Steamcon II--A Brass-Hued Memory

The past is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. After three days of corsets and bustles, jeans and sneakers felt pretty good when I boarded the plane that would return me to the year 2010. 


Still, those three days in Seattle attending Steamcon II were a magical respite from the annoying realities of modern life. I am still basking in the brassed-hued afterglow. 


So much entertainment was available--over 200 hours, in fact--that it was hard to choose among the many offerings. An interview with Jake Von Slatt, of the Steampunk Workshop, whose modding artistry I have mentioned in an earlier post, was one of the best.


He described the emotional impetus that led him to create his first Victorian computer, which he calls an intersection of romance and technology. (I got the chance to tell him that his creation changed my life--that I was a dedicated Steampunk from the moment I saw it.) 

The musical highlight of the weekend, for this chrononaut, was catching a set by Unwoman in the Sepiachord Cabaret. Unwoman, who is also know as Erica Mulkey, is a talented cellist with a hypnotic, otherworldly voice and a flair for dramatic songwriting.  


She is based in San Francisco and, in addition to her solo work, frequently performs with Steampunk staples like Vernian Process and Abney Park. My first exposure to her ethereal music was at last year's Steamcon.


Another musical highlight for me at this year's Steamcon was the discovery of Bakelite '78.  They opened for Abney Park at the Saturday night "Outlaw Night Concert." Their mix of jazz, blues, early rock n' roll, and American folk left me wanting more. Robert J. Rial is their frontman. He started out in Chicago, but now calls Seattle home. To learn more, check out the Bakelite '78 Myspace page. (Their name derives from the early form of plastic called Bakelite, used to press the original 78 rpm records.)

The 2,000 attendees at Steamcon literally outdid themselves this year on their convention attire. The phenomenal creativity on display made simple people-watching as entertaining as anything the many talented writers, artists, and historians could offer in their panels. 

Examining Castle's mechanical arm.

I don't intend any slight to the vast array of talented presenters, but the artistry displayed by the attendees alone was well worth the modest admission fee for the weekend. 


Mechanical wings and arms were a favorite this year. I even got to see the mechanical arm worn by Nathan Fillion in the the Steampunk episode of Castle. Its creator was offering his wares for sale in the vendors room. The gentleman in question had the privilege of  appearing as an extra in that episode. He said the filming of the scenes at the steampunk club, which probably occupied less than ten minutes of airtime, took sixteen hours to film.

A young miss whose wings fluttered gracefully.

A very attractive zeppelin crew

The brightest moment of the weekend for this dog-loving steampunk enthusiast had to be meeting M.U.T. His owner said his name was an acronym  for Mechanical Universal Tracker. His little spoon ears flapped and his recorded voice barked and panted as he rolled down the halls of the convention center posing for countless eager lenses.

Check out an ever-growing number of photos on Flickr 

Steamcon III is less than a year away. I will miss the Old West theme, though, as 2011 will focus on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and be held October 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. I can't wait though. How often does a girl get an opportunity to dress in a ruffled ball gown?

Preparing for Steamcon...or where is my steamer trunk when I need it?

So much to do!

Steamcon II is just two weeks from tomorrow. Yikes, time to start packing. And packing for a Steampunk convention is a no small undertaking. Still, the cares and labors, not to mention the excess baggage fees, will all be worth it, of that much I am certain.


Your author will be appearing on the program this year. Last year, I was but a humble neophyte and dazzled rubber-necker, nearly overwhelmed by the the sights and sounds of this delightful and innovative subculture that has enchanted me from the first moment I beheld a picture of a Jake Von Slatt steampunked computer.

I don't remember where I saw it.  It must have been featured on Boingboing, but I have since become a regular visitor to Mr. Von Slatt's amazing website, The Steampunk Workshop. He will be a guest of honor at the forthcoming Steamcon, along with numerous other artists, makers and modders.  I will have the privilege of moderating a panel entitled, "Everyday Steampunk" with artists Shawn Gaston and Anthony Jon Hicks.


I am glad to be the moderator because I have many more questions than answers and am relying on my fellow panelists to expound on the Steampunk philosphy of living.  How are people bringing it into their everyday lives and what can Steampunk culture teach mainstream culture? I spoke to this topic briefly in an early post on this site called "Living Steampunk,"  in which I shared a picture of my beloved Steampunk house near Boulder, Colorado.

Kevin Steil, aka Airship Ambassador

I will be interviewed by Kevin Steil, whose website and blog, The Airship Ambassador is a fabulous resource for anyone wanting up-to-date information on all things Steampunk.


Kevin will be busy that weekend interviewing a vast array of authors and artists, united in their love of Steampunk. Cherie Priest, Gail Carriger, Paul Guinan, Mike Pershon, Caitlin Kittredge, and many, many more.


In addition to speaking on Everyday Steampunk, I have also been asked to hold forth on "Becoming a Writer," (a topic I still wish I knew something about) and "Researching the Victorian Era," (an activity I have spent countless hours engaged in over the last two decades, but about which I still wish I knew more).


The presentation I am most excited about will be--regular followers of this blog can already guess this--sharing my obsession with Absinthe:  Its history, its mystique, its ritual, not to mention all the artists and poets inspired by it. Which leads me back to my original topic:  How to pack for a Steampunk adventure?

My first challenge is packing the absinthe fountain.  It is huge and weights nearly a ton.  Okay, I am exaggerating, but it is breakable and awkward to pack.


Of course, I own a smaller absinthe fountain (what self-respecting absinthteur doesn't own more than one?) and though it is lighter and easier to find a space for, it is much more breakable and not nearly as pretty.  And pretty is IMPORTANT. I would even hazard to say, pretty is crucial to the world of Steampunk aesthetic.

At least the absinthe spoons are easy to pack.  I plan to give them away as door prizes along with free copies of The Second Glass of Absinthe.


Not to suggest that The Second Glass of Absinthe is a Steampunk novel (though I would be proud to bestow that designation). I like to think of my two most recent Victorian West novels as Steampunk-adjacent. Both Second Glass  and Séance in Sepia are mystery novels set in Victorian-era America and both deal with the world of the Victorian occult.  The supernatural is hinted at in both books but makes itself known in ways too subtle for either novel to jump the aisles between mystery and fantasy.


Alas, I am reaching the end of this post and have not yet begun to address the crucial topic of fashion.  Stay tuned...