Steampunk

Culture


Steampunk   is coming - May 17-19th, 2013


Did you know that New Jersey is home of one of the world's largest Steampunk events, The Steampunk World's Fair, in Piscataway?

I've just recently become acquainted with the phenomenon.  I love it.  Steampunk is a cultural phenomenon associated with a mixture of Science Fiction and Fantasy catagories.  Settings can be early Industrial Revolution, Old West or a mixture of present day and these or Victorian or Edwardian eras.  Cogs and gears, steam, trains, machines, industry are all elements.

There's a literature such as:

Steampunk by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

I've been watching films and tv series related to Steampunk.   

Giorgio Moroder's Metropolis has modern music as the soundtrack but remains true to the story of industrial laborers rising up against repressive industry owners.

Hugo is one of my favorites.

The music of Steampunk is more difficult for me to define.  In the films, the sounds of metal against metal, chains clanging, whistles, hammers against anvils and other mechanical sounds abound.  I'll hazzard the opinion that Tom Waits' Rain Dogs is an example of Steampunk,  with its metallic sound effects and its dark atmosphere.

Clothing and accessories are an appeal and include elaborate corsets, top hats, jewelry made from gears, nuts, leather, watch parts as well as heavy leather and canvas industrial work clothing and metal helmets and other head and body gear.  The Steampunk Emporium online has a wonderful assortment of Steampunk fashion.

It's great fun.

You find more related films and books in the Monthly Selections in my Shop.

Have a product or event related to Steampunk?  Email us and we'll post it here.