Steampunk
There are lots of subcultures around that are popular with techies. Techies really are broken up into various types and you really need to be one to really see the minute differenes (I’m sure this is true for each culture). This particular one is interesting sine it stradles a wide range of supracultures – even if that isn’t a real word.
This is the Steampunk culture. If you think of Cyberpunk but in Victorian England you’ll be pretty close – as long as you throw in some sci-fi and revisionsist history to allow for a higher level of tech. It’s a small subculture, but the genre as a media is growing quite a bit. All of this is rather boring to read so lets see what is kind of cool about it all.
It’s a real working laptop. You can see the Victorian leanings in the design. This is a prime example of Steampunk. It looks classical but is a “futuristic” device. For more images and references about Steampunk devices, check out this Wired article and the website Steampunk Workshop.
Some modern media that has Steampunk themes are Steamboy (one of the most expensive animated movies ever produced and is a beautiful movie to watch), William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s The Difference Engine, and Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Also check this comprehensive listing of steampunk works.
For more visual pleasure, here is the American trailer for Steamboy:
If you are interested in more information, the Wikipedia entry for Steampunk is very exhaustive and provides links to lots of other information and materials.
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