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Books by D.J. Butler
Category Archives: Steampunk
What Is Steampunk? (Modding)
A retrofuturistic visual aesthetic is an essential part of Steampunk, which in some ways is at its heart a fashion movement. At WorldCon this year there were several sessions on “modding” your current-tech gear to make it more steam-y. Here, … Continue reading
What Is Steampunk? (Restoration Hardware)
A significant part of Steampunk’s signature and allure is a Victorian science fiction visual aesthetic. Check out these offerings from Restoration Hardware:
Steampunk Hits the Smithsonian
Steampunk is in its quintessence Victorian, and so is usually set in England or in pseudo-Englands. But America had a Victorian Age, too. What might American Steampunk look like? The Smithsonian is now running an exhibit that might give us … Continue reading
What Is Steampunk? (Recent Readings)
(From recent readings.) Lavie Tidhar’s The Bookman promises to be the first of a trilogy. In feeling, it harks back to K.W. Jeter’s Morlock Night and Infernal Devices — it feels more like dark, imaginative, slightly nutty science fiction than … Continue reading
Posted in Steampunk
Tagged Lavie Tidhar, Paolo Bacigalupi, The Bookman, The Wind-Up Girl
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What Is Steampunk? (Bartitsu again)
Bartitsu (Baritsu?) is in the news again. Or at least on a blog. Apparently, you can take classes.
What Is Steampunk? (13) (More Steampunk+)
I’ve been reading (and writing) more steampunk. Here are three more examples of not-quite-straight-up-Vernesian steampunk. Larklight and sequels, by Philip Reeve, are steampunk space opera for middle readers. This series has the Whimsy cranked to 11. Britannia rules the aether … Continue reading
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What Is Steampunk? (12) (… John Hartford?!)
I’ve connected Bluegrass and Steampunk before as metaphors for each other. Now let me tie them together with another connection, in the person of songwriter, fiddler, steamboat enthusiast and banjo stylist extraordinaire John Hartford. This is one of my favorite … Continue reading
Posted in Song, Steampunk
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What Is Steampunk (11)? (K.W. Jeter)
K.W. Jeter famously coined the term “steampunk” in the late 1980s (when “cyberpunk” was all the rage) to describe what he, Tim Powers and James Blaylock were writing at the time. In the current (Angry Robot 2011) reprint of his … Continue reading
