki's, was coined in the '80s to refer to a specific genre of literature - think H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and Philip Pullman ... think Victorian-era tech meet cyberpunk vision. I love these fictional worlds (completely captivated by His Dark Materials). More recently, I fell in love with The Night Circus - magical steampunk-ism (?)... read it if you haven't. Anyways, I'm a fan of the genre. And, for the most part, I love the art, fashion and design informed by the steampunk aesthetic. It brings the small, hidden, "inner workings" of things out. It often gives hard metal, gears and mechanics a softer, magical twist.
