Steampunk is in the air this week at MTV News, so when author Neil Gaiman popped by our office to talk to us about "The Graveyard Book" (much, much more on that later), we had to ask him about being cited as a steampunk influence. Turns out, not only was he highly knowledgeable about the subject, but also, a bit of a fan.

"I've noticed that 'Neverwhere' gets pointed to as a seminal steampunk text," Gaiman said, "which I think is always very sweet of them."

Gaiman said that unlike movements like cyberpunk, which announced itself, "steampunk is one of these odd movements that sort of happened in retrospect." Read more...

By Emily Donahue

While steampunk may still be a new emerging subculture, its blend of neo-Victorian science-fiction has been in the movies for years. As steampunk band Abney Park's lead singer Robert Park put it: "We've had steampunk movies for just as long as we've had movies...it's just recently been given a name."

Movies that employ wildly imagined inventions and anachronistic technology set in bygone eras can all fall under this name. "The Prestige," — a period piece of illusion, invention and teleportation — and "Wild Wild West" — which transcends a typical 1800s Western with its depiction of steam-powered tanks, a cyborg and mechanical spiders — are two of the most popular steampunk movies to date. Also high on the list is "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," which is dense with allusions to the works and characters of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, both steampunk literary heroes. Read more...