Introduction to Steampunk

I’m visiting the Romance Junkies Blog today, so please stop by!

Tomorrow at my own blog I start six days of posts about television adaptations of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy Sayers.

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Steampunk Recommendations

Comics:
Fullmetal Alchemist is a wonderful Japanese steampunk series, available as both manga and anime.

Also in comics, Lea Hernandez’ Cathedral Child and Clockwork Angels. Phil and Kaja Foglio’s Girl Genius can be read for free online.

I really love The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. And so should you.

Style:
If you’d like to get a good overview of steampunk fashion, check out Steampunk Workshop and the Flickr photo pool.

A quick guide to Steampunk style.

Do It Yourself is part of the fun, but if you want to spend money, try these fine vendors:
Clockwork Couture.
Victorian Trading Company.
Steampunk jewelry and accessories at Etsy.com.

Television:
The Wild Wild West was full of improbable gadgets. I prefer the tv show, not the later movie…though the movie might have sparked new interest, so who knows?

Books:
I’m going to focus on earlier examples of the genre for the most part.

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers.

The Iron Dragon’s Daughter by Michael Swanwick.

The Hollow Earth by Rudy Rucker.

Last, Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale is a much newer book that has some wonderful imagery and ideas, and includes a delicious male/male romance. I read this book wanting more of it, and still want more of it.

More?
Steampunk Month at Tor.com.

A post by Meljean Brook that’s an introduction to steampunk.

Done? Then move on to Dieselpunk.

I wonder when someone will start a trend of “SteamPink”?

About Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen [she, her] currently writes cozy space opera for Kalikoi. The novella series A Place of Refuge begins with Finding Refuge: Telepathic warrior Talia Avi, genius engineer Miki Boudreaux, and augmented soldier Faigin Balfour fought the fascist Federated Colonies for ten years, following the charismatic dissenter Jon Churchill. Then Jon disappeared, Talia was thought dead, and Miki and Faigin struggled to take Jon’s place and stay alive. When the FC is unexpectedly upended, Talia is reunited with her friends and they are given sanctuary on the enigmatic planet Refuge. The trio of former guerillas strive to recover from lifetimes of trauma, build new lives on a planet with endless horizons, and forge tender new connections with each other.
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3 Responses to Introduction to Steampunk

  1. vvb32 reads says:

    Love it. I look forward to the rest of your posts! And, love the steampink off-shoot idea. and is the definition in relation to heavily female doings or the glbt world? May I mention it on my blog? (credit to you, of course)

  2. Victoria Janssen says:

    I just made up "steampink" while writing this post. Though I'd be surprised if nobody came up with it before!

  3. jennareynolds says:

    Steampink! Cool! :)

Comments are closed.