Steampunk

Steampunk is a sub genre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes anachronistic technology, usually from the Victorian age. It is also used to refer to a trend in fashion and music.

Steampunk has an interesting way of blending the ideas and technologies of the past with ideas that are essentially modern into alternate universes and "what might have been".  It has always been something of interest to me. I've always been fascinated with the fashion and way that people can recreate looks from 200 hundred years ago, yet still make them look like new. Steampunk fashion commonly features goggles, corsets, top hats, bustles, brass and Victorian style boots.

There are many of examples in literature of steampunk. .

Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore
Fullmetal Alchemist, by Hiromu Arakawa
  
Steampunk in general tries to recreate the feel of the Victorian Era and place their universes in alternative universes that might have been powered by the "steam" technology of the 1800's. They also sometimes feature real historical figures to try and make the story more authentic. Common themes throughout these stories and novels are adventure, scientific exploration, and alternate history.