The antiquated, refined elegance of Victorian Goth and the rough, edgy futurism of Rivetheads may seem a completely incompatible combination. But, thanks to the fantasy genre of the same name, the two have been successfully wedded to create Steampunk.
Steampunk is, in essence, science fiction that takes place the low-tech setting of the past (very often the Victorian era). In Steampunk, you may find steam-powered robots, clockwork computers and complex contraptions made from wood, brass and wheels. The merging of Victorian imagery with quirky technology is doubtlessly of huge appeal to many, but perhaps the most important links between Steampunk and alternative culture are the Victorian writers who inspired the genre, including Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe.
Steampunk fashion is highly creative, incorporating elements that evoke Victorian technology such as clocks, keys and cogs, popular colors seem to be brown, and gold. Although Steampunk is not a music scene, acts such as Rasputina, Emilie Autumn and Abney Park have all been cited as having Steampunk appeal.
Image from Deviantart, info from blackwaterfall.com.