Steampunk thinkings often lurk in the back of my mind. I think this mostly happens because I am a tinkerer. I look at a broken piece of machinery and see it as a smorgasbord of delicious parts. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to tinker and explore such things. I’ve substituted that itch with tinkering online since I can chock it up to ye old day job. That’s no longer going to be enough. I need hands on fidgeting with gadgety mechanisms! A bucket o’ clock parts would be fab too!
But my interest in steampunk branches out from there to all forms of media. I can’t wait for the Sherlock Holmes movie! I adored The Somnambulist and Fullmetal Alchemist. Ooh and all the classics and new books coming too. The list goes on and on. And that’s just fantastic really! :)
My interest in it also leans into clothing and jewelry, none of which I own…yet! I want to learn to make my own clothes and jewelry. My clothes are so damn boring. They need some help and some serious individuality. Sheesh. Ooh, I’ve even wanted to sketch out some designs for my own steampunk tarot deck. That’ll be fun!
So, see? These sorts of things are often rattling around in the back of my mind. Then earlier this week, Cherie Priest had to go and write this fantastic post on her Clockwork Century blog. The nerve. I know. Since now what’s happened? I can think about nothing but steampunk. Not a damn thing! :P
Here’s the thing, she brought up a great point about the genre being so Victorian centered. Then she ran through a checklist of how an American backdrop could be used. And I thought, of course! Of course it can! Now I want to read Boneshaker pronto but I’m trying to hold off. I’ve had the manuscript on my ereader for months and I tried to read it but it felt wrong. Steampunk just needs to be read as a tangible book. I need to feel the pages turning in my hands. It’s a thing. :)
But it’s had me thinking about cultural settings. A lot. But I got so absorbed thinking about all the crafting I want to do that I didn’t even realize how much I was thinking about one particular cultural backdrop. I rambled to a friend out these steampunk crafts and about how I also want to learn to make kanzashi. The she exclaimed, “Steampunk kanzashi!” Duh. I hadn’t put that together. I’m dense, I know. But now I’m thinking about how the blend of kanzashi with steampunk flair could be a nice strange balance. A touch of femininity to the mechanical feel. Could it work? No clue, but it sure sounds fun.
But from there we rambled about how awesome it would be to see a Japanese setting for steampunk, which of course would be absolutely wonderful. Does it hit all the check points on Cherie’s list? Not sure. I’d have to think about that more. But now I’m wondering about what other cultures would be a fitting backdrop. Hmm… what do you think? Have a setting you think would fit for steampunk stories? I can’t say that before reading that post I’d really given it much thought.
But now I am.
And also thinking about what I can make. But I’m stuck counting down now until my vacation when I can try to devote some time to all this. I want to make stuff. I need to do some serious research first. But I SO need to tinker and make stuff and read a stack of steampunk books and comics. Add in some good solid writing time and that’ll be a perfect week. Yay!
Oh, and what books should I be adding to my stack to read? Got suggestions?
End ramble.
