Your result for The Steampunk Archetype Test...
The Aetherist Bodger
The aether carries the information, the aether is information. You are one of the few who know the ins and outs of Aether Terminals. You can access information across the Aethersphere, tapping into the Aetherpipes of anyone you want and stealing the information stored in their datatanks. Some think of you as a myth, a legend created to scare people. You are no myth or legend, you are quite real and you are currently reading the Queen’s AetherMissives.
Take The Steampunk Archetype Test at HelloQuizzy
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Okay, we're done with tests for now. (An Aetherist Bodger, eh? That's probably spot-on.)
Now, on to steampunk web happenings. The good people at Modofly are holding an art contest with a steampunk theme; send in their submissions by August 10!
EgoPHobia is a very cool Romanian e-journal. Their latest issue is steampunk-themed and even includes an interview with Johnny Payphone, which is definitely worth the read.
Cory of Voyages Extraordinaires is vociferously not a steampunk. However, his site is celebrating Steampunk Month this August, and those of us who love his website and its attention to detail are thrilled.
I live with a man who's a huge fan of 1970s Op-Art. This makes our interior decoration scheme a little off-kilter at times, what with the dark woods and the chrome furnishings trying to co-exist. We've found common ground in these incredible space travel posters, though, and are planning our living room!
More art links: Ian, aka seriykotik, creates beautiful photomontages that look like dark Victorian cityscapes and portraits. The metal sculptors at Klaatu Varata are turning out magnificent work - my favorite is this alligator made from salvaged steel. An "anachronotechnofetishism" art show is taking place in Seattle next month (I am deeply envious).
Where are our futuristic buildings, anyway? (And where are the jetpacks?) They're appearing, but at a maddeningly slow pace. Oobject takes a look at the 15 modern buildings that come closest, in their eyes, to reflecting the city of Blade Runner.
Since energy is such a hot topic these days, dirigibles seem to get more and more press. The New York Times has an article on zeppelins; in the process of reading it, I discovered that there's an actual Zeppelin University. Some enterprising student should really start a t-shirt business there and capitalize on steampunk's recent popularity.
Speaking of capitalizing, this image scan sequencer is (by the website's own admission) not really steampunk, but has a definite charm and intricacy about it.
And lastly, who knew that there were 17 steampunky computer creations out there already? I think I'd only seen five or six until now!
Your result for The Steampunk Style Test...
The Gadgeteer
32% Elegant, 55% Technological, 43% Historical, 40% Adventurous and 31% Playful!
You are the Gadgeteer, the embodiment of steampunk technology. Ironically, many of the things that most define your style are probably too large to easily carry about, but given the opportunity you would prefer to be seen surrounded by boiler engines, gear-driven calculators, and incredible automata. Of all the steampunk fashion styles, you place the greatest emphasis on technological accessories, and you are the most likely to create elaborate gadgets that are as much a part of your outfit as your clothes. You probably have goggles, but unlike most people you consider them to be for more than decoration. Whereas most people might look odd carrying a satchel of tools around, for you they may well be essential. Above all, you remind everyone that what sets the genre apart from Victoriana is simply the level of technology.
Take The Steampunk Style Test at HelloQuizzy.
*****
Really? Gadgeteer? Well, then. (Actually, going from these results, I look like a fairly balanced individual. Ha.)
In more "steampunk meets the mainstream" news, Design Observer gets all grumpy about steampunkish stuff, and Bruce Sterling takes note of it. (I don't really understand the original article's vehemence against those who like steampunk. I mean, I'm not terribly keen on tiki decor, for instance, but if someone wants to build a fullscale tiki bar, I say more power to them, and I won't badger them about authenticity and whatnot.)
On the lighter side of snark, McSweeneys' monologue of a young steampunk is frighteningly accurate in places.
Think Geek is also getting in on the act, with this very cool steampunk skeleton t-shirt.
Meanwhile, the Machines de l'Ile workshop is open in Nantes, and I am dying to go. The Marine World Carousel will open in spring 2010, and looks gorgeous.
And then, in 2011, Seattle may be the host for WorldCon, and its bid is steampunk-themed!
The Bibliothèque de Toulouse is the latest to join Flickr; most of the uploaded photographs were taken between 1895 and 1910. There's a set dedicated to transportation, and many shots of everyday life.
You can still travel by cargo ship these days, believe it or not. And if you want a themed adventure, you can search for steampunky material as you sail!
And lastly, for those who are indifferent to steampunk but wouldn't object to a good old-fashioned Western video game, I give you Bang Howdy. Oh, there are steamguns, by the way. And dirigibles. But other than that, pure western!
Today's steampunk entry is mostly about the visual oohs and ahhs. If you'd like something with a little more density, however, sink your teeth into the history of science fiction between 1900 and 1910 - great material for research and inspiration! (Swiped from Matt's weblog.)
And now, on to fantastic robots that clank, a synthesizer that steams, a weblog full of artistic wonders that tick, and a game of clones and Cherry Chronoberry pies.
And look, a steampunk podcast! Huzzah!
SL: A novel with an automaton for a protagonist is about as steampunk as you can get, I think! What inspired you to write about Mattie?
ES: I am always drawn to not quite human characters -- I think because by being so essentially different they help bring into focus some of the more human concerns. With Mattie, who is explicitly a thing, it created an additional layer of interesting questions -- such as the agency of a created entity and the possibility of directly interacting with the person who gave her life. It also seemed like an interesting vehicle for talking about gender and essential definitions of such.
SL: The city almost seems like a character of its own in the book, and [your previous book] The Secret History of Moscow features a city as well. Is there something that draws you to cities personally?
ES: Yes, I do love cities, especially in the sense of them being expressions of people who live in them, accumulating those layers of history. The way they grow tells us so much about what happened to people in it, how this city came about -- LA, for example, is a city built around cars, while many European cities have such narrow streets that they are much more welcoming to pedestrian traffic. You see cities springing quickly with industrial development, or slowly expanding over centuries; you see cities planned on a grid and cities that are completely haphazard. So yes, places where people live are important because of what it says about them.
SL: Do you have a certain room or a certain space for writing?
ES: I have a small office in my house, and I do some of my writing there. I also have a NEC 900 handheld PC, and that allows me to write anywhere. I'm not at all picky about space -- I'm quite happy writing on a train or while watching TV with my husband.
SL: Which character is your favorite in the book? And which one gave you the most trouble?
ES: Mattie would be too obvious, so I'm going to say The Soul-Smoker. He is a sweet sweet man whose mere proximity will kill you. What's not to like?
Loharri was the most troublesome. He, as a perspicacious reader once noticed, is an asshole, and yet he's not devoid of some good qualities. So keeping him balanced and complex, without letting his veer into too much melodrama or evil, was difficult. The readers will see whether it actually worked.
SL: What's next for you? Do you have more books in the works?
ES: I have one more book coming out with Prime -- The House of Discarded Dreams, should be out next year. I am currently working on another book -- steampunk/alternate history. And I have a YA in the works, so keeping busy.
SL: Do you write your books in Russian or in English? Do you find that one language is more expressive or more restricting than the other?
ES: I only write in English, because I find it easier. Russian is a more complex language, and it is more difficult to write *well* in Russian -- for me, at least.
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Again, many thanks to Ekaterina, and I hope to feature more of this literary bent in future posts!
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