Wings of Steam

There are a large variety of steampunk webcomics out there, from the popular ones such as Girl Genius, Freak Angels, or The Phoenix Requiem, to the lesser-known ones like Monster Commute, Red Moon Rising, or The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allen Poo. But what if you want to just pick up a webcomic and start reading, without spending hours on old pages trying to catch up? You’re in luck! Right now there are several good steampunk webcomics out there that have just started or will be starting soon.

Mathema

The story, by Amy Pearson, tells of Mathema, a mathematician who has unlocked the power of magic. His dreams of sharing this gift with everyone, however, are challenged by a group of sorcerers who wish to protect their ancient art through any means necessary.

Mathema made its debut on June 1st and is updated on Thursdays.

The Continentals

The Continentals, by Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton, takes place a year after the Jack the Ripper murders. Queen Victoria has commissioned a group of special agents, known as “Continental Operatives” to fight any further such crimes. This is the story of one of those agents.

The Continentals made its debut on August 31st and is updated every Monday.

Sidewise

Sidewise, by Dwight L. Macpherson and Igor Noronha, follows the story of Adam Graham, a teenager who borrows a time-travel device from his parents and slips sidewise through time into an alternate 1902 Lodon. Teaming up with the SteampunkX, a band of freedom fighters led by Nikola Tesla, Adam finds himself battling steam-powered robots and mad scientists under the control of Queen Victoria’s preserved brain, and must attempt to return to his world in time for a final exam.

The first eight pages of Sidewise can be found at Zuda Comics and provide a teaser for the series, which will officially debut on October 8th.

Brute Force Leather had an expensive art piece monocle stolen from them two weeks ago at DragonCon. He will be offering a reward for its return. If you have any information (saw someone wearing it, find it in a picture from the con) please contact him right away through his website. The following is quoted from his blog:

Some of you may have heard, I had a piece stolen from me at Dragon Con. Not just some ordinary piece but a one of a kind Monacle that was to be in featured in a Steampunk Exhibit at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford this October.

I will pay $200.00 for it’s safe return on a “no questions asked” basis.
I will pay $500.00 if it leads to the arrest of the one who stole it.

Remember, it is a one of a kind piece. There will never be another. If you see someone wearing it they are definitely connected to the theft and a felony.

I will also produce a custom piece for anyone who gets the thief arrested. Have you been looking at one of those arms thinking $1499.00 is beyond your reach? You get me this person and I’ll make one just for you.

Sincerely,
Thomas Willeford

Following the tradition set by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, A. E. Moorat has created his own historical/horror mash-up novel. On October 15th, London publisher Hodder & Stoughton will release Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter, an “alternative history of Britains feistiest queen, packed full of blood, guts, and flesh-eating zombies.”

`There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt Demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.`

As a promotion for the release of the novel, the publisher has created a web page (wearenotamused.net) where you can read the first chapter of the book and enter a YouTube film competition. A winning entry for the best Victorian zombie short film could win you £100 of Hodder books. The contest closes on September 20th and the best entries will be used to promote the novel.

We’ve dusted off the wheel, inflated our balloon, fired up the boiler, and now we’re back off the ground with a fresh and steady supply of steampunk news!

Only one small hitch… While we were on our summer hiatus the annual renewal of our beloved aethernet site has come up as well. Owing his entire life’s fortune to his educational institution, the present and primary author of this blog does not have enough assets to pay this fee. This is where you come in, kind gentlefolk!

That’s right, by offering up a bit of old fashioned philanthropy, you can help ensure this blog will continue to provide you with steampunk news for years to come!

Any dollar amount donated is appreciated. If you wish to donate, please do so by following the link below.

We will now return you to your regular steampunk news.

Merry midsummer to you, readers!

I certainly hope you have all been keeping yourselves in good health. I sadly confess that my planned articles have not exactly panned out- my excuses are numerous and satisfactory, but the truth of the matter is that newer and shinier things have caught my attention, and I have decided to share my findings. Consider this a hodge-podge post of several things steampunk, packed full of delicious and distracting topics.

Steam Con

First and foremost, there is the matter of the Steam-Con, to be hosted in Seattle on the weekend of October 23 thru 25^th of this year. A plethora of activities awaits the attendees, from the traditional con staples of a dealer room and art gallery to an exciting Uhallowed Metropolis LARP. (If you are unfamiliar with Unhallowed Metropolis, I highly recommend you go seek information as soon as you are able.) The important guests and speakers are numerous and quite prestigious- Tim Powers, one of the earliest writers in the steampunk genre, Paul Guinan, an artist with a thousand mediums whose History of Robots in the Victorian Era is both entertaining and educational. Then, of course, there is the esteemed Abney Park, who need no description.

Infernal Machines? More like Hellishly Good Music.

Now, I know we at Wings of Steam pay a rather large amount of lip service to Abney Park, so I thought that I would share with you another delightful musical group that I have been enjoying lately. My significant other-half introduced me to Secret Society by asking the question, “Do you like Jazz music?” They are described as “an 18-piece steampunk bigband that envisions an alternative musical history, one in which the dance orchestras that ruled the Swing Era never went extinct, but continued to evolve with the times, remaining a vital part of the musical landscape straight through the present day.” That elaborate description illuminates Secret Society’s style more than any words I might have used. It’s a mix of swing band, ambient music, and just general awesomeness. The best part being, these fine individuals (and I do mean fine- their website’s bio section is worth a look) stream their most recently released album on their website for free. Of course, I encourage you to buy their music so you can enjoy their wonderful tunes offline. Honestly, readers. Do yourself a favor and seek them out, give them a listen, and revel in their greatness.

Lex.

Remember my Steam-Powered Gaming article? I have an addition to add to it. No, I’m not talking about Damnation (though that is worth a glance, should you find yourself wanting more games in your life), I am talking about Edge of Twilight. Look at the picture above again. Now, tell me you don’t want to play that character. His name is Lex, a half-breed who has the ability to go between the realms of Night and Day, with two different forms for each realm. Any of you who have a passing interest in all things fae should be equally entertained- this game looks as though it mixes steampunk with just enough fantasy to create a rather unique experience. If you have not seen the trailer, I do not know why you are still reading this. The environments shown are beautiful and the camera angles dynamic. Those of you who like a little blood with their morning tea will find that there is a pleasing amount of hack and slash to the game to slake their bloodlust.

I daresay I’ve rambled enough. May the summer continue to treat you well, and not maim or disfigure you in any way. I hear the sun tries to do that, now and again.

Always Passing Strange,

Oddessa Gooding

Abney Park’s upcoming album, Æther Shanties, was announced four days ago by Captain Robert. The album does not have a set release date but is expected to be out sometime this summer. Included with the announcement of the album was the following list of 12 tracks:

1. Under the Radar
2. Wanderlust
   
3. Building Steam
   
4. Until The Day I Die
   
5. My Life
   
6. The Derelict
   
7. Throw Them Overboard
   
8. Victoria
   
9. Aether Shanty
   
10. The Clock Yard
    
11. Everything That Came Before Is Ending
    
12. To Far To Turn Back

“Like a Wisp of Steam”, edited by C. Tan and J. Blackmore, is a collection of five short stories which explore the as-yet widely untapped world of steampunk erotica. Following a trend started by Steamy Punk, “Like a Wisp of Steam” is the first of two volumes which pioneer a new sub-subgenre of speculative fiction.

The first story, “The Innocent’s Progress” by Peter Tupper, follows the stage-acting career of Miss Alwyx, as told through the eyes of her employer, Ricar. The actors of the playhouse perform erotic plays which symbolically reenact human sexual emotions. Alwyx is frustrated when she doesn’t get to the role she wanted and Ricar struggles inwardly with himself as he tries to convince Alwyx to play a different role. Aside from a bit of light S&M, this story wasn’t very steamy, in terms of both erotica and steampunk. Only slightly Victorian and not very mechanical at all, this story would better fit the broader term of Speculative Fiction.

The next story, “An Extempore Romance” by Jason Rubis, follows a couple of days in the life of an author by the name of Amelia as she visits a daguerrographer and plays with her chimera, a type of machine created to look and act human. With little plot, the three main scenes of this episode seem more like a snapshot of someone’s life than a self-contained story.

“Hysterical Friction” by Thomas S. Roche is the first story in the set I enjoyed completely. Playing on the fact that the first vibrators were used as a medical device to treat hysteria in women, this story is about Victoria Barker, a sexually-frustrated wife who is taken to the doctor by her husband. Following some teasing by an overtly sexual nurse, Victoria is then strapped down and “treated” by Dr Charles Frizmartin with a vibrating device. Being quite well-written and with a satisfying amount of erotic content, this is one of the best stories in the book.

Next we have “In the Flask” by Vanessa Vaughn, a homo-erotic work about two scientists working on an experiment which goes horribly awry. One can only guess what happens when Dr Aubrey, working on a solution intended to repress sexual urges, drops a flask of this solution after his assistant Nicholas adds the wrong mixture to it. Leaving nothing to be wanted, this story will satisfy all readers of homo-erotica.

Finally we have “Steam and Iron, Musk and Flesh” by Kaysee Renee Robichaud, rounding out the collection with a bit of lesbian erotica. This was also the most steampunk of the stories presented. “Distracted” by her friend, Trista crashes an airship into her University. After being kicked out, Trista travels west and joins up with a traveling Wild West Show as a steam-engineer. As she grows close to Maggie, the show’s sharpshooter, Trista gets caught up in a plot by a group of criminals to rob a bank using the Wild West Show’s own steam-powered cogwork man. The most well-written of the set, this story balances perfect amounts of steampunk, eroticism, and adventure.

After being disappointed by the first couple of stories, “Like a Wisp of Steam” began to pick up momentum mid-way through, ending with a strong finish. Readers of erotic fiction will find that the later stories more than make up for the first couple, though the average reader of steampunk may be disappointed by the overall lack of steampunk content, especially in the first half of the book. Available online in an electronic format through Fictionwise, Amazon, and the book’s publisher, Circlet Press, the affordability of this work makes it worth the download. Hopefully, the trend of each story being better than the last will continue into the next book, “Like Clockwork,” due to be published later this summer. All in all, if you like erotica and love steampunk, and have been waiting for a combination of the two, this book will be for you.

Readers!

I drag myself from the unspeakable, horrific depths of term papers and finals to share something with you. I was meandering around a certain corner of the internet when I happened upon an article about a video game. You’ll never guess what it’s about.

In September of this year, North America will be exposed to the wonderful world of Nostalgia. That’s right, we’re getting a steampunk video game for the Nintendo DS. From the creators of Fatal Frame, Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy III and IV, Grandia, and Thousand arms, the creation of an original steampunk RPG for your favorite hand-held system has occured. Nostalgia will take place in an alternate, 19th-century setting, where you will play as a character named Eddie and gather a group of eccentric companions, flying about the world in a zeppelin.

I do believe there's a sword on that airship...

I would greatly enjoy enlightening you more, but my duties call. However, you can gather more information for your own entertainment here and here.

The game has already been released in Japan, of course. I look forward to playing this game- there are airship battles.
Always Passing Strange,

Oddessa Gooding

Greetings, readers!

It has come to my attention that time has slipped away from us, and there hasn’t been anything new or fascinating posted to entertain you in quite some time. May I be the first to extend my deepest apologies- I assure you, there are good reasons. For one, I am currently caught up in my studies, and have very little time to contribute. Captain Jules, on the other hand, happens to be in a place where the internet is denied to him, except during the times he makes a great journey to gain access. It’s a very sorry state to be in.

At any rate, I can promise that I do have a few articles in the works. A follow-up on my Steampunk Interior Design article, as well as something on Air Kraken Day, which occurred in the not-so-distant past.  Also, the convention season will soon be upon us, so I hope you’re all keeping your wardrobes up-to-date. Har har.

Alright, I believe I’m done here, terrible puns and all. I shall post again soon, fates willing.

Always passing strange,

Oddessa Gooding

On March 4th in New York, the pocket watch originally used by Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi will be up for auction by a group called Antiquorum Auctioneers.

Mahatma Gandhi’s silver Zenith pocket watch (circa 1910-1915) is expected to attract significant interest.  The pocket watch belonged to Gandhi, who later gave it to his grandniece, Abha Gandhi, his assistant of six years, and in whose arms he died.

Also offered as part of the same lot are Gandhi’s sandals, glasses, bowl, plate, and letters of authenticity. The bidding is expected to reach between $20,000 and $30,000.

Link.