Back to the Start

So we have been through several different areas in our attempt to learn about and understand SteamPunk. We have looked at the beginnings of SteamPunk in literature thanks to the genius of H.G. Wells. We have looked at the underground phenomenon of the Con, and the way in which SteamPunk has become the post popular genre to Con goers lately. We looked at costuming and gadget making, as well as some very famous fashion designers that have taken some ideas from SteamPunky styles.

Today I want to go back to the start and take another look at literature. I want to suggest a book that everyone should check out if they are interested in SteamPunk and continuing to feed their interest on their own. It is call The Steampunk Anthology and it is edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. It contains literary essays on the genre and works written in the genre, as well as short stories and excerpts from novels. Some of the contributors are: James Paul Blaylock, Stephen Chapman, Mary Gentle, and Michael Moorcock, just to name a few. (Just as a side note: Michael Moorcock is the author of an amazing series called the The Elric Saga, that I would recommend to anyone who is into fantasy fiction.)

This is an excellent introduction to the genre because a few of the essays in it give a very through and detailed history of hoe the genre has come to be what it is now. One of the first essays in the book even traces the origins of the genre back farther than H.G. Wells who is thought of today as the forerunner of the genre. So, if this blog has piqued your interested and you want to learn more about SteamPunk, or want to just read more of this type of fiction I would definitely start with this book. Even if you are only interested in the fiction and not so much the history, you can sample several authors’ works in one place and decide who you like and who you don’t.

Steamboy

One area I have not yet touched on is Anime which, like just about everything else, has its own SteamPunk creations. The one I want to tell you about is by director Katsuhiro Otomo, who also directed Akira which is one of the most famous anime films ever made. Steamboy is a full length feature film that was co-written by Otomo as well.
Steamboy is set in the classic SteamPunk setting: 19th century London, and is centered around James Ray Steam. Ray is a 13-year-old boy living in Manchester, and is an inventor following the in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Edward and Lloyd Steam. In 1863 after a long and dangerous expedition they have discovered a pure mineral water source which they believe will be the ultimate source for steam powered engines. A horrible accident occurs during an experiment in Alaska and Edward is killed.
In 1866, in Manchester, Edward’s son Ray, the main character, works in a textile mill, lives with his mother, and tinkers around with inventions of his own. The arrival of a package from Ray’s grandfather containing a strange metallic ball sets the action of the film into motion. People come and try to steal the ball, and Ray ends up being kidnapped and taken to London. The entire film revolves around a large corporation, called the O’Hara Foundation, attempt to get the ball from Ray. The ball is the key to the perfect power source for the steam engine, and the corporation wants to use it to create weapons. Ray fights to keep the corporation form getting the ball.
This film is a wild ride from beginning to end, and if you are at all interested in anime, or animation in general I am sure you will enjoy it.

You Can't Take The Sky From Me

Today I feel like talking about one of my all time favorite shows. It is called Firefly and you may or may not have heard of it. It was written and directed by Joss Whedon who is best known for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. It aired on Fox in 2002 and for some ridiculous reason only lasted fro one season. The reason for this is beyond me because the show, and the movie Serenity, have acquired quite a large and devoted fan base. The movie Serenity was made in response to the very unhappy fans that wanted some sort of conclusion to the issues that presented themselves in the series but were never resolved. The show is set in the year 2517 and it has a futuristic western type style to the narrative. The show revolves around the rebel crew of the spaceship named Serenity. Serenity is a model ship that is called a Firefly, hence the name of the show. The crew is captained by Malcolm Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion who some of you may know as Captain Hammer from the Dr. Evil’s Sing Along Blog web series. Malcolm, or Mal as he is usually referred to, fought on the losing side of a civil war against The Alliance. The Alliance is an oppressive government organization that a group of people calling themselves Browncoats or Independents resisted against in the Unification War. Mal was an Independent sergeant in the crucial battle of Serenity Valley in which the Browncoats officially lost the war. In one of my favorite quotes from the show, a character tells Mal that he fought on the wrong side of the war, to which Mal replies, “May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.”

Each of the nine main characters are fully developed and interesting; each possessing their own quirks, humor, and purpose for being on the ship. Mal is the captain, Zoe is the first mate, Wash is the pilot as well as Zoe’s husband, Kaylee is the ship’s mechanic, and Jayne is a hired gun. Inara is a companion, which is this time period’s version of a courtesan. To be a trained companion is actually considered a respectable profession and her being on the ship allows for the crew to gain access to certain places they would not be able to otherwise. Simon and River Tam are brother and sister and they along with Shepherd Book got on board originally as paid passengers, paying for a ride from one place to another but due to certain circumstances remained on the ship and thus becoming a permanent part of the cast.

I could just go on and on about the sheer awesomeness of this show, but you really just need to see it for yourselves. The actors have such an amazing chemistry together on screen it makes them a pleasure to watch. Each one of the characters are so interesting and funny in their own way that everyone has a different personal favorite. You should really check it out if you have not already. And please watch the show before the movie. The movie is the conclusion and gives everything away!!! Trust me. You will be happy you followed my advice.

If you are not the crafty type...

If you are not the creative type and making crafts and gadgets is just not your thing, I am going to share with you some places around the internet that you can shop for SteamPunk apparel and accessories. You can spend a lot of time sifting through websites that are simply displaying items that are not for sale. I have done some of the work for you and looked through tons of sites to find some of the better ones that you can actually purchase items through. You’re welcome.

http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/gentlemans.php

The first place I found is called Gentlemen’s Emporium: Authentic Products and Old-Fashioned Service. This website is full of the more traditional and authentic styles of the Victorian era. They have a pretty good selection of men’ and women’s clothing as well as shoes, accessories, even bathing suits! They also have a SteamPunk tab call the SteamPunk Emporium: Authentic Period Clothing for a Better Tomorrow. Catchy, huh?
This website actually has a pretty good selection, but unfortunately I cannot attest to the quality of the pieces because I have not personally purchased anything from this company.

http://www.cybersteampunk.com/

This is another good one that has a pretty large selection, but it is mostly accessories. This website has tabs for clothing but when you click on it nothing is posted yet. I am guessing this is because this website is used by people who make things and then post them on here for sale and no one had posted anything yet in certain categories. There are some pretty awesome hand bags on this site that are made out of clocks though. Check it out!

www.artfire.com

This is another website where you can actually purchase items. It is an artist marketplace website so there are tons of different things on the site, but if you type Steampunk in the search bar a lot of Steampunk items come up. It is mostly handmade jewelry but there are some clothing items as well.

These are just a few sited that I have dug up for you, but there are a lot more out there you just have to take the time to find them.