If you’ve seen anyone walking around recently with parasols, goggles or ray guns, cancel that call to Homeland Security. Metropolitan cities are being invaded, but not by anyone hostile. The trend is called steampunk, and it’s something of a treat, especially if you’re into transforming metal, wood and brass into fantastic, handcrafted creations. Here’s a few tips on how to recognize (and understand!) this interesting sub-culture. 

1.  Steampunk: What is it?

The term Steampunk refers to the Victorian age that this trend is primarily influenced by, an age where steam power was used almost exclusively. Steampunk draws from a Neo-Victorian aesthetic, in which human potential, incredible inventions and fantasy abounds. The French author, Jules-Verne is a fundamental source of inspiration, and his Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea exemplify the aesthetic and cultural landscape of the Steampunk mindset.

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