February Preview: Steampunk Romance and Erotica

My apologies for a nearly month-long silence. I vowed I wouldn't get behind on grading this term, and so far I'm succeeding. I'm still busy with other steampunk-related projects, but I've wanted to devote a month to Steampunk Romance and Erotica since I first read Gail Carriger's Soulless. I'll begin by shamelessly plugging Parliament and Wake, one of the most innovative steampunk photo sites on the web. James and Kate, the lovely couple behind P & W, consented to my use of their image as photographed by Lex Machina for the header this month. I hope to say more about P & W when I have more time, but let it suffice to say that in a sea of people taking photos in steampunk outfits, P & W sticks out, both with its pinup content and narrative elements. James and Kate go beyond just standing in front of old buildings with rayguns made from candlesticks. They tell tales: some sexy, some macabre, others fey, but always interesting.

My plans are always bigger than I can make happen, and while I wanted to look at the entire Steampunk Trilogy this month, I'll likely be focusing solely on "Walt and Emily." I'll take a look at Gail Carriger's Soulless again, revisiting it beyond review to ruminate on the elements of Austenian comedy she brings to the first two books in the Parasol Protectorate series. I'm going to review some erotica as well, including Ora Le Brocq's Steampunk Erotica and a few selections from Circlet press: Peter Tupper's The Innocent's Progress and Lionel Bramble's 1901: A Steam Odyssey. I'd like to get the chance to talk corsets, burlesque, and Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge! We may even bring up that steampunk chestnut, Katie MacAlister's Steamed as well. Let's see what the month holds. It is a short one, after all, and who knows how much work I'll actually get done if I'm reading these after the kids have gone to bed...

To get started, check out my original review of Gail Carriger's Soulless, and my thoughts on Nathalie Gray's Full Steam Ahead by Nathalie Gray.

All apologies to Ricky Pai for using his image of model Yaya Han in this post without consent, but I couldn't find a contact address, but really loved the model shot.
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Comments

  1. C.J. ArcherFebruary 2, 2011 at 7:21 PM

    A whole month dedicated to steampunk romance!! Yay and thank you, it's an exciting sub-genre. I enjoyed Soulless and Nathalie Gray's book too and I thought your reviews were spot on. Another one getting talked about a lot is The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooke.

    I'll be coming back here often during the month to find out what else you're discussing.

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  2. Mighty Fast PigFebruary 3, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    Thanks for the mention of "Innocent's Progress." I look forward to your review. If you have any questions, please let me know.

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  3. Trevor SchmidtFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:12 AM

    The model in the pic is gorgeous. The Steampunk outfit only adds to that.

    -Trevor Schmidt
    http://thesteamreview.blogspot.com/

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  4. AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    Yaya is the model and maker of the outfit. Outland Armour made her fan.
    http://yayahan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102&Itemid=142

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  5. Mike PerschonMarch 7, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    Thanks for the info, Spookyelric!

    ReplyDelete

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