Olde Tyme Computer Monitor and Keyboarde, I hardly knew ye.

Lately, there has been quite a bit of coverage of the Steampunk movement. An extension of the Steampunk science fiction and fantasy of the 1980s and 1990s – a sort of dark, Back to the Future meets Willy Wonka meets Doctor Who fiction wherein modern technologies (both real and imagined) are suited for Victorian times – the Steampunk movement looks at technology in a different light, seeing it as something that can embody the past and the future at the same time.

Steampunkers trade the new for the old, showing today’s sleek, modern manifestations of technology what for, while paying homage to the Victorian age. Take a look at the Steampunk mouse, Steampunk spring-loaded spectacles and Steampunk guitar.

The Steampunk Workshop is a place where Steampunk enthusiasts can show each other projects, such as this Telegraph Sounder that clicks out RSS Feeds, the attachment of a cell phone to an old-fashioned phone and even how to plate and etch Altoid tins to look like artifacts from another century as opposed to a tin of mints recently purchased at Walgreens.

Make Magazine hosts the Maker Faire, and Steampunk Magazine takes things even more lo-fi.

There’s also Steampunk fashion (for example, combining punk hairstyles and piercings with corsets and petticoats) and music (such as gothic, cello-wielding Rasputina and the self-proclaimed “Cabaret Punk” droogs the Dresden Dolls.

It is all very theatrical, ornate and intense. Seriously. If you haven’t seen Rasputina and/or the Dresden Dolls, I recommend seeing both bands. They truly are unique. A perfect Halloween show.

But I digress.

Steampunk is yet another example of how consumers are taking control of technology. Retro-fitting modern creations to look and act very ye olde takes a ton of work, and the juxtaposition of the past and present is striking. I also understand the desire to rebel, so to speak, against the insanely fast pace of technology today.

While I doubt I’m going ever going to turn my car into a Victorian Landship, I do appreciate the imagination and creativity that goes into Steampunk creations. That said, it’s always good to have a sense of humor. Steampunk iPhone anyone?

What do you think of Steampunk? Totally cool or totally unnecessary?

Comments (6)

Name

Title

Comment

Add Comment