Monthly Archives: December 2010

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Volume I

There was no way I was going to find a steampunk book that showed vampires more triumphant than in The Greyfriar. So, instead we’ll look at a post-vampire world and a team led by Mina (Harker) Murray, now freed from Dracula’s Svengali-like grip.

If all you know of Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is the film, you’re missing out. Mr. Moore has been a vocal critic of all of the films made from his graphic novels, and in this case it was more than justified. The film is a mess that even Sean Connery couldn’t save. The graphic novels are something else entirely.

This first volume has Mina assembling the group and leading them against an unnamed Chinese doctor (Fu Manchu except for trademark issues). The characters are flawed and the story is dark, with an array supporting characters and cameos from dozens of different novels. Even if you are not a fan of graphic novels, Moore’s works are well worth the read.

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Stuff You Didn’t Know About Victorian Women

Forget the stereotype of demur, corset-wearing, tea-drinking Victorian women. Women in the 19th century played many roles beside the quiet child raisers of far too many films. Here’s a glimpse of how some women spent their steampunk era lives, as scientists, criminals, activists, and even soldiers.

• Last month, the Guardian had an interesting story about the women’s forgotten role in science history: The Royal Society’s Lost Women Scientists.
• More recently, they had another bit about women in history, this time about the all-female 40 Elephants gang: Girl Gang’s Grip on London Underworld Revealed. (Thanks to Paul Jessup.)

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The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith

This week, we’ve seen vampires go from part of the British Empire (Soulless) to ruling the empire (Anno Dracula) and now to controlling the entire northern hemisphere. Yes, in The Greyfriar, the bloodsuckers have us humans on the run (in a steampunk future, no less), but it is not all bad. There is still the southern hemisphere and the Equatorian Empire, which is home to the heroine Princess Adele. Unfortunately for her and her empire, she is lost in vampire lands. Luckily, she has “the Greyfriar” at her side. Romance and adventure ensue.

Official description:

In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya.

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Christian Scientists, Puzzle Fans, and Nudists Discover Brown

It is always interesting to see steampunk mentioned in new areas and this week’s mix was more than eclectic.

• The Christian Science Monitor ran a piece called Steampunk: The New Goth. Nothing particularly new in the article, but it is nice to see the mainstream media notice our little (but growing) world.
• Check out the Washington Post crossword puzzle for Sunday, December 26. In particular, take a look at the clue for 18-across. Yes, we are being noticed. (Thanks to DL Thurston.)
• And just to prove that steampunk is not just about the clothes, we have the Florida Modeling Network hosting a ‘”Steampunk Theme” Photo Event’ in February at a clothing optional venue. It can’t be all about the corsets and waistcoats if there aren’t any.

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

I’ve decided to make this a whole week of steampunk vampire books. (I know I missed Monday, but feel free to look back at O. M. Grey’s Avalon Revisited from a few weeks ago and pretend it was on Monday.)

Today’s steampunk vampire book is a bit of an oldie, dating from back in 1992. Anno Dracula not only has vampires but also a host of other period characters, both real and fictional. Jack the ripper? Yes. Professor Moriarty? Sure. Drs. Jekyll, Moreau, and Fu Manchu? Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw? Yes and yes and there are plenty more. It’s like a 1800s Easter egg hunt!

But what about the story? Imagine a British empire with Dracula on the throne. Now throw in Jack the ripper killing vampire prostitutes and human and vampire having to work together to catch him. Good old fashioned adventure in a Victorian nightmare world. All this said, it could be argued (and no doubt has been) that this fits more into the gaslight fantasy category than steampunk proper. (Feel free to offer your thoughts on this below.)

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