on May 7th, 20085 words
The Barley Hut has once again provided me with internet fodder to grind contentedly between my yellowing molars, in the form of a query of my link spam preferences. That is, which words, penned in blue and underlined, will cause my finger to click that magical LMB.
- writer tips
- steampunk
- Gaiman
- nano
- mental disorders*
‘nano’ is obviously related to my line of work, I enjoy finding out what other people make of it from the outside in. ‘writer tips’ is my desperation in times of dry-bone white paper, ’steampunk’ is a recent obsessive acquisition, though one I’d been casually interested in for quite some time. ‘Gaiman’ is obvious. ‘mental disorders’ may paint me as a sick voyeur of unfortunates, but in my defence I am truly fascinated in the ways our brain can be broken.
Wrote another short story yesterday, and actually, if Mr. Griffin reads this, there’s another one on the way directly influenced by him. I will, of course, be emailing it through for his blessing before unleashing it on the web, or on an unfortunate e-zine or magazine. It sure is nice to be writing again. And, more importantly, enjoying it.
—
*This could be just as easily replaced by ‘massive tits’ or ‘naked hot chick’, but c’mon man, that’s a given.
Have you ever seen this?: http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/inside/
Ann & Jeff Vandermeer recently published an anthology as well: http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2008/05/08/steampunk-get-your-fresh-brass-goggled-steampunk-antho-here/
I will also take this opportunity to promote a band: http://www.unextraordinarygentlemen.com/
The singer and I used to hang out before he moved to L.A.
I’m kind of wary of the whole thing, only because I think the term is getting applied a bit too liberally. It’s also dangerously close to becoming mere fetish w/o any kind of theory behind it. Admittedly, the Steampunk Mag folks seem pretty invested in that end of things.
But I dislike films like Brazil, City of Lost Children, or Dark City being called “steampunk” when the technology and style is more 1920-1960. I prefer the notion of “future-past,” which would include steampunk.
There is also the term “retro-futuristic,” which relates more to past speculations of the future re-appropriated in the present.
Yikes, the caffeine is making me chatty!