Yesterday was International Steampunk Day, which makes today the perfect time to answer a question I get a lot: what is steampunk?

If you’ve ever seen a pair of brass goggles or a corset-wearing sky pirate on a book cover, you’re in the right area. Steampunk is one of those genres that feels instantly recognizable, even if you’re not sure exactly how to define it. So let’s break it down.

At its core, steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that reimagines a wor...