Monthly Archives: January 2011

January 24, 2011 · 9:41 pm

Steampunk Novels you have to Read.

So you want to call yourself a Steampunk? Well, here are ten novels you have to read in order to qualify:

1.     The Difference Engine by William Gibson & Bruce Sterling

2.     The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

3.     A Nomad of the Time Streams by Michael Moorcock (a series of three novels)

4.     Perdido Street Station  & The Scar by China Miéville (2 Novels)

5.     Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

6.     His Dark Materials Trilogy from Philip Pullman

7.     Morlock Night by K. W. Jeter (a sequel to Wells’ The Time Machine)

8.     Soulless, Changeless, Blameless by Gail Carriger (three novels)

9.     Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia

10.  Boneshaker & Dreadnaught by Cherie Priest (two novels)

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January 10, 2011 · 10:08 pm

My love affair with Steampunk

I’ve always loved things dark and Gothic. Long before Stephenie Meyers was dreaming up sparkly vampires, I was devouring Ann Rice books. Diana Wynn-Jones and Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. I’ve always had a soft spot for zombies, werewolves and the occult. Witchcraft, secret societies and dark rituals filled my teenage day dreams.

And I like history. Especially Victoriana. I mean, a girl wouldn’t love a nice bustle dress or a good corset?

And what happens when all of this is combined ? Indeed… You get steampunk!

But I am a romantic steampunk fan. The first steampunk I read such as the likes of Moorcock,  William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s difference engine, was hard masculine and machiney. But I wanted more and so I started hunting. And in the time of this search, girl-steampunk was born. Steampunk written for women, by women.

Girl steampunk nods its head at 19th Century Gothic liteature. It’s Wuthering Heights and Dracula, reimagined in a steam-powered world. Jules Verne and Wilkie Collins. Elizabeth Gaskell and Jane Austin.

But most of all, steampunk is FUN. It’s fun to read. It’s fun to take part in and for me, most of all, it’s fun to write.

This doesn’t mean that writing good steampunk is easy. In fact, it presents the double challenge of the research associated with historical novels in tandem with the world building that fantasy and sci-fi writers have to do. Not easy, but fantastic if you get it right.

And steampunk doesn’t end with literature. For many, it is a way of life. It is reflected in almost all aspects of life. People dress like steampunks, they do up their houses. Steampunk conferences are popping up all over the world. More and more it is gaining mainstream recognition.

And why the appeal? Personally, I think it is a yearning for a time past. A time when the world wasn’t completely broken. Steampunk is the ultimate what if? And it is a what-if that rocks with giant steam-powered bells on.

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January 6, 2011 · 10:47 am

Ten truths I’ve learnt about being a writer:

I am but a baby-writer, so there will be no profound words of wisdom based on decades in the business here. But I did want to share what I have learnt on my adventure so far:

  1. Reading books on writing will not teach you how to write. What they will do is tell how other writers write and what works for them. You have to find your own voice and methodology. As far as I can tell, there is no right or wrong way to do this.
  2. Agents and Editors are not monsters. They are, in most cases, really nice people who work extremely hard. They want to find new authors and novels that will make money. They want to give you a chance. So don’t be a weirdo and don’t annoy them. Be positive and professional at all times.
  3. Publishing is a business not a theatre for artistes. At the end of the day, you need something that balances creativity and originality in a package that will appeal, yield good sales and make money. Be an artisan to your craft. Work at being the best writer you can be and forget the theatrics and the feather boas.
  4. “The harder you work, the luckier you’ll be” and “you’ll never know until you try” are two mantras to live by. It is highly unlikely that book deal is not going to fall out of the sky and into your lap. You have to make these things happen.
  5. You cannot be a writer if you don’t read. READ. Read widely. Read like a writer.
  6. Just as a shopkeeper cannot be a shopkeeper if he has no wares to sell, you cannot be a writer if you don’t write. Write every day. And if you can’t do that, do at least one writer-ish thing every day, for example, research, editing, attending workshops and so on.
  7. If you are a chicken, you need to hang out with other chickens sometimes to remind yourself of the fact that you are a chicken. [Insert the word “Writer” in place of “Chicken” where it appears]. Writing is a lonely job. You need to make friends with other people who write.
  8. Blogs, social networking and other online resources are free. Use them.
  9. While being a writer must be one of the best jobs in the world, writing is hard work. Don’t have any illusions about this fact. Don’t decide to become a writer because you want to make money or because you like the lifestyle. Become a writer, because you are in love with the act of writing.
  10. Lastly, always say to yourself: I am a writer. It’s not just something I do. That means, you are a writer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 and ¼ days a year. Never forget that. And never give up on the dream.

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January 3, 2011 · 10:07 am

Review: Alchemy of Stone – Ekaterina Sedia

Published in 2008 by Prime Books, this is not a new novel, but one I discovered while doing research for an article on steampunk the other day. I’ve decided to review it anyway, because I loved it so much.

First off, I have to admit that I am a book-cover junkie. Even since I was little, I’ve loved cover design and this one is gorgeous and had me hooked right from the start – so well done publishers!

So, on to the book: This is a Coppelia-esque steampunk fable set in the imagined city of Ayona.  This is not so much a book for hard-core steampunk fans. The tone is softer, more feminine and Ekaterina Sedia writes with sumptuous engaging prose. It is a rare treat to find literary writing in this genre and the devices she uses are subtle and they work.I especially liked the way the gargoyle point if view is worked into the narrative as their broad observations balance Mattie’s slightly narrow and naive point of view beautifully.

On the first page, we meet Mattie, an emancipated automaton with a beautiful porcelain face. She lives in an interesting world which is divided along very rigid lines. On the one side, there are the Mechanics. Masculine and analytical, they run things and build things in stomping steampunk style. On the other, the alchemists. Spritual and magical they work with the natural magic found in all things. But Mattie is an odd one. Made by Loharri, and a product of a mechanic, she trained to become an alchemist. Mattie is sweet natured and intelligent, but naive and one cannot help but fall in love with her. Her observations and perplexion of the humans around her forms the compelling core of this story.

The fable begins when the gargoyles – the magical stone beings who caused the city to rise up from the stone- come to see Mattie. They are dying and they need her help. In her attempts to help these gargoyles who watch the world with cool detachment Mattie starts uncovering dangerous secrets, which hold the potential to upset the balance of power in the City.

Mattie starts making decisions on her own and this does not sit well with Loharri, her creator and the one who literally holds the key to her heart.

This is a good read. The characters stay with one once the pages are closed. The book as a solidly-constructed ending. The only gripe I have, is that the book is a bit short. I would perhaps have wanted a bit more story and more information about the world.

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