FROM Jules Verne to Doctor Who, Steampunk is making its way into everyday life for people all over the world.
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Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery is hosting Antipodean Steampunk, showcasing a subgenre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery.
The exhibit holds a wide array of objects from jewellery to a ray gun and a large book, all finely worked and excessively ornamented in classic steampunk style.
The book was made special by the fact that it was carved in such a way to create a cohesive scene from the individual illustrations it contained.
The contents of the show illustrate what things may have looked like if today's technology had been introduced in the 19th century.
Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery exhibitions and collections officer Rob Cleworth said the show had attracted guests of all ages, from "little kids to old folk".
He also said many of the gallery's own tradesmen had been drawn to the exhibit, where they were able to relate to the intricate work.
Mr Cleworth's favourite piece is The Clockwork Universe, by Dr Tim Wetherell.
The plaque tells the reader that it was built "to celebrate the great mathematical and observational achievements of orbital and planetary science".
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello, a 26-minute animation from 2004, and Aurora, a 34-minute film from 2011, add an audio aspect to the exhibit.
■ Antipodean Steampunk is on at the Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery until Saturday, October 19.