Mystic Radio – Hendrick’s Gin Curate a Box Give Away

| September 30, 2011

Nearly a year ago the nice folks at Hendrick's Gin contacted me to see if I'd like to do a box for their "Curate a Box" contest give away. Well, I had never tasted their product so I demurred until I had a chance to sample it at last year's SteamCon in Seattle. In fact fellow SPWS editor Libby Bulloff and I consumed quite a bit of it while we prepped for our "Queering Steampunk Fashion" panel.

The box is finally done and you should keep an eye out at Unusual Times to find out how you can win it!

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Hark A Vagrant, on NPR…

| September 30, 2011

On the way to work, I was pleasantly suprised to learn that Miss Kate Beaton, the wonderful talent behind “Hark A Vagrant” was not only publishing a book of her works, but was kind enough to provide an interview to the audio Steampunk nemesis known as NPR.  Although the writers chose in my opinion, a poor selection to describe Miss Beaton’s work (the above Tesla work is much better), the interview is quite enlightening, and  certainly worth a listen!  To do so, please visit NPR’s interview website, at: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/29/140804195/hark-from-dna-to-jfk-a-comic-take-on-history

Additionally, do visit Salon for another interview…
http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2011/09/22/kate_beaton/index.html

and consider a few dinars toward her upcoming work (as pictured above)… ready at Amazon…
… and finally, visit her website!  It is at…http://harkavagrant.com/index.php

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Steam-Powered II Roundtable! Stephanie Lai

| September 29, 2011

Stephanie Lai is one of my fellow Malaysians, which kind of psyches me out! In this anthology, she wrote “One Last Interruption Before We Begin.” You can find Stephanie on Dreamwidth or on Tumblr.

A two-sentence summary: 
In post-Merdeka Malaysia, Shu Ping bustles through her life, drawn to a life of adventure but unsure if it’s what she really wants.
How did your characters come to be? 
Shu Ping came first, because I love turning points and Chinese-Malaysian characters. Everyone else came after, a natural flow of people she might have known.
Why this setting? 
I first created this universe in my short story The Last Rickshaw. Malaysian steampunk (and South East Asian steampunk in general) is not super common, and once I encountered it, I was hooked. I love expanding this universe, and every story is like a love letter to the island of Penang. It is a setting I enjoy revisiting.
You’re in an antho of lesbian steampunk stories. Obviously you are writing about lesbians. How does lesbianism fit in your setting? 
Shu Ping herself feels a need to hide her lesbianism, a reflection of older laws and colonial attitudes flowing through the setting. In a way, her story is one of working out which bits of herself she can put forward, and how she chooses to do so is somewhat political, too.
What was the funnest, or most hair-tearingly frustrating thing in writing your piece? 
I loved it all, for reals. My favourite bit was the creation of the MR, a made up building functioning as a stand-in for the building I really wanted to lovingly describe to the world, but which wasn’t built until decades after my story was set. I hope other Malaysians will be able to guess the building.
As a friendly reminder, Steam-Powered II comes out October 26th! Getcher pre-orders thru JoSelle Vanderhooft!

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Steampunk Literature: Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens

| September 29, 2011

A bit ago, the series of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies took foot, and retelling (improving, in my opinion – especially after having to endure it with the swooning other half) of Ms. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and other enhancements of her works.  Today, I received word from the exceptional Lord Likely (as from “The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely“), about a new … enhancement to Ms. Austen’s works.  Mrs. Darcy versus the Aliens is a new take on the classic work.  It is a bit different, so its is best if one has a sense of humor (and what Steampunk devotee doesn’t)?  To learn a bit more, do take a jaunt to their website, located at: http://www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/
(A tip of the Steamy bowler to the good Lord Likely, for the lead!  Do remember to pay a visit (and indulge in the adventures of…) The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely!)

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The Cog is Dead – "Death of the Cog"

| September 28, 2011

A tad pressed with RL impositions, however, please do enjoy an excellent selection from The Cog is Dead’s self-titled first album.  Though they are hard at work on their next endeavor, but after you indulge in their track (one of my favorites), do learn more about one of Steampunk most popular bands, at…

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wizards and geniuses and more

| September 27, 2011

A new edition of the Gatehouse Gazette is out, and it focuses on the world of the 1930s. Dieselpunk represent!

  

Also out is a new biography of H.G. Wells. He was quite the ladies' man, evidently.

 

Behold the wizard of Schenectady, Charles Steinmetz! It's a great story.

  

There are many wizards on the RPF boards, replicating props and making imaginary items come alive. Here's Dr. John Watson's service revolver, for instance!

 

 And finally, David Malki! points to an article from the Christian Science Monitor dated 1893, which predicts what the United States will be like in 1992. It sounds, um, interesting?

 

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Steam-Powered II Roundtable! Sean Holland

| September 27, 2011

First writer in this series is Sean Holland. He runs the Sea of Stars resource site, an RPG setting which you can find out all about here. His story is “Playing Chess in New Persepolis.”

A two-sentence summary: A young and now broke mechaniker enters her mechanical chess set in the yearly competition hosted by the Persian Shah.  There she finds that chess is only one of the games being played.
How did your characters come to be? 
I wanted a Dutch main character, and so she is.  The supporting cast just sort of appeared, mostly a microcosm of Europe in this reality with a few characters from the Americas and Asia.
Why this particular setting? 
It really just sort of fell out of my head, I needed a story quickly and this is what came out.  Persia/Iran is one of those places that has always been important in the world but often ignored in the West, though, sadly, it is mostly a backdrop to the story.
You’re in an antho of lesbian steampunk stories. Obviously you are writing about lesbians. How does lesbianism fit in your setting? 
Skilled mechaniker are rare and valuable so are given some leeway, but period mores still dominate.
What was the funnest, or hair-tearingly frustrating thing about the writing process? 
Realizing at the end of writing and re-writing the story and multiple revisions, that the main character’s first name is never mentioned.
A random ramble? 
JoSelle keep pushing me to add more and more politics to the story, so now I have a twisting little political map of that world floating around in my head.

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How to make a Steampunk Tag…

| September 27, 2011

Today’s entry is a bit more on the “DIY” aspect of Steampunk… I happened upon a very useful time-lapse video documenting how to make a “Steampunk Tag”.  A lot of ink, stamps, and glue are involved, but the finished product is quite nice indeed – do enjoy!

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The trailer for Adventures in Science has been released!

| September 25, 2011

Came across this intriguing production titled “Adventures in Science” (AIS), which was premiered at the Grand New England Steampunk Exposition earlier this month.  Additionally, their blog, http://adventuresinsciencefilm.blogspot.com/, details the travails involved in making the AIS endeavor, and its quite intriguing to shuffle through their archives, and watch what is involved with developing the work.  So, do enjoy the trailer, and do consider a visit to their website, to learn more about Adventures in Science!

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Steam-Powered II Roundtable! Editor JoSelle Vanderhooft

| September 24, 2011

So! Remember when I said I’d start a series of Steam-Powered II writers answering a set of questions each about their stories? I thought it would be a fine idea to start this off with the fabulous editor herself, JoSelle Vanderhooft, answering a few questions on this series in general:

So tell us about your feelings for this anthology!

This is such a strong and diverse collection of steampunk stories, with tales set in India, Malaysia, Turkey, China, Persia, Africa, and all over the United States. I’m deeply honored to have been able to assemble it.

So why, specifically, lesbians?

The obvious answer is that I’m a bisexual who is oriented almost entirely towards women–a 5 on the Kinsey Scale, if anyone wants me to be more specific. I love writing and reading about lesbian and bisexual women, and this interest informs my editing. But obvious answers are usually boring and not entirely accurate.

Although lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and transgender people are often viewed as one political movement, the letters in the abbreviation LGBT are not equally represented in the U.S.’ political landscape or the global political landscape. This is also true in publishing. Right now, it’s easier than it has been previously to find novels about gay men, thanks to things like the advent of m/m romance—though, of course, the debate about appropriation and misrepresentation of gay men’s lives in this genre has been going on for quite some time. That said, LGBT people are still underrepresented in every area of publishing, and queer people who are not cisgender men especially so. I want there to be more fantasy, science fiction, and horror out there for lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, genderqueer people, and everyone else who fits under the queer umbrella but not neatly into LGBT. A lesbian steampunk anthology is just one way to do this.

What trends have you noticed in steampunk? How has it, or has it not, translated into the submissions for this anthology?

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The Steam-Powered II Roundtable!

| September 24, 2011

It starts tomorrow! I just wanted to warn ya’ll. Over the next few weeks, every two days there will be a new author interview, everybody answering pretty much the same questions. You can totally ask the authors any question you like in comments (please remember comment moderation is turned on after 7 days) as long as you are Not-An-Asshole-and/or-Creepy. You can leave squeez and comments, you can link at will, and you can also repost content, so long as you link back to the author in some form (posts will have links to author websites).

I hope ya’ll enjoy the posts, and will look forward to your further questions and comments!  

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The 4th Annual Engineer’s Ball, this Saturday!

| September 23, 2011

The Piermont has finally returned, and just in time for the 4th Annual Engineer’s Ball!  However, the Piermont has a new and distinct look, establishing it as one of the many outstanding builds of New Babbage.  Inspired by one of Steampunk venerable graphic artists, *Alanise, it is a SL version of an incredible, and until now, inaccessible location (as it was limited to the artist’s own graphic brush).  You can see the original inspiration below…
Additionally, the traditional photography contest will be taking place, focusing on the beautiful images of New Babbage.  To take part in the Grand Opening of the Piermont, indulge in its fantastic new grounds, and even participate in the photography contest, please pay a visit to the New Babbage website, at: http://cityofnewbabbage.com/drupaltest/node/3471
… and its SL counterpart!

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