Whoooaaaa .... I was going to write a nice "10 Things You Didn't Know About Steampunk" post, but from the first search, it was all guns blazing! I had no idea how controversial the term "Steampunk" is to some high level academics (and many passionate followers)! If you want to read the war of words, I've linked a couple articles at the bottom of this page.

So, let's do this simply. And nicely. Some interesting facts about Steampunk through one of our gorgeous handmade jewelry shops Anarchist Couture.

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The dictionary definition:

steam·punk

ˈstēmˌpəNGk/

noun

noun: steampunk; noun: steam-punk

a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.

Those words themselves would draw swords at dawn for some steampunkers!

I mosied on over to Wikipedia ... admittedly not the high level academia of the articles mentioned, but it does describe a version of Steampunk that is understandable to the average person (and the luddite in me).

Steampunk refers to a subgenre of science fiction and sometimes fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.

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Although its literary origins are sometimes associated with the cyberpunk genre, steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century's British Victorian era or American "Wild West", in a post-apocalyptic future during which steam power has maintained mainstream usage, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. It may, therefore, be described as neo-Victorian.

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Steampunk may also incorporate additional elements from the genres of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, alternate history, or other branches of speculative fiction, making it often a hybrid genre.

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The term steampunk's first known appearance was in 1987, though it now retroactively refers to many works of fiction created even as far back as the 1950s or 1960s.

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Steampunk also refers to any of the artistic styles, clothing fashions, or subcultures, that have developed from the aesthetics of steampunk fiction, Victorian-era fiction, art nouveau design, and films from the mid-20th century.

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So, there you have it. Five facts about Steampunk that won't start a war.

One GREAT thing Steampunk has noncontoversially done, is brought us a lot of fabulous art in many different forms. Anarchist Couture is a perfect example of the marriage of Steampunk and Neo-Victorian jewelry. Check out the shop for some truly lovely pieces - including altered tag art and bottle art.

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