This is going to be a bit of stream of consciousness writing… the whirling dervish in my brain is wreaking havoc with my Venn diagrams and I am a bit incoherent. Lots of photos then! But first, I have to mention, Diana has a fun book giveaway going on at Oh! Books…Paper…Real life. Diana went CRAZY at a Saint Louis Mo book sale and came home with a treasure trove of goodies, which she is sharing. Sweet!
Speaking of books, I have been immersed in steampunk recently. I don’t know where this poster of Abe Lincoln came from, but it really tickled my funny bone. But if you are not sure of what steampunk means, look at good old Wikipedia:
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions.
Immersed means not only books, but mag articles, websites, jewelry, art exhibits, and… dare I say… writing. Who would have thought? But I am having great fun. More on that another day. Jewelry? Check out the Etsy shop of Nouveau Motley! And shop there: I think this necklace is particularly wonderful:
Photo from Nouveau Motley Etsy Store
A great website to keep you updated on all things steampunk is Steampunk Scholar. In an earlier post, author Mike Perschon quotes from an article he wrote for Journey Planet,
A month before my first steampunk convention in 2008, Adam Frucci at Gizmodo declared steampunk dead. I interviewed Jeff and Ann VanderMeer about their first steampunk anthology at that convention; and here we are, two years later, seeing the release of a second anthology. I suppose in some people’s minds, so long as one person attends the San Francisco Dickensfaire with brass goggles, steampunk will still be alive.
You can read the complete article in issue 6 of Journey Planet.
Wait a minute, back to jewelry… (the dervish whirls). My therapy has me stringing beads, and I have had great fun searching Etsy shops for the perfect raven skull. I found it, perfect size and just the color I wanted, at Moon Raven Designs. No, of course it isn’t a real skull, it is cast resin, detailed, and just what I was looking for. The necklace isn’t completed, but I am feeling the need of some therapy coming on for this weekend!
Is that skull cool or what!?
Steampunk I have been reading? Thanks to Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings, last year I read Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest. Set in Seattle, it is a great read. Check out Carl’s review here.
And speaking of Seattle, apparently steampunk has not run out of ….. steam!….. there. November 19th -21st, 2010 is Steamcon II. Cherie Priest is one of the speakers! It looks like last year was a lot of fun:
Photos from Steamcon site
I recently finished reading Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel, a young adult fantasy, the middle book of a trilogy. This book was a lot of fun. The story began in Paris, in a restaurant located in the Eiffel Tower that had a landing dock for various air going vessels, and was set in the mid 1800’s (or so it seems). Oppel has a great website. In the same theme, on my bedside table are Steampunk, an anthology edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, and The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul Di Filippo. My current read is Extraordinary Engines, another anthology, edited by Nick Gevers. It has all been great fun.
But what’s mostly been whirling around our house (in a manner of speaking) is Teagan! She is growing, and already seven weeks old. Time flies, and all that.
Zoey is just a little bit jealous, and has to be involved in all things baby
Mama, auntie, and Teagan at Mama’s birthday party
Baby Tea. She loves to read!!
...Kopi Time 
Goodness, she’s a beautiful girl, isn’t she?! I know you are having the time of your life with her around.
And thanks for explaining Steampunk to me. I’ve seen lots of items on Etsy under that category… I liked what I saw, but had no earthly idea what the name meant. I mean, Jane Austen never mentioned Steampunk, did she? Thanks for clueing me in!!
I was clueless too! Hard to believe steampunk has been around for at least 20 years and I didn’t even notice. Better late than never! (but I guess dear Jane would be clueless, too).
Our darling baby is a real treat to have around. There is nothing like kissing a baby’s fat little cheek.
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Wonderful post! I have long been a fan of all things steampunk, and the evolution of sites like Etsy which is filled with steampunky goodness and many steampunk themed blogs and websites there is just so much to drool over and to get inspired by. I’m so glad you enjoyed Boneshaker, it really is a fun book. One of these days I’m going to keep a promise to myself and do either one massive steampunk post OR a steampunk themed week. There is just too much great stuff out there not to share it.
And Teagan is a doll!!! Very cute. And based on the pic with mom and auntie she comes from a family of heartbreakers. You must be proud to bursting!!!
Proud to bursting about sums it up!!! Can’t get enough of that little sweetie.
A steampunk week, please! I have really been getting distracted with internet side roads and meandering through steampunkness. There is a lot of great (and not so great) stuff out there. While I would never get into the full blown reenactment thing, it is fun to look at, and I really like some of the jewelry I see on Etsy – especially stuff made with watches. Thanks for introducing Boneshaker to me; it inspired the whole trip!
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I almost posted for Ada Lovelace day – I’ve got things all lined out for next year!
It’s so interesting to trace the path of her work, veering off as she did from her literary parentage and – well, see. There I go. I don’t need to write my blog in your blog. So, if you don’t know Ada, here’s the link to the Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace
And have you seen the steampunk wedding cakes?!?
I have Boneshaker now, also thanks to Carl, and am really looking forward to some exploration. I’d LOVE a steampunk week. Carl, are you listening?
Yes, I requested a steampunk week too. And wedding cakes? I am going to have to check that out!
I hope you enjoy Boneshaker… I am reading the Steampunk anthology by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer. The history of the genre is quite interesting. Never a dull moment!
Ada was a girl ahead of her time, no doubt. It would be fun to write about her….. so I will be waiting for you to do that!
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The necklace is going to be fabulous! Steampunk — one of my art friends was doing steampunk-inspired art. Now I understand a bit more! And Ms. Teagan is beautiful — as is your daughter. How joyful you must be.
I see you just sent an email — probably a blog post! So, thanks for coming by! (Is it about Chihuly? It was awesome!)
Hi Jeanie. I am indeed joyful. She is a little sweetie! Thanks for visiting.
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Love the whole steampunk thing… great necklace!! I just finished an altered book/steampunk journal collaborative and now am hooked on all of the imaginative artwork. Teagan is one delicious baby… smooch those cheeks for me! Deb
Ooooooo – Deb, are you going to show us some pics of the journal on your blog? I would love to see it! I will smooch those cheeks, no problem!!
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You are most certainly welcome. Hopefully it will work out to do a Steampunk Week this summer. I can use you as my kick in the butt to do it. I’ve made tentative plans to do so for the past two summers and haven’t done so.
Okay, you are committed. I will indeed give you a kick to encourage that Steampunk Week this summer! Thanks for dropping in, Carl.
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Not sure if you’ve seen this or not, but I thought this was a really nice post:
http://www.morevikings.com/recs-and-rants/steampunk-reading-list/
I had not seen it – thanks!!
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