Steampunk

I have always been a bit of a fan of the Victorian sci-fi authors such as Jules Verne and HG Wells. In particular, I love the semi-Gothic/semi industrial art work that is so often used (not sure if retrospectively or not) to illustrate this period. It tends to be a bit cartoony but dark, and usually includes machinery in some form. Think the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. I have always assumed that this fell under the art-deco umbrella, but turns out it has its own genre called "steampunk". There is some great stuff on the web, including some really innovative designs.

Its amazing how a visual style can some up so much about a period in time. Heavy industrialisation, large population growth and changing civil boundaries. This sense of the moving into the unknown and of the invasion of the usual way of life really comes through. Given the times we are living in, maybe its time for a come-back...