In pop culture

Before initially researching the phenomenon of steampunk culture, I didn't realize how prevalent it was in popular culture. I have, so far, found aspects of steampunk in film, fashion, social websites, and videogames.

Most obviously, (and, frankly, easiest to access as it is something that I own) is the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which is based off of a comic book/graphic novel series. The film is full of steampunk style, both in theme and in artistic direction. From steam powered cars, to clockwork instruments the film took the direction of being an artistically steampunk science fiction movie. The settings are perfect for the genre. Set in the 19th century, the Victorian era and the styles related to it, show through. The Victorian era is a common focus point for people involved in steampunk culture.

In video games, the Final Fantasy series has a strong steampunk influence. While quite a bit of the video game series focuses on the magic of their worlds, other aspects (such as the airships in Final Fantasy X and XI) are set with that influence. Their ships are almost exactly what one might imagine if modern electricity had not been discovered. Powered by steam and gears, they use imagined science to fly and operate. Other games, such as Lost Odyssey, there is a lot of the beauty of steampunk art, which can involve gilded clockwork, and colorful vacuum tubes.

Many other video games, as well as books and movies, are set in steampunk-type civilizations and draw influence from the concept of the future-that-never-happened of a past that did.