Tag Archives: steampunk
Books for Christmas #1
Christmas before time: yesterday my brother gave me two books as a gift, and I already started reading one, because it looked quite interesting – an impression that was confirmed by the first chapters.
Continue readingHope & Glory: Glass Houses
I’m very proud to announce that Glass Houses, the first novella set in the Hope & Glory game setting, is finally available via Amazon, RPGNow and DriveThruRPG, in a variety of digital formats.
It’s been a long road, and it is good to finally see this first title out. And I owe a big Thank You! and a colossal, collective slap on the back to all the people that worked on this project.
More books will follow.
Glass Houses is a steampulp tale set in an India that never was – it is plain old fashioned science-fictional intrigue, and was designed as a stand-alone story for everyone, gamers and non-gamers.
To learn more about Hope & Glory … Continue reading
The Murdoch Mysteries
While it is absolutely certain that we are living in a very exciting time for TV series, I’m not particularly fond of the recent explosion of superhero shows.
I watched Arrow out of loyalty for a character I had loved in the comics, but apart from a savage crush for Felicity Smoak, I did not enjoy the show that much.
Granted, YMMV, but… I don’t know – I still prefer superheroes in comic books.
What I get into, a lot, these days, are mystery shows.
And having already waxed lyrical about that absolute gem, the Australian Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, I thought I might as well do a few posts on a few other shows I enjoy a lot. Starting with Canada’s own Murdoch Mysteries (which, I just found out, is called The Artful Detective in some quarters).
Win a copy of The Faraday Cage
Why not a good book, then?
The Faraday Cage is a new anthology of steampunk SF stories set in Steve Turnbull’s Voidships universe – that I really like and have reviewed in the past.
The volume features five stories by as many authors, exploring different facets of the Voidships universe.
The book will be out in may, but you can preorder it from Amazon and, by subscribing to the book’s mailing list, you get the opportunity of winning a hardback copy.
So, why not?
From the book’s press release:
In 1843, in front of an astonished audience in the Royal Society in London, Sir Michael Faraday demonstrated his Principle for the Partial Nullification of Gravity. In the demonstration various items, including one of Faraday’s assistants, had their measured weight reduced by a fifth.
While considered to be scientific oddity at first, it was an enterprising businessman, John Moats, who operated coastal cargo vessels, who recognised its value and utilised increasing numbers of these devices to carry heavier cargos aboard his vessels.
Once the process had begun it became unstoppable. In the 1850s the British Army converted their artillery units resulting in the easier transport of heavier guns. Flight soon followed with a vast range of different ways of getting into the air, from balloons to ornithopters.
By the beginning of the 20th Century the great countries of the world had stretched their empires across the world and into the Void.
The rest is alternate history.
A way point, and new projects
The first half of the first draft of my new novel is in the hands of my editor, while I hammer out the kinks in the second half.
The going is good.
I like the story, I like the characters, and I’m writing about good ideas in a way that I like.
Nice and smooth.
As it usually happens when I’m very busy doing a lot of things, nice ideas start popping up almost everywhere, and it feels really bad to put them on the backburner, or to bury them in my tiger-striped notebook, waiting for a moment to work on them.
So, while my science fiction novel is rounding the half-way buoy and my steampunk game is getting in shape, I’m setting aside two other ideas, not knowing when I’ll be able to work on them. Continue reading
Steampunk Hands Around the World 2015
Just a quick heads-up – in February, I’ll be attending the second Steampunk Hands Around the World event.
Beginning Sunday, February 1st, and continuing until Saturday, February 28th, the group will demonstrate this year’s theme of Steampunk: Our Playground, Our Classroom, Our Workshop with how steampunks revel in their fun, their education, and their making of The Future That Never Was.
Considering that the GreyWorld project does have a significant steampunk component, it will be nice to meet the steampunks from all over the world, compare ideas and what else.
Time to connect back with the healthy elements in the steampunk community, so to speak.
I think I’ll contribute to the workshop by posting steampunk-related posts here and on the brand-new, currently-under-construction GreyWorld blog – whose launch will hopefully coincide with the start of the event.
The workshop is open, and if you are interested, there’s a page on Facebook where you can sign up, and you can also find further information on the Airship Ambasador blog.