Steampunk Canada

Review - Steampunk Tarot

Sun, 06 May 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Tarot cards to me are not only a form of divination, but an art form as well. I am very particular when it comes to tarot cards. I have only four decks, each one having struck a chord in me as soon as I saw them. I fell in love with their clear and vivid readings, as well as their artwork.

When author Barbara Moore began her blog quite some time ago talking about her project with artist Aly Fell, I was curious. Not only because they were doing a steampunk project, but because they were blending steampunk with the spiritual and creating a tarot deck. Ms. Moore discussed their personal insights into the progression of each card, from their initial ideas, to each finished piece.

Tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore's life for over 20 years. She is intrigued with its blend of mythology, psychology, art and history. She has written a number of guides to reading and layouts in the past. She has done a great service to steampunk with her latest book (and the deck). She has taken all the traditional imagery and meanings and blended them seamlessly with the steampunk aesthetic. Each suit keeps its meaning, but it is enhanced through the steampunk details and characters.

British illustrator Aly Fell has been an animator for television and computer games. He now illustrates, particularly creating strong female characters. This is very obvious in a number of the tarot cards. All but one of the knights and pages, which are traditionally male figures, are female. They are dressed in traditional male attire and are strong, confident figures.

Here are just a few of the knights and pages. The gentleman in the middle with the fabulous mustache is the only male.

Together they have produced a deck of exquisite beauty and depth. The detail in each card is outstanding! I have looked at them a number of times now and I am still seeing small items I did not notice before. There is also emotion and intensity within each illustration that brings a new level to the traditional meanings of the cards.

Like author Barbara Moore, tarot has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I was taught the original meanings and to use one's intuition to “see” what stands out in each card to get the whole story. When it came to doing this review, I did not want to simply read the book and look at the artwork. To give a proper review, using them in the proper context was needed. I was very lucky to have a few friends kind enough to let me do readings for them. I won't give you all the details, as a reading is very personal, but here are a few of the cards from each reading:

Michel Daw, modern Stoic and community leader – The Emperor, Two of Pentacles, Eight of Wands

The meanings of each that stood out were – strength, movement, taking off like a rocket (yes that's what I wrote down).

Pamela Daw, modern Stoic and community leader – Nine of Cups, Ten of Pentacles

The meanings of each that stood out were – celebration and good to come. Very positive.

Nancy Overbury – Steampunk artist, fashion maven and author of Overbury Ink.

The Chariot, Queen of Cups, Wheel of Fortune.

The meanings of each that stood out were – movement, determination, change in her favour.

I thank each of these brave souls for being my guinea pigs while exploring The Steampunk Tarot. I felt a little stiff doing these readings (I had only just received it). It always takes time to grow accustomed to a new deck, however, the images are so detailed and sumptuous that in no time at all any person using this deck will find it amazingly simple to use.

I cannot fully express how beautiful this deck is. In spirit and artwork it is the most gorgeous deck I have seen in many years. Even if I was not a huge fan of steampunk, the images are recognizable and classic, rich and expressive. They are sure to provide years of enjoyment, whether you read them or simply want them for their fabulous artwork.

My old camera is not great for close ups, but this gives you an idea of how unique the images are.

For more information, and to purchase the set (deck and book), go to Llewellyn.com or Amazon.ca

Review - The Dark Victorian

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:55:00 +0000

In an 1880 mechanical and supernatural London, two resurrected criminals, Artifice the artificial ghost and Jim Dastard the animated skull must fight supernatural forces run amok as agents of His Highness Prince Albert’s Secret Commission.

Book 1 - RISEN:

Jim Dastard gets a new partner, Artifice the artificial ghost, and they must capture a rogue reanimationist who’s resurrecting murderous children.

The two main characters are intriguing,not only is Artifice, or Art as Jim calls her, a past criminal and now a ghost, but she's also a Quaker. My sister is a Quaker. I think the author has done a fine job of incorporating their beliefs here. Eventhough it seems a strange bedfellow in a story of murder and magic, it suits the character well and gives her a lot of dimension and heart which can often be lacking in such a dark story. Jim is very lively and has a sharp tongue, which is difficult when you are a skull with no actual tongue. His wit and wisdom are fantastic.

I quite like the Prince's Secret Commission created by Ms. Watasin and the fact that they use the animated corpses of executed criminals for their special agents. Fabulous recycling! The use of magic instead of technology for their special gadgets is also quite refreshing.

The many secondary characters introduced in this first book are just as interesting as Art and Jim, and I look forward to learning more about them in future volumes. A few of these minor characters also hold clues to Art's past, and from the crumbs given in this volume, it seems a most fascinating past will be revealed.

The scariest part of the book is the small army of undead children wreaking havoc amongst the upper and lower classes alike. It not only gave me the willies, but also flashbacks of Steven King's Pet Cemetery. However, the story behind this reanimated horde is well thought out and poignant. Luckily there is much humour in the story as well to lighten the mood and move the tale along.

One of my favourite parts of the book came when Jim took Art to the Vesta club. I had a feeling about the club before they even entered and was quite pleased to be found correct. Little did the author know, before giving me her book to review, that I had researched Vesta Tilley quite a long time ago, and for which our steampunk trailer is named. Kudos Ms. Watasin for covertly incorporating such a fine person within your story.

Risen is a short book and a quick read, but it is very entertaining. It is a good lead up to future volumes inThe Dark Victorian Series.

Author Elizabeth Watasin has worked on 13 animated feature film favorites including Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, and Princess and the Frog. She wrote for Disney Adventures magazine and her graphic novel Charm School is published by SLG Publishing. She lives with a black cat named Draw in a tree house in Los Angeles. She's currently working on her storybook Fey Dently, Vampyre, A YA adventure novel, Wit's World: Never Was, and the short story Gothic steampunk series, The Dark Victorian. You can find out more about her at a-girlstudio.com

You can purchase The Dark Victorian through Amazon and BarnesandNoble .

Review - Peerless Prodigies of PT Barnum

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

My major in university was history. I love history, but I have dozed off at many a dry and boring lesson and I have sat through many university history lectures. However, I did have a few professors who understood that history is not boring and should not be presented as a list of dates and events. There were people involved, people who were creative and interesting enough to be documented and shared with the future.

Professor Jillian Lerner (the author) and Marc Olivent (the illustrator) understand this idea and have done an admirable job of bringing history to life in The Peerless Prodigies of P. T. Barnum. Not only that, but they have used a little fictional license to entice a younger crowd. They have also taken a piece of history and made art of it. Their graphic novel is one of the most entertaining history books I have read. It draws the reader in with the story and the great artwork. It reminded me of the old “Believe it or Not” illustrations. Now mind you their topic is intriguing to begin with – advertising in the 19th century. With all of the new technologies being invented in the Victorian period, and the Victorian hunger for the strange and bizarre, the field of advertising was growing and changing quickly to feed this hunger.

While their graphic novel is a mix of the historical and fantastical, the reader can find out more about the historical figures by simply going to their website prodigies.ca They have done a great job of giving a history lesson on the main characters, again in an entertaining fashion, that will surely stick with the reader.

I bet if we had more of these types of history books in our schools there would be a lot more people interested in history. You could also use these for other subjects generally thought of as dry....like geography. How about a series of graphic novels taking Captain Nemo to different parts of the world while teaching about that part of the world. Ok, I'm getting a little excited. You get the idea.

Thank you Dr. Lerner and Mr. Olivent for making history interesting and fun!

Wollstonecraft...and a Contest

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:55:00 +0000

Steampunk Canada member Jordan Stratford, with the help of the wonderful Airship Ambassador (another member) started a Kickstarter fundraiser in the hopes of raising the huge amount of $4,000.00 to get Jordan's fabulous idea for a book off the ground. Go to Wollstonecraft and see how amazing the response has been!

Here is the description from the Kickstarter page...

Wollstonecraft

London 1826: The Advent of the Steam Age

11 year old Ada has a problem: her governess, Miss Coverlet, has quit her job to go get married (a dumb idea if ever there was one, if you ask Ada) and her new tutor Percy ("Peebs") is a total drip. She'd rather be left to her own devices – literally – inventing things and solving math problems and ignoring people altogether. She's also forced to study alongside the imaginative girlie-girl Mary, who's always going on about romance and exotic travels. Fortunately, Mary's appetite for adventure leads her to propose the two girls open a detective agency, and when an heiress shows up with a case about a missing diamond, it's the perfect puzzle to coax Ada out of her shell.

This is the made up story about two very real girls – Ada, the world's first computer programmer, and Mary, the world's first science fiction author – caught up in a steampunk world of hot-air balloons and steam engines, jewel thieves and mechanical contraptions. For readers 8-12.

This is a pro-math, pro-science, pro-history and pro-literature adventure novel for and about girls, who use their education to solve problems and catch a jewel thief. Ada and Mary encounter real historical characters, such as Percy Shelley, Charles Babbage, Michael Faraday, and Charles Dickens – people whom the girls actually knew. If Jane Austen wrote about zeppelins and brass goggles, this would be the book.

Steampunk Canada recently became a supporter when they opened a new Level - Library Sponsor. The whole set of books to be written will be given to a library chosen by the sponsor. This was a brilliant opportunity to put some of the funds, raised from all those who have sponsored Steampunk Canada through donations and advertising spaces, back into the community!

Now Steampunk Canada wants to get our members involved from coast to coast (this is open to Canadian members only). We would like you to pick the library! Simply write a 200 word essay on Why should your library have Wollstonecraft donated to it?

Email your essay to contest@steampunkcanada.ca

I'm going to give you lots of time to pick your library and come up with creative essays - the deadline is July 15th.

Of course the Kickstarter fundraiser still has 13 days to go, but you can be guaranteed these books will happen, they will be fantastic and any library would be thrilled to have them! Let's get more steampunk books into our libraries!!

The winner's library will be informed of the donation and will receive the winning essay as well. The winner will receive a certificate of appreciation and the knowledge that their local library now carries a set of amazing steampunk books and they put them there!

Steampunk Jewellery

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:15:00 +0000

I'm in Spain. Well, sort of. I was interviewed by a jewellery designer in Spain. Of course, it would have been nice to have been interviewed in Spain, but my travel budget just did not allow for that lovely dream.

Find out my thoughts on steampunk jewellery at Steampunk Jewelry Tonight With...

Review - Wicked as They Come

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:35:00 +0000

I have read a large number of steampunk books. A few of them have involved vampires. But this story, I can say with absolute certainty, is the first steampunk book I have read with predator rabbits!

Author Deliliah S. Dawson has taken the usual story of vampire and turned it on its head. She has brought them back to their predator side. It's not a curse or a spell or even a disease. They can walk in daylight and even have children. The best part is the number and variety of other “blud” creatures, but I'll leave the future reader to find that out on their own. I have already mentioned the bludbunnies. They were definitely my favourite. I also loved how the book's heroine Tish Everett learned to “punt” the little nippers away from her when they would come sweetly hopping from the woods to bleed her dry. Visions of Monty Python dance in my head just at the thought of it.

I also quite enjoyed the mode of travel, so to speak, to get from our world to the land of Sang where the blud creatures outnumber the “pinkies”. Again the author has taken a different approach and has the doorway open through the unconscious mind, and this is not just Tish's mind, but also a couple of other characters who are central to the plot. What Ms. Dawson has left out is the how and why one gets to Sang. She has left me itching for answers that I do hope are revealed in her next book which takes place in this same land, only with different main characters.

There are a number of steampunk aspects to the book, from the Victorian dress and morals, to the automaton creatures and transportation devices throughout the story. She has also used some of the Victorian clothing practices – high collars and gloves – as a means of protection against the blud creatures,clever. Other than the gears found on the front cover, there are no superfluous gears or goggles found here. Everything is well placed and makes sense. It's quite refreshing. The best part is the gorgeous submarine – savour the description. It is definitely Verne inspired! If I had all the money in the world I would have someone use her description to build me one...or at the very least redo the interior of my steampunk trailer.

Wicked as They Come is fast paced and fun. It has an incredibly imaginative plotline and a very lovely badboy hero. It's like a favourite beach book, but darker...and with bunnies.... with big nasty teeth.

Cover Reveal and Contest

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:40:00 +0000

Canadian author Adrienne Kress is getting ready for the release of her upcoming steampunk novel The Friday Society.

Here is the author's "blurb".

Be Your Own Hero . . .

Set in London at the turn of the last century, the novel follows the stories of three intelligent and very talented young women, all of whom are assistants to very powerful men: Cora, lab assistant to a member of parliament; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant to a martial arts guru; and Nellie, a magician's assistant. The three young women’s lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It’s up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder—and the crimes they believe may be connected to it‐‐without calling too much attention to themselves.

Told with Adrienne Kress's sharp wit and a great deal of irreverence, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike--well, relatively ladylike--heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

....and here is the cover!

Now for the contest......

Here's your chance to win an amazing one of a kind Steampunk THE FRIDAY SOCIETY inspired necklace designed by Steampunk jewelry maker Lady Lilleigh.

It's really very simple, leave a comment on the author's website and she will choose the winner by April 13th.

And now a little bit about the prize:

Suspended from a 24 inch antiqued brass chain, this tribute piece to The Friday Society boasts elements inspired by the main characters: a 1 inch silver bullet for Cora; a black feather for Nellie; and brass 'throwing star' gears for Michiko. But the true appeal of this pendant is what brings it all together, three alluring ivory ladies on a small tarnished brass tone cameo. The cameo measures 0.75 inches long and the steel pendant base measures just under 1.5 inches in diameter.

Victoria Steam Exposition

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:45:00 +0000

Last year I travelled an entire day to Victoria and the same distance back home to Ottawa to be there for only two days to attend this event. It was worth every moment of being a sardine on Westjet!

This spectacular event is even bigger and better than last year, and if I had the means (or lived a LOT closer) I would most defnitely attend again.

Here are just some of the amazing people you'll meet:

Ann Vandermeer is a Hugo Award winning editor. Beside her many other notable activities, she has partnered with her husband, author Jeff VanderMeer, on The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals. She has also partnered with Jeff for such editing projects as the World Fantasy Award winning Leviathan series and the Hugo Finalist The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. Recent collaborations include The New Weird, Steampunk, and Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded.

Hugo and Nebula nominee Jeff Vandermeer is an author, editor and publisher. He is the author of many award winning and best selling works. Of note to attendees is his landmark The Steampunk Bible.

Kaja Foglio is an author best known for Hugo Award winning Girl Genius comic series, and co-author of Agatha H. and the Airship City, and Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess.

(I was lucky enough to meet her and the whole family last year - lovely people - we talked about bugs)

Abney Park keyboardist Kristina Erickson will be in attendance, as will band-founder and author Robert Brown, to promote his new novel Wrath of Fate, the backstory to many of Abney Park's lyrics.

AND featured artist....

Ian Finch-Field is a master leatherwork and steampunk artist whose work is sought by collectors around the world. His pieces have appeared in music videos and the book 1000 Steampunk Creations.

(I've know Ian for a number of years and was finally able to meet him in person last year - a sweet man and an amazing artist! )

This fabulous event is only 2 weeks away! Make sure to buy your tickets right away!

There is so much more to this event! For more information be sure to visit their website. HERE

Dr. Mooney's Mummy Unwrapping

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Missus Mooney is the fabulous creation of Seika Graves. She holds a degree in Social Anthropology and Archaeology as well as being a historian of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

She describes Missus Mooney as a character she created with "a dark and tenebrous" past who is outspoken and ahead of her time. She uses this character to teach about the darker side of Victorian history. The most amazing of her "lessons" is Missus Mooney's MUMMY UNWRAPPING.

Here is a description of the unwrapping from her website - "Dr. Eugenia Mooney will visit your event along with Bernard (Bob as he is affectionately known) the Mummy and my Museum of Cairo guard. She will show you what it was like to be invited to an event that swept the Victorian upper class and was all the rage. To host a mummy unwrapping was and IS truly a “one-up” one of a kind experience."

I myself have witnessed this event and it's not to be missed. It is beautifully done. You feel like you've been transported back in time. The mummy is exquisite, and Eugenia Mooney is even more so. You can find out more about the Mummy Unwrapping HERE You can also find out where to see this brilliant lesson on Victorian mummy unwrapping, as well as more about Missus Mooney and her other educational entertainments HERE

Review - Timeless by Gail Carriger

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:15:00 +0000

When I bought Soulless, the first story in The Parasol Protectorate series, I knew very little about the author and even less about the book. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend who said they thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well, since then, I have recommended Soulless and all the other books in this series to every female friend, and many male friends, of my acquaintance! This series has been one of my absolute favourites. It is witty and endearing, adventurous and outrageous!

Timeless has most definitely stayed the course and is a fitting and fabulous conclusion to this series. The story begins two years after the end of the previous book, Heartless. I do hate to give spoilers, so I'll simply say that many of the wonderful characters from all her previous books, and especially everyone from Heartless, have returned for this grand finale. Quite a few have much larger parts in this story, including Floote and Biffy. The secrets and surprises revealed are most delectable!

For anyone who has not read the series, I cannot express how very important, and incredibly fun, it is to begin at the very beginning with Soulless, and it will prevent much confusion as well.

If anyone is looking for a well written, witty and entertaining story, do yourself a favour and read The Parasol Protectorate series. As well, be sure to watch for Gail Carriger's two new series in this same world coming in 2013, The Finishing School and The Parasol Protectorate Abroad!