Space 1889 Core Rulebook - Rules of Play says:
Space: 1889 brings to life the literary fantasties created by Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, H. R. Haggard, and many others - classic adventure stories and science fiction adventures with a fantastical or nostalgic touch. They all take place during an age obsessed by a belief in technology and progress, in a world lit by gas lamps, powered by steam engines, and filled with the spreading wonders of electricity and ether; a world of inventive genius and spirit for adventure.