Focus Features
The new animated feature 9, which opened last night, has a visual style best described as "steampunk."
So: what does that mean?
Steampunk, according to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, is what happens "when science fictional events take place against a 19th-century background." In other words: what if the future looked like Victorian England? The genre is inspired by writers like Jules Verne (The Time Machine) and HG Wells (War of the Worlds), whose fantasies about alien planets and time travel now seem futuristic and nostalgic all at once. 9 carries on the tradition with robots made of fabric, and machines made of gears, bells and whistles (but no computer chips).
To learn more about steampunk, take a look at the blog BoingBoing, which posts frequently about steampunk trends.
Or better yet, accessorize! Etsy has over 25,000 handmade items tagged "steampunk", from elaborate corsets to clock-gear necklaces. Who says you can't get dressed up to go to the movies?
