The Great Steampunk Debate opened yesterday. Hosted by many of the brightest minds of the steampunk subculture, the website serves as a location to discuss steampunk ideology, ranging from politics to fandom to inspirations to 19th century topics.
As steampunk continues to grow as a subculture, it will clash more and more with various issues relating to politics, ethics and beliefs. Growing from an idea sparked by an event last year, the forum for the Great Debate serves as a location for steampunks to determine just how they feel on a variety of topics.
The debate will continue for two months until the first of July, at which time you can expect to hear many reports and reactions to the debate summarized by many of the participants.
Today is International Air Kraken Awareness Day, the day on which steampunks around the world have chosen to inform the public of the menace which awaits in the skies. In order for you to be better informed for this task, we at Wings of Steam have prepared the following informational content for you:
The first recorded sighting of the air kraken was in 1913 when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published an account of a run-in with the creature in his short story, “The Horror of the Heights“.
There have been many sightings over the years, and activity seems to be on the rise, especially in the skies over England, where there have been three sightings in the last fourteen months alone:
In January 2009 the air kraken destroyed a wind turbine near the town of Louth. Local resident John Harrison described witnessing the creature:
“It was huge” he said “At first I thought it must have been a hole where the moon was shining through but then I saw the tentacles – it looked just like an octopus.
“It was an incredible site; I have never seen anything like it before. I have no idea what it was, all I can say is what I saw”.
The recent claim that the air kraken sports a form of bioluminescence is supported by another sighting in May 2009, when a family of air krakens were spotted over Burntwood, as reported by Michael Bardsley and several neighbors.
He said the underside of the UFOs were like the underbelly of a jellyfish in appearance. Two neighbours from across the road watched the spectacle with the family. Michael managed to catch the bright lights on his phone camera, but the pictures do not show the craft in detail.
“We could not understand what they were,” Michael told The Post. “We couldn’t hear any engines.”
In June 2009 the air kraken left the above crop circle in a farm field in Oxfordshire. There has been much speculation by many people as to what it means, but as one who has been studying the air kraken, the answer is quite clear: it seems to be a mating display. If true, England’s troubles may just be beginning, as with displays such as these, the number of air krakens is surly soon to rise.
And this is where it comes to you, dear fellow steampunks. Don’t let your dirigible be caught off guard Go forth and spread awareness of the air kraken! Fly squid-shaped kites in parks! Hand out fliers! Inform the public! And most importantly, don’t end up like these poor souls:
Excuse me while I indulge you with a piece of local interest. Recently, the Colorado Steampunks were in attendance at the Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado. On top of a great photo session, this was also a perfect opportunity to share steampunk with the masses, as the local news channel was there as well:
The Colorado Steampunks Facebook Group was started a year ago as a place to gather and unite various steampunk groups and individuals in Colorado. Also of interest is the Colorado Chrononauts’ League, where one can find current news of anachronistic happenings in Colorado.
Early in the year there was discussion throughout the community over whether or not steampunk was dead. This was apparently spawned by a lull in the popularity of the word “steampunk” as a search term on Google. However, a look at Google Trends right now shows that steampunk is certainly NOT dead, and is, in fact, more popular than ever. Just as we have done in 2008, here we will take a look back at the last year and see just exactly how we have kept the steampunk community alive.
As with many things in this list, there were far too many steampunk events to mention, but arguably this year’s biggest and best was Steamcon in Seattle. Although not the first con specifically dedicated to steampunk, Steamcon seemed to set a new precedent for all future steampunk conventions. Too much happened to write about here, but there are manyreportsavailableontheaethernet.
The steampunk community was delighted when the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford University adknowledged our form of alternate history by running an exhibition of steampunk art and inventions by creators from around the world.
The CGSociety concluded their Steampunk Myths & Legends contest in Februrary. We were treated to beautiful videos and images, and the winning entries can be seen here.
October was declared Steampunk Month on Tor.com. Authors and bloggers from the steampunk community joined up with Tor’s staff to discuss everything steampunk and share short stories.
Two of the most anticipated steampunk novels this year were Leviathan, and Boneshaker. Set in World War I Europe, Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld tells of Alek, an Austro-Hungarian prince on the run as his path crosses with Deryn, a common girl disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service. Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest takes place in the ruins of Civil War-Era Seattle. Briar Wilkes must rescue her son from zombies and airship pirates after he enters the city to clear his father’s name.
This year brought us the addition of two new periodicals. Steampunk Tales is a short-story fiction magazine released specifically for iPhone. Alternatively, exploring the non-fiction side of steampunk, Exhibition Hall made its debut this year as well. On a sad note, due to the depressed economy, The Willows, a magazine devoted to speculative and dark Victorian fiction, went out of business early in the year.
Abney Park was quite busy this year. Dancer and backing vocalist Finn Von Claret left the band, and was replaced by Jody Ellen. After months of delay, the anticipated new album Aether Shanties was finally released on December 1st.
Previously a solo act, Vernian Process spent the last year reinventing itself. With the addition of Martin Irigoyen in late 2008, VP is now a full-sized band, and have released a reworked version of their album, “Behold The Machine“.
In the world of gaming Atlus online released it’s first title, a free steampunk MMORPG called Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent. The biggest flop of the year may have been Damnation, a steampunk shooter released on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Our hopes for a great steampunk game were restored however with the announcement of the forthcoming game, Epic Mickey, along with some apocalyptic-looking concept art. Epic Mickey is expected to be released in September 2010.
A couple of web series made their debut. Riese, a production featuring top actors from the Sci-Fi genre, tells the story of a wandering traveler and her canine companion who are on the run from an evil religious order known as The Sect. Also, the League of S.T.E.A.M., steampunk ghostbusters, already famous for their con appearances, began documenting their comedic travails in “Adventures of the League of S.T.E.A.M.”
For new webcomics this year, check out The Continentals, about a group of special agents battling violent crimes, Sidewise, about a boy lost in time in an alternate Victorian London, and The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, about Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage teamed together as a crime-fighting duo.
There are scores of new steampunk websites out there, and three of them deserve mention here. Steampunk Empire is a social networking site just for steampunks where one can go to chat, post photos and video, and interact with other steampunks across the globe. Likewise, Dieselpunks.org has been created for the dieselpunks among us and on top of social networking, also features new and interviews in the worlds of both steampunk and dieselpunk. Finally, “Steampunk Events is a forum for advertising steampunk events anywhere in the world. Though currently a bit inactive, the site has much potential, as long as people start using it.
Now that you’re caught up on what’s been happening in steampunk, here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
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.
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 25th 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 seenthetrailer, 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.
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:
“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.
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,
