Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that blends the aesthetic and technology of the 19th century with elements of science fiction. It is a design style inspired by Victorian-era industrialism, and it features modern technology with a retro look. Steampunk started in the 1970s as a type of literature, and it was thought of as a sub-genre of science fiction. The term "steampunk" was first coined by science fiction author K.W. Jeter in 1987 to describe the Victorian-style speculative fiction being written at the time. The "steam-" in "steampunk" refers to the steam-powered technology that heavily influenced the Victorian era, and the "-punk" refers to the unconventional edge that the sci-fi genre brings into the setting.

Steampunk fashion is characterized by long coats, top hats, corsets, and steampunk goggles. Steampunk music is very broadly defined, and it includes a broad range of musical influences, from industrial dance and world music to folk rock, dark cabaret to straightforward punk, Carnatic to industrial, hip-hop to opera (and even industrial hip-hop opera), darkwave to progressive rock, barbershop to big band. Steampunk designs often mix digital media with traditional Victorian designs, and they may include additional mechanical parts such as brass fittings, gears, manual typewriter keys, or wind-up keys.

In summary, steampunk is a genre that imagines how different the past might have been had the future come earlier. It is a literary and artistic movement that melds elements of Victorian-era history and fashion with modern technology and fantastical fiction.