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The 28 Best and Worst Definitions of Steampunk

Nov 12, 2012 06:58 PM

Nov 12, 2012 07:08 PM

Ever since the mid-2000s, there's been a lot of bandying back and forth on the Internet over what exactly Steampunk is. Some people think it's one thing, others another thing, and some think that it shouldn't be defined at all.

To hell with all of that!

I polled some Steampunks on Facebook (here and here) about what they thought Steampunk is, and included below are 28 of the best and worst definitions of Steampunk that I've ever seen! They range from tongue-in-cheek to serious, and from cynical to ridiculous. Enjoy!

In No Particular Order, What Is Steampunk?

When Johnny Rotten does his ironing
When goths discover brown
When sepiapunks discovers color
A Dieselpunk's parents' home movies
That thing Justin Bieber does on his video

Victorian Science Fiction
What happens when fanboys finally bathe
Hipsters for the 1890's
Dorks in moth-eaten garb with things hot-glued to them
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...with gears on it
It's taking the past and the future and making something not quite as good as either.
Men in Brown
If you don't clank when you walk, it isn't steampunk
What the 21st century thinks that the Victorians thought the 21st century would be like
The strangest group of welders I've ever seen...

If the mad hatter was a mad clockmaker instead
A mix between Batman and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
When you push modern or future technology/elements into the Age of Steam
An informal competition to wear as many shades of brown and tan at the same time as possible
Jules Verne? There ya go