So there's this blog I recently found out about called Xerposa, where they gather all kinds of wonderful steampunk things together for your reading pleasure. For example, they have a list of steampunk bands (I only knew about Abney Park, Unextraordinary Gentlemen, Prof. Elemental, and Vernian Process), a continuing debate about hydrogen versus helium in airships (obviously in a steampunk setting hydrogen is best, but some people can't be reasoned with - I mean, helium wasn't even discovered until 1903!) and short articles on various crafts/fashions/items to lust after (including cufflinks made by yours truly! I feel so famous!) They even gathered up a few handy steampunk-looking fonts. They're so helpful.
There are also articles about steampunk itself, as a subculture, and as a literary movement. I like this one especially. It's about time. And I have found this to be the case in a lot of steampunk writing - I think it's because they are trying to tell the story of a world and the setting and characters are detailed enough that they are pretty realistic. Also, steampunks tend to be geeks, and so are their characters, and they have too much cool shiny explody stuff to tell you about to waste time moping about abuse in their backstories.
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There is a game the Penny Arcade Report (they hired a guy to give gaming news) was gushing about where one of your sidekicks periodically eats frogs (because he's addicted) and then attacks you. See, the frog-eating guy represents the creator's abusive alcoholic father. No, that isn't a joke. And the utterly pathetic thing is how many people were impressed by that.
ReplyDeleteThis is, as you say, something to like about steampunk: they are people who know that Anno Hideaki is not a role model. Now if we could only get them to acknowledge that Otomo Katsuhiro isn't one, either...
Yes, that's very true.... steampunks are a little too fond of making incoherent statements about violence/tech/warfare, and then just blowing shit up for an hour. Not that there's anything wrong with blowing things up (FOR SCIENCE) but don't whine about it.
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