Rihanna gets steamy – but not in that way

Rihanna arrives to the Paralympics closing ceremony aboard a huge metal ship (Getty Images)

When Rihanna arrived at the Paralympics closing ceremony aboard a huge metal ship, geeks of the world must have rejoiced in having such a prominent figure from the world of entertainment looking as if they were straight out of the pages of a Steampunk graphic novel.

Much of the ceremony was noted for its nod to Steampunk, the Victorian era-obsessing, rebellious fantasy genre. And the floats, cars, pictured right, and outfits could have been created by one of the movement's prominent figures, K W Jeter. He's the US writer who is credited with coining the term "Steampunk", after writing to a sci-fi magazine in 1987 to suggest Victorian fantasies were going to be the next big thing in the genre.

Rather than being a flash-in-the-pan literary trend, Steampunk has gone on to become a lifestyle choice. And last week saw the third annual Weekend at the Asylum, the UK Steampunk festival. Steampunks might not have been too bothered about Coldplay but they will have loved the sets.