Brass Farthing's Medicinal Compound

Brass Farthing was in fine voice this weekend at Nova Albion.

What do Steampunks Drink?

What do Steampunks drink?
Well, yes absinthe. But before even the Green Fairy, tea is the quintessential beverage.

All proper protagonists (eg Alexia Tarabotti) consume pots of the stuff in the course of their adventures.

Professor Elemental raps about his Cup of Brown Joy.

And B. Fuller's Mortar and Pestle sells it ready to brew at Nova Albion.

California's Steampunk Season

April and May seem to be high season for steamcons in California.

First (if you believe time is linear), Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition convenes from April 24 - 26, in Santa Clara. This year's theme is "Steampunks in Space." The author Guest of Honor is Gail Carriger, author of the Parisol Protectorate series and the newly launched Etiquette and Espionage young adult series.

Second, Gaslight Gathering 3 convenes in San Diego from May 3 to 5. Jay Lake will be the writer Guest of Honor; and Tribal Baroque will perform a VIP concert.

Third, Clockwork Alchemy pairs up again with Fanime near San Jose. For relaxation, visit the Alchemist's Tea Parlour. For people-watching, check out the look on the Fanime kids' faces as they discover steampunk gear in the Artists' Bazaar!

Of course, many smaller gatherings will occur through the state the rest of the year. But you aren't likely to find so many California steampunks together under one roof again Dickens Fair.

Food Trucks and Steampunks

What do steampunks eat? (besides tea and crumpets, of course)

Well, if they are out at Craneway Pavillion in Richmond, CA after the Boilerhouse restaurant has closed, and they want to enjoy the first ever Steamstock music festival until all hours, they might subsist on any fare available.

Fortunately, the Naked Chorizo food truck allows one to not merely subsist but thrive. In addition to chorizo, they offer traditional Phillipine dishes such as lumpia and chicken adobo, as well as a yummy Arroz a la Cubana.

So all the fans of alternate histories got to travel around the world as well as through time, without ever leaving the festival.  A delicious happenstance, indeed.

Three Musketeers – with Airships

Yet another Hollywood remake of Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale, The Three Musketeers? Yawn. But wait! Was that an airship in the trailer?

On the strength of that one bit of steampunkery, I gave the movie a try. Fortunately, my expectations were set low. The writers and producers did tweak the characters and plot a bit, but not as much it seemed while watching. Some updates from the historical fiction, written during France’s Belle Epoch but set during the 1600’s, may have been made to give modern audiences easier access to the story. But the broad brush storyline of young D’Artangan leaving his village to find his fortune in Paris, falling in with the famous trio, and getting the girl while helping the Crown actually holds true to the main points Dumas hung his tale upon.

The wild swerve in this re-telling comes from using the airships as a key visual device. In the opening sequence, we watch the Musketeers – plus Milady – steal plans for an airship from the ingeniously secured vault of Leonardo DiVinci’s scrolls. Later we get to see the airships in action, including a full-out battle in the sky.

Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan

Before tackling his first steampunk series, Scott Westerfeld crafted a range of science fiction tales, including his other young adult series, Uglies, and Midnighters. Creating a world that stretches the bounds of real science, populated by interesting characters, and driven by events loosely based on actual history, is a skill he has honed over many years of writing. So it's no surprise that he transfers his skills seamlessly into the Leviathan series.

In Leviathan, first in the trilogy named after it, the first World War is about to break out. Political lines are drawn not so neatly between countries that have embraced Clanker diesel-punk technology and Darwinist bio-technology. We see the disparate cultures through the eyes of our two adolescent protagonists, a girl disguised as a boy within the British Air Service and an Austrio-Hungarian prince.

In the best steampunk style, the plot moves along at a rollicking pace, with danger -laden travel by land (in an armored metal Stormwalker) and air (in an airship genetically engineered from the DNA of a whale, and an ecosystem of support creatures). Westerfeld's excellent use of imagery brings these creations of science and engineering alive in the mind. Black and white illustrations augment the very visual text.

The characters feel credible as individuals, as products of their historical era (alternate in some events and technologies, but not in social mores) and cultures. Impending war gives the two adolescents in particular a chance to arc as characters, to be of their time and place but not wholly constrained by it.

Although the hardback version seems hefty at 434 pages, it makes a very quick read, engaging and fast-paced. You may find certain new words, like squick, clart, and barking, infiltrating your own vocabulary. Visions of amazing beasts and impressive machines will linger in your imagination; and you'll want to know what happens next to these two intrepid youngsters. Fortunately, book two - Behemoth, is already on the shelves.

Timeless Tea Tickets Secured!

Delighted to report that although the Timeless Tea with Gail Carriger is sold out, two of the limited edition tickets have been secured for yours truly and my Better Half (BH for short). As is my unfortunate tendency, I neglected to pay full attention when she originally floated the idea. Hmm? Tea with favorite author? Affordable? Local? Sounds good - remind me later.

Now with confirmation of the event, I have finally read through the official invitation and am filled with anticipation. Tea of course is never a bad idea; but tea with excellent company is truly splendid. A reading and pre-release copy of a novel by a favorite author would be worth the time, even without nibbles and beverage. Together, who could resist?

The party celebrates both the launch of Timeless, the final installment of the Parasol Protectorate series and the end of the series. No reason to celebrate the latter, you say? Bittersweet as this ending may be, it enables a new series to begin - Finishing School, whose book the first releases in approximately a year.

As I will finish Timeless within a week of holding it in my hands, the year could drag perilously slowly. Recommendations for reading during the gap would be most welcome. Victorian fantasy classics? Steampunk works I may have missed? Obscure titles? Do tell; and I shall report in full on the tea.