Steampunk
The World of Steampunk: Goggles, Gaiters & Glory
There are two main kinds of steampunk. The first, which shall be called here, traditional steampunk, envisions a future as the Victorians imagined it. The writings of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne are good examples. The second, industrial steampunk, sees a far future world that harkens back to Victorian culture, for example a bustle dress made of kevlar. There are also other temporal options like clockpunk (c. 1500s) and dieselpunk (WWII).
Gail writes the traditional kind of steampunk, but her approach is two fold. First, she postulates that it is through the presence of immortals that the steam technology of the Victorian age diverged from our own timeline. Vampires are particularly interested in mechanicals and so promote technological advancement beyond that of the actual Victorians. Second, she tries to remain true to the scientific theory of the day, however much modern scientists have debunked it. In Alexia's world, the science is, at least, internally consistent, though occasionally mysterious.
This page presents a small sampling of steampunk elements available on the web. If you want a more in depth overview there's none better than the article writen by Jeff VanderMeer for Film in Focus. Gail also guest blogs at Fresh Fiction about some frequently asked steampunk questions.
Gails has some extensive panel notes with photographs and research links from the first California Steampunk Convention: Hands On the Future, Writing & Researching Steampunk, Captain Nemo: The Original Steampunk with Mike Perschon, Life, Rayguns, & Victorian Costuming, Jake von Slatt & Corsetry, Multimedia & Domestic Life, Tea & Young Persons, VanderMeers & Rex Barrett, The Babbage Engine, and Thrifting for Steampunk Notes & Resources.
Catch Gail being interviewed about how she got involved in the steampunk movement, Jane Austen's romantic tropes, her British heritage, and more on the Steampod podcast.
Racialicious uses Soulless in an academic essay on steampunk, and takes her to task for mistreatment of hapless Americans.
Steampunk Books & Magazines
Heart of Veridon ~ Tim Akers
The Windup Girl ~ Paolo Bacigalupi
The Women of Nell Gwynne's ~ Kage Baker
The Somnambulist ~ Jonathan Barnes
New Amsterdam ~ Elizabeth Bear
Crystal Rain ~ Tobias S. Buckell
Scar Night ~ Alan Campbell
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters ~ Gordon Dahlquist
Candle Man, Book One: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance ~ Glenn Dakin
The Steampunk Trilogy ~ Paul Di Filippo
The City of Ember ~ Jeanne DuPrau
Neverwhere ~ Neil Gaiman
The Difference Engine ~ William Gibson & Bruce Sterling
Thunderer ~ Felix Gilman
Winter's Tale ~ Mark Helprin
Clockwork Angels ~ Lea Hernandez
The Court of the Air ~ Stephen Hunt
Infernal Devices ~ K.W. Jeter
Newton's Cannon ~ J. Gregory Keyes
Escapement ~ Jay Lake
Zeppelins West ~ Joe R. Lansdale
The Affinity Bridge ~ George Mann
The Light Ages ~ Ian R. MacLeod
Perdido Street Station ~ China Mieville
A Nomad of the Time Streams ~ Michael Moorcock
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ~ Alan Moore
Anno Dracula ~ Kim Newman
Airborn ~ Kenneth Oppel
Whitechapel Gods ~ S.M. Peters
The Anubis Gates ~ Tim Powers
Boneshaker ~ Cherie Priest
The Prestige ~ Christopher Priest
The Golden Compass ~ Phillip Pullman
Mortal Engines ~ Philip Reeve
The Alchemy of Stone ~ Ekaterina Sedia
The Invention of Hugo Cabret ~ Brian Selznick
The Hunchback Assignments ~ Arthur Slade
Eyes of Silver ~ Michael A. Stackpole
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer ~ Neil Stephenson
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ~ Jules Verne
The Time Machine ~ H.G. Wells
The Wizard Hunters ~ Martha Wells
Leviathan ~ Scott Westerfeld
Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology ~ Nick Gevers (ed.)
Steampunk ~ Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (eds.)
The Grand Ellipse ~ Paula Volsky (eds.)
Like a Wisp of Steam ~ steampunk erotica from Circlet Press
Steampunk Tales : steampunktales.com
Steampunk Magazine: myspace.com/steampunkmagazine
Girl Genius Comic Strip: www.girlgeniusonline.com
Media
Gail's interview about steampunk at the California Steampunk Convention in 2008, used in Qore Episode 7 for their Damnation segment
Cup of Bown Joy ~ by Elemental (AKA The Infamous Tea Song)
At the California Steampunk Convention 2008
Boilertplate Promo
A Gentleman's Duel
Spider Robot