steampunk

noun

steam·punk ˈstēm-ˌpəŋk

: science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology

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I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for [Tim] Powers, [James] Blaylock and myself. So wrote the science-fiction author K. W. Jeter, credited with coining the term steampunk in 1987 to describe a wave of fantasy novels set in Victorian times and celebrating the technology of the era, much of which was powered by steam. In both name and subject, steampunk is an antithesis to cyberpunk, a genre often noted for featuring computerized, futuristic, or unearthly settings. The popularity of steampunk has since carried over to motion pictures, fashion, and even things like restaurant décor.

Examples of steampunk in a Sentence

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Think black tie with steampunk, historical and fairy tale flourishes. —

Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 The novel helped popularize the genre of steampunk, in which nineteenth- and twentieth-century technologies are merged. —

Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024 Though obviously infused with elements of science fiction and steampunk, Poor Things is set in Victorian London (with excursions to Lisbon, Alexandria, and Paris), and Bella's free spirit defies the strict social expectations of that period. —

Christian Holub, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024 Leaning slightly into steampunk, the industrial yet futuristic design of the Wonka universe is chock-full of intelligent decor tricks. —

Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for steampunk