A few entries for this category… The Category being SteamPunk. There was one song that had embedding disabled, but you can still watch it here. Smashing Pumpkins Steampunk… what could be better? The tribute to the 1902 Jules Verne classic movie was just the icing on the cake.
Those two are really a single concept, but for different worldviews. Broadband is a way to connect to the world, and Ars Technica has the best example of how the Broadband Recovery Bill will play out in Science Fiction terms. Cisco views it from the how to make it work perspective, and Gartner takes the how is it working aspect. Neither is right, or wrong; just looking at the reality through their own set of filters, for two very different conclusions. As I consider both viewpoints valid (if limited), I thought I should just link them here, so you can read and consider. How does that fit in with Riverworld? The Philip Jose Farmer Riverworld series is all about exploring our unlimited potential as human beings, with all the time in the world to do so. The new tech, with or without the federal grant money, is another step towards that same goal. If the new team at SyFy does half as much with the classic series as it deserves, it will also inspire us to create the future. Ad Astra!
I have not seen a project that excites me like this one in a while. Someone who appreciates Doug Adams (or else why would he go with the name Douglas442) is building a Steampunk Tardis! At least the central control panel; for a full look at what is involved with creating a Tardis, check out the Weird SciFi Tardis page, and the Tardis Tech Data site. There was a Victorian-era Tardis control room in the original Tom Baker years of the series, which I will link here as soon as I can find an online reference, and an Steampunk Tardis Art version. Then there are things like a Steampunk Dalek and a whole lot more. Or maybe you are just looking for some Steampunk Wallpaper. I also found a video of a Steampunk Tardis Key you might enjoy, after seeing this real world version… I have a lot more to add here, but this should get you started…
John Scalzi does it again, with a short list of books that should become movies. He has a good little list here, from the classic cyberpunk that spawned Second Life (Neil Stephenson’s Snowcrash) to a wonderfully strange Steampunk fantasy (China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station), and more. There are also a number of good suggestions in the comments, including an assortment of Zelazny’s works.
There are a lot of fun things you can build in the world of Steampunk, but everyone needs at least a set of Steampunk Goggles. Here are a few quality links and videos to get you started. The first one is from Instructables, a step-by-step sequence that will get you a quality pair cheap. They also have the Airship Goggles instruction set, and the Mad Scientist Goggles. Brass Goggles has an even cheaper instruction set for building your own Steampunk Goggles. Once you have built your goggles, you might also enjoy making your own Steampunk Cellphone, or even looking into the Make 2008 Steampunk Gift Guide, just for grins and giggles. If you are looking for more basic information, check out the Steampunk FAQ and go from there. And here are a few more videos for your entertainment pleasure…