http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk
A fan shows off a steampunk costume at Comic-Con in San Diego.
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.
http://fantasy-horizons.forumotion.com/forum-f1/topic-t396.htmΜε πολλή συντομία, το Steampunk είναι ένα λογοτεχνικό κίνημα που απαντάται σε έργα του Ιουλίου Βερν και άλλων, τα οποία περιγράφουν μια κοινωνία που μοιάζει πολύ με την βικτωριανή Αγγλία αλλά στην οποία υπάρχουν μηχανές και εξοπλισμός που λειτουργούν με ατμό (=steam). Το κίνημα αυτό έχει προχωρήσει και στη μόδα, παίρνοντας στοιχεία από το victorian gothic και το cyberpunk.
Ένα πολύ ωραίο άρθρο από το Time, για το steampunk:
A fan shows off a steampunk costume at Comic-Con in San Diego.
In 1822 the English Mathematician Charles Babbage had an idea for a machine that would perform mathematical calculations rapidly and infallibly. This was long before the age of electrical circuitry, so Babbage's plan called for the machine to be executed in brass and steel and powered by a hand crank. If it had been completed, his Difference Engine would have been a magnificent beast, requiring 25,000 parts and weighing about 15 tons. But he ran out of money and patience and had to abandon it unfinished.
Now imagine if Babbage hadn't abandoned it. Fork the timeline. Imagine if computing technology had developed along the lines of Babbage's vision: brass and steel instead of silicon and plastic; clockwork instead of electronics. In fact, imagine if all the great technological revolutions of the past 100 years hadn't happened. Our world would run on Victorian tech--it would be a handmade, steam-powered world, finished in leather and mahogany. It's an elegant, romantic vision. And it has a name: steampunk.
Δεν ξέρω αν πρέπει να το αφήνουμε εντελώς αμετάφραστο, steampunk. Είμαι εντελώς αρνητική στον μεταγραμματισμό "στιμπάνκ" ή "στίμπανκ", για τον απλούστατο λόγο ότι θα το διαβάζουν ως stibank. Μου αρέσει η απόδοση "ατμοπάνκ" (ίσως και με τον αγγλικό όρο πάντα σε παρένθεση), που εμφανίζεται ως πρόταση και στη Βικιπαίδεια. Αυτός ο κύριος λέει ότι βρίσκει ατυχή την απόδοση ατμοπάνκ, αλλά υπάρχουν μερικά ευρήματα στο γκουγκλ.Now imagine if Babbage hadn't abandoned it. Fork the timeline. Imagine if computing technology had developed along the lines of Babbage's vision: brass and steel instead of silicon and plastic; clockwork instead of electronics. In fact, imagine if all the great technological revolutions of the past 100 years hadn't happened. Our world would run on Victorian tech--it would be a handmade, steam-powered world, finished in leather and mahogany. It's an elegant, romantic vision. And it has a name: steampunk.
