If you like the idea of a mahogany and brass computer more powerful than a supercomputer, or maybe buzzing off to work in a zeppelin rather than a car, then you might want to check out steampunk. It has a long history, with roots going back more than a century. It really took off in 1990 with the publication of “The Difference Engine” by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.
Steampunk is based around a couple of alternate history ideas: one in which steam power retained its influence and spread to all manner of technological devices, and another in which computing technology moved at an accelerated rate so that the Victorians had computers more powerful than our own. Some other popular steampunk novels include “Homunculus” by James Blaylock, the comic book series “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, “Warlord of the Air” by Michael Moorcock, “Mainspring” by Jay Lake, and “Leviathan” by Scott Westerfield.
