Coyote Con

Speakers: Heather Massey and Nathalie Gray
11 PM EST May 8, 2010

Recommended Reading Online: Free serialized steampunk adventure GIRL GENIUS:
http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/; http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2008/09/welcome-to-retro-future-of-steampunk.html; http://voyagesextraordinaires.blogspot.com/2008/08/history-of-steampunk-part-i-from.html; http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Steam_House

Book Recommendations: Mark Twain, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley, The 19th-Century Roots of Steampunk, George Mann’s The Affinity Bridge; China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station, Philip Reeve’s Larklight, Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, Nathalie Gray’s Full Steam Ahead; Dru Pagliassotti’s Clockwork Heart. Read the full transcript for more.

Publishers Seeking Steampunk Romance: Grand Central Publishing, Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Heather Osborne at Tor/Forge, Red Sage, Samhain, Lyrical Press, Drollerie Press

[MODJoely] 10:05 pm: Welcome to another Coyote Con panel.  Steam engines, top hats, and corsets, ahoy!  Let’s talk about Steampunk Romance!  Our speakers today are Nathalie Gray and Heather Massey.  I’m Joely, one of your moderators for the evening.  If you have any difficulties, feel free to PM either of us.

[MODJoely] 10:11 pm: Alright, folks, let’s get this show started!  Welcome to Steampunk Romance!

[MODJoely] 10:12 pm: Heather Massey is a blogger who travels the sea of stars searching for science fiction romance adventures aboard The Galaxy Express. Additionally, she pens a science fiction romance column for LoveLetter, Germany’s premier romance magazine.

[MODJoely] 10:13 pm: Nathalie, do you want to introduce yourself?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:13 pm: Absolutely. Let me beging with an interpretive dance… No?

[MODJoely] 10:14 pm: Laughs, that would be totally cool!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:14 pm: I write science fiction romance for several publishers, I also do covers as well. It’s all about the books, you see. Plus, I’ve travelled all over the world (ate my way through Europe and Africa, next on my list is Asia).

[Heather Massey] 10:15 pm: Nathalie writes high octane SFR, boo-yah!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:15 pm: My love of rivets, let me show you it.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:16 pm: Although I write about tech all the time, I still couldn’t get my speech bubble after 4 tries, eh.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:16 pm: But we’re heere to talk about steampunk, baby! So, Heather, where do you want to steer this fine ship?

[MODJoely] 10:17 pm: Heather, do you want me to lead with your questions you sent – or just fly off the top?

[Heather Massey] 10:17 pm: I thought we could start with the definition of steampunk. Baby.

[Heather Massey] 10:17 pm: Steampunk is generally defined as Victorian era science fiction and/or fantasy. It involves steam powered gadgets & inventions, but there are also stories featuring clockwork powered mechanisms. Sometimes authors integrate both into the stories.

[Heather Massey] 10:18 pm: Its basic recipe can be divided into a few core elements: Steam powered inventions Alternate history settings (mostly Victorian era England) SF/Fantasy/horror elements Inventions ahead of their time that capture the period aesthetic (e.g., analytical engines, airships, specialized goggles, etc.)

[Nathalie Gray] 10:18 pm: Lots of metal goodness and fantastical settings.

[Heather Massey] 10:18 pm: and brass goggles…

[Nathalie Gray] 10:18 pm: In other words: oooh, le shiny.

[Heather Massey] 10:18 pm: Major stylistic influences include classic works based on the 19th century scientific romances by authors such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley, and Mark Twain.

[Heather Massey] 10:19 pm: In Jess Nevins’ introduction to STEAMPUNK, an anthology edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, he points out that there is often conflation between the “Edisonade” type story (originating in the penny dreadfuls of yesteryear), and steampunk.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:19 pm: I LOVE the idea of armoured dirigibles. Even if flying these suckers would probably a b***h and a half. Oops, do we have language parameters in this here room?

[Heather Massey] 10:19 pm: Edisonade stories have a reputation for action/adventure and stylish trappings such as brass goggles, airships, and automatons. Steampunk stories can also include those elements. However, a core difference is that steampunk is “an argument with the science fiction of previous generations” (p.8, “The 19th-Century Roots of Steampunk.”).

[Nathalie Gray] 10:20 pm: Edisonnade. You know, before you mentioned it, I had never heard of it related to steampunk.

[Heather Massey] 10:20 pm: It’s obscure, yes, but it offers lots of potential for steampunk stories.

[Heather Massey] 10:20 pm: In other words, the steampunk stories of the 80s and 90s originated as a deviation from cyberpunk. Think: dystopian settings and Victorian technologies viewed through a film noir lens. Thematically, steampunk frequently explores the social effects of technology (such as the terror of living in a steam powered culture).

[Heather Massey] 10:21 pm: Okay, that’s the basics of steampunk.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:21 pm: Love dystopian settings. Broken government, rebellion, cool gadgets and clothing. What can I say? I’m shallow that way.

[Heather Massey] 10:22 pm: Speaking of settings…let’s talk settings and what readers can expect from steampunk romance.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:22 pm: I wonder where the schism happened with cyberpunk? I mean, when/how did they say, hey, we should make our own genre. Let’s call it steampunk.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:23 pm: Oooh, steampunk romance. Dude, nothing speaks to me more than fantastical machines and romance. The two are SO compatible, oui.

[Heather Massey] 10:24 pm: W.K. Jeter (I think I got the initials right) was writing cyberpunk and then he started writing steampunk. He actually coined the term “steampunk” in a letter to Locus Magazine in 1987.

[Heather Massey] 10:25 pm: I agree, very compatible and it’s about time authors started combining them, LOL! We readers have our needs.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:25 pm: Cool. Like the two words glommed together. And 1987, I was like, 16! I *remember* those years, man. *head desk*

[Nathalie Gray] 10:25 pm: I heard there’s one such steampunk romance coming from Samhain publishing. Something à la Wild Wild West, I heard, right?

[Heather Massey] 10:26 pm: Sheryl Nantus’ WILD CARDS AND IRON HORSES! Love steampunk and the Old West.

[Heather Massey] 10:26 pm: *switching to official mode* The most popular setting for steampunk is Victorian era/Edwardian era London, but the subgenre encompasses others as well. Many authors have created unique worlds or alternate dimension settings (e.g., China Mieville’s PERDIDO STREET STATION; while others take readers to the American Old West or even outer space (e.g., Philip Reeve’s LARKLIGHT).

[Nathalie Gray] 10:26 pm: Sheryl Nantus did Blaze of Glory! Super heroes and romance. Be still my heart.

[Heather Massey] 10:27 pm: I expect steampunk romance will follow this trend. For example, FULL STEAM AHEAD by Nathalie Gray and Dru Pagliassotti’s CLOCKWORK HEART both take place in alternate worlds that aren’t necessarily the past / future of anywhere on Earth. Katie MacAlister’s STEAMED occurs in an alternate history U.K.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:27 pm: Alternate history/Earth give a sense of familiar, but with that extra layer of adventure. Like The Lost World, almost. But steampunk.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:28 pm: It’s a mix of historical and fantasy, with science fiction cool. What’s not to like? And thanks for mentioning my Full Steam Ahead. I had a riot (the good kind) writing that one.

[Heather Massey] 10:29 pm: Exactly. Authors can really go anywhere, especially since they can combine SF and fantasy elements with steampunk. I’m very interested in reading steampunk romances that take place in not only the Old West but also space. Would love to read about ones involving more exotic locales such as India or Africa, too.

[Heather Massey] 10:29 pm: I really loved that Full Steam Ahead was like the steampunk Captain Harlock!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:29 pm: Oooh! Picture this: imperial China steampunk! Edo-era Japan steampunk. [Editor's Note: Tamara Sheehan's Stormy Bamboo]

[Heather Massey] 10:29 pm: OMG yes.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:29 pm: Captain Harlock (or Albator, as the French know him). You’re pushing on all my fangirl buttons, Heather!

[Heather Massey] 10:30 pm: And what about the ocean?! Bring on the steampunk submarines!!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:30 pm: Like Jules Verne did in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He rocked.

[Heather Massey] 10:31 pm: Captain Nemo from League of Extraordinary Gentlemen–awesome. Need more of him but in steampunk romance.

[Heather Massey] 10:32 pm: Speaking of steampunk romance heroes and heroines–there are so many cool ones to choose from. Airship captains or pirates. Sexy inventors—of either gender. Spies. Submarine captains. Investigators. Gunslingers. Really, the sky’s the limit as long as you can connect the characters to steam powered inventions and gadgets.

[Heather Massey] 10:33 pm: And since many of the stories can take place in alternate historical settings/time periods, I like to think readers can expect more progressive heroines than might be the case in more straightforward historicals. Lots of good stuff to play with here.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:34 pm: I love a good historical romance, but when the heroine’s spine seems to be made of Jell-O, that’s when I wish for more steampunk. Same historical goodness, sans the damsell in distress.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:35 pm: My damsels, they generally *cause* the distress.

[Heather Massey] 10:35 pm: LOL! Nathalie, I love your heroines because they are always strong–physically, mentally, emotionally. What was the inspiration behind your new steampunk romance FULL STEAM AHEAD? Any advice for authors interested in writing in this subgenre?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:37 pm: First, the book. Full Steam Ahead happens in a world where the continents have drowned, the oceans turned toxic and the cities are built on stilts a mile high. It’s nautical action and steampunk gadgetry. And some dreadlocked bikers-mixed-with-Viking villains.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:38 pm: Advice to folks interested in the genre: don’t take any, especially from the likes of me.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:38 pm: Except to write the story that pleases you. (that didn’t, technically, count as advice right?)

[Nathalie Gray] 10:39 pm: What’s a steampunk story you enjoyed lately? Wasn’t there one about a dirigible?

[Heather Massey] 10:39 pm: Well, you know worldbuilding, that’s for sure. I loved the level of detail in FSA. I was entertained *and* I learned things about ships ‘n’ stuff.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:39 pm: My 12 years in the military have made a mark… lol

[Nathalie Gray] 10:39 pm: It’s nice to recycle one’s skillz.

[Heather Massey] 10:40 pm: Oh, that would be George Mann’s The Affinity Bridge. Fantastic voyage, that book. I highly recommend it.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:40 pm: What’s it about?

[Heather Massey] 10:40 pm: It’s got steampunk gadgets and elements galore, has accessible science fictional elements, and even a thread of romance (very slight, though, more like a set up for future books.

[Heather Massey] 10:41 pm: If authors modeled steampunk romances on The Affinity Bridge, I would be a happy camper.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:41 pm: Like the title. What else is there coming soon?

[Heather Massey] 10:41 pm: Not that they’d all have to be like it, but the tone and action adventure elements hit the right spot, at least for this reader.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:42 pm: Action! Adventure!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:42 pm: Sorry, just love saying those words (and typing them)

[Heather Massey] 10:42 pm: Allow me to start with the current offerings:

[Nathalie Gray] 10:42 pm: Oooh, offerings!

[Heather Massey] 10:43 pm: Current steampunk romances include:
CLOCKWORK HEART – Dru Pagliassotti
MECHANICAL ROSE & FULL STEAM AHEAD – Nathalie Gray
STEAMED – Katie MacAlister
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN – Alan Moore
CRIMSON & STEAM (paranormal romance with steampunk elements) – Liz Maverick
Emma Holly’s Demon books
SOULLESS & CHANGELESS  (paranormal romance with steampunk elements) – Gail Carriger
NEW BLOOD – Gail Dayton (historical fantasy with steampunk elements)

[Heather Massey] 10:43 pm: And Angelia Sparrow, who is here (*waves*), has three out. Angelia, would you mind telling us the titles?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:43 pm: Those covers for Soulless and Changeless are AWESOME!

[AngeliaSparrow] 10:44 pm: “Cherry Tart” is in Ellora’s Cavemen, Flavors of Ecstacy III

[Heather Massey] 10:44 pm: Yeah, the art department did a great job. Loved the cover for Steamed, too.

[AngeliaSparrow] 10:44 pm: “Skyway Robbery” is in Circlet Press’ Like a Corset Undone

[Nathalie Gray] 10:45 pm: Angelia, oh my god! *fangirl moment*

[AngeliaSparrow] 10:45 pm: “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch” is in Howl at the Mistletoe. Available at literaryunderworld.com

[Heather Massey] 10:45 pm: Thank you so much!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:45 pm: LOVE that title, dude!

[AngeliaSparrow] 10:45 pm: Thanks Nathalie

[Heather Massey] 10:46 pm: Angelia and Nathalie (with her Mechanical Rose) were way ahead of the curve. I salute you, ladies!

[Heather Massey] 10:46 pm: Now for forthcoming titles:

[Heather Massey] 10:46 pm: WILD CARDS AND IRON HORSES (August 2010) – Sheryl Nantus
Zoe Archer’s THE BLADES OF THE ROSE: WARRIOR  (September 2010) (fantasy/paranormal with steampunk elements)
TANGLED IN TIME (December 2010) – Pauline Baird Jones
THE IRON DUKE (October 2010) – Meljean Brook
AS TIMELESS AS STONE (with brass automatons!) – Maeve Alpin (Spring 2010)

Samhain Publishing is currently in the process of selecting stories for its forthcoming steampunk romance anthology (Edited by Sasha Knight).

[Nathalie Gray] 10:46 pm: Thanks!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:47 pm: A brass automaton?! I wonder if he’s physiologically … erm … complete … ? Never mind.

[Heather Massey] 10:47 pm: Fully functional?! I hope so!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:48 pm: That last one by Samhain just closed for submissions. Let’s hope they received tons!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:48 pm: That’s what I meant. I was trying to be delicate…I fail at that most of the time.

[Heather Massey] 10:48 pm: I have a list of editors/publishers seeking steampunk romance: Grand Central Publishing
Carina Press (Laura Anne Gilman, Michael Banks, Rhonda Stapleton, Deborah Nemeth)
Ellora’s Cave
Heather Osborne at Tor/Forge
Red Sage
Samhain (Sasha Knight)
Lyrical Press

[Heather Massey] 10:49 pm: I wouldn’t have you be any other way, Nathalie!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:49 pm: You know, a lot of those publishers are considered smaller houses, and digital.

[Heather Massey] 10:49 pm: Joely, do you know if Drollerie Press would be open to submissions in this subgenre?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:50 pm: The risk takers, eh. Love them!

[Heather Massey] 10:50 pm: *I know*. My hat is off to them.

[MODJoely] 10:50 pm: Heather, Drollerie loves works that span genres and mix elements, so I’m sure they’d love to see steampunk. [Editor's note: Yes!]

[Heather Massey] 10:51 pm: Cool.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:51 pm: If there’s a genre that spans, it’s steampunk!    )

[Heather Massey] 10:51 pm: It pairs well with SF, fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, and probably more.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:52 pm: They all have the same roots, eh, speculative fiction. Or, as it used to be called: scientific romances.

[Heather Massey] 10:53 pm: Steampunk is pretty *and* deep.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:53 pm: *nods vigorously*

[Nathalie Gray] 10:53 pm: Is there some place online where we could get some free reads, I wonder?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:53 pm: You know a place, Heather?

[Heather Massey] 10:54 pm: Yes! Free serialized steampunk adventure GIRL GENIUS:
http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/

[Nathalie Gray] 10:54 pm: Ooooh! GIRL GENIUS. Love that title!!!!! (and let me show you my excitement with lots of !!11!1!)

[Nathalie Gray] 10:55 pm: It sounds very Tank Girl, but all sciency and steampunkish.

[Heather Massey] 10:55 pm: I haven’t seen any free steampunk romances yet–sounds like an opportunity for authors, wink, wink!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:56 pm: You know, that’d be a great idea. No one did it, as far as I know. Free stuff on an author’s web site helps sell the rest of the stuff. That’s what I heard.

[Nathalie Gray] 10:57 pm: Worked great for The One (a.k.a. Scalzi). Usueless trivia: I got to meet him and shook his hand last week during the Romantic Times convention in Columbus. The dude is *funny*.

[Heather Massey] 10:57 pm: Exactly. And you know I’d blog about them like there’s no tomorrow. I love my space opera SFR, but I’m really itching for steampunk romance right now. I know they’d have strong appeal for many romance readers.

[Heather Massey] 10:57 pm: How cool about meeting Scalzi!

[Nathalie Gray] 10:58 pm: Absolutely!

[Heather Massey] 10:58 pm: I could chat more, but should we open it up for questions / discussion now?

[Nathalie Gray] 10:58 pm: Yes!!!!! But first, to warm things up, let me dance like a monkey.

[MODJoely] 10:58 pm: Thank you so much Heather and Nathalie!

[MODEpikt] 10:58 pm: Indeed thanks.

[Oliver] 10:59 pm: Would you know off hand if any of the listed publishers are accepting M/M romance steampunk?

[Nathalie Gray] 11:00 pm: Samhain is *always* open to m/m stories, no matter the genre. Heard it from the executive editor last week.

[Heather Massey] 11:00 pm: Samhain and Carina are open to it as far as I know.

[Heather Massey] 11:00 pm: there you go!

[Heather Massey] 11:00 pm: What about Red Sage, Nathalie?

[Nathalie Gray] 11:01 pm: Yes, they are open, very much so, to m/m of any genres. They published two steampunk stories this year, actually.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:02 pm: Red Sage’s subs guidelines are here:
http://eredsage.com/store/Submission_Guidelines.html

[Heather Massey] 11:02 pm: They did?! Zoinks! What was the title of the other one?

[Jazzyartwriter2] 11:03 pm: Is the only requirement for steampunk that it be set in the steam era (late 19th century) and have steampowered inventions or creatures? If so, what about the addition of other creatures, like shapeshifters and perhaps some from druid mythology. I’m thinking of a young woman timetraveling and dealing with a normal area plus the above. Also with romance.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:04 pm: Steampunk is one of those boxes that look a certain shape from the outside, then you open it and BOOM. It’s vast and warm and shiny.

[Heather Massey] 11:04 pm: Good question, Jazzyartwriter2. You can go anywhere with steampunk. But one thing to consider is how crucial are the steampunk elements to the story?

[AngeliaSparrow] 11:05 pm: Two things: Oliver, Ellora’s Cave is dying for M/m and steampunk. Also, Sara M. Harvey’s steampunk novella LABYRINTH OF THE DEAD is up for pre-order at Apex. It’s as much of a romance as it can be, when one lover is a ghost.

[Heather Massey] 11:05 pm: If you can remove the steampunk elements and the story still works, then the book probably falls into another category (e.g., fantasy with steampunk elements).

[Nathalie Gray] 11:05 pm: Also, think of the industrial revolution, Jazz. That’s pretty much the root of the steampunk spirit. That’s when people started asking “what if” about their science and machines. Throw in mythology as much as you like. It sounds wonderful!

[Heather Massey] 11:06 pm: But how publishers label books and how readers perceive them are sometimes two different things.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:07 pm: HA! Can you spell SFR? LOL

[Heather Massey] 11:07 pm: Tell me about it!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:07 pm: (science fiction romance) Is it futuristic romance? Is it romantic science fiction? *head desk*

[Oliver] 11:08 pm: I know I can write a great M/M historical – but the tech stuff in steam punk is a little intimidating — especially for someone who has a computer I.Q> of a kumquat.  Any steam punk sites set up to teach the tech-impaired… errr…novice?  Thank you …  oh and thanks Angela! ***air kisses thrown your way!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:08 pm: Oliver, ask them. Email and ask them. They’re all very lovely. They’ll tell you exactly how / when and everything else. You might even get a name or something for the actual sub.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:09 pm: Oliver, dude, I write science fiction, steampunk and military romance. And you saw the extent of my tech abilities earlier with The Speech Bubble Incident. Go for it!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:09 pm: Love and rivets aren’t mutually exclusive!

[Heather Massey] 11:10 pm: Here are a few links to get you started with research:I did a week long feature at The Galaxy Express, starting here http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2008/09/welcome-to-retro-future-of-steampunk.html

If you look on the right hand column, there is a section labeled “Steampunk Week.” Lots of links.

A terrific overview of steampunk is at Voyages Extraordinaires. Here is the link to part one:

http://voyagesextraordinaires.blogspot.com/2008/08/history-of-steampunk-part-i-from.html

[Heather Massey] 11:10 pm: Brass Goggles is another great site: http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/

[Nathalie Gray] 11:10 pm: There is a LOT of good stuff there, for everyone. I remember when Heather ran that week of steampunk goodness.

[Heather Massey] 11:11 pm: Oliver, what’s great about steampunk is it’s adaptable. You can make stuff up!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:11 pm: But personally, I’d go back to the roots: industrial revolution, the advent of machines in everyday lives. Then add your own spices. Just like the first ones did (Wells, Verne, Shelley, etc).

[lin52] 11:11 pm: In Steampunk are you working toward some form of happy ending  of the romance?

[Nathalie Gray] 11:12 pm: Lin, if there’s romance in it, you have to have some form of happy forever and ever and evah, or happy for now.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:13 pm: Don’t do like me and kill off your hero without knowing that in a romance, it’s very bad form to kill one’s hero (and not bring him back as a vamp or something).

[Heather Massey] 11:13 pm: Lin52, if I’m understanding your question, right, in steampunk romance an HEA is expected. In traditional steampunk, there isn’t usually a romance, never mind a happy ending!

[lin52] 11:14 pm: I wasn’t clear about the difference

[Nathalie Gray] 11:15 pm: As Heather said, if it’s romance, there has to be *something* about the love being happily ever after or happy for now. But if it’s not a romance per se, then blow the fleet, baby! LOL

[lin52] 11:15 pm: Think I’ll bring him back as a ghost

[Nathalie Gray] 11:15 pm: I meant blow the fleet *up*. Gah, my French brain is trying to take over!

[lin52] 11:16 pm: I got all caught up in the dystopia thing. Thanks for straightening me out!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:17 pm: We all love a good dystopia, rebellion and broken government.

[Heather Massey] 11:17 pm: You could have a steampunk romance in a dystopian setting, as long as the romance is central.

[Heather Massey] 11:17 pm: I love dark steampunk romance and the lighter side as well–it’s all good.

[Jazzyartwriter2] 11:17 pm: Earlier someone mentioned clockworks as well as steam. Does that mean I could create a control gadget either powered by clockworks or steam?

[Nathalie Gray] 11:18 pm: As Heather said: it’s all good, and it’s all personal. Write the story that’s dancing on your brain.

[Heather Massey] 11:18 pm: Heck yeah! Read Jay Lake’s Mainspring for a good clockpunk novel.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:18 pm: Jazz! Yes, you can. And you should because I want to read about that.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:18 pm: Go forth and write.

[Heather Massey] 11:18 pm: Think clockwork automatons, yum!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:18 pm: *shivers* Sexy!

[AngeliaSparrow] 11:19 pm: Oliver, a great place to look is at patents of the era, or at experimental stuff. Victorians were great inventors. I used a travel bathtub in one story, that is essentially a giant hot water bottle where your head sticks out, an actual patented invention. Steampunk inventions look like they’ve been put together at home, most of the time.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:19 pm: Great idea!

[Heather Massey] 11:19 pm: Exactly, Angelia! DIY–steampunk style!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:20 pm: Put yourself in the mindset of the time where inventions began to take on more and more fantastical aspects. A giant water bottle, I mean, COOL!

[Heather Massey] 11:20 pm: Brass Goggles posts tons of pics of steampunk gadgets so it’s a great place for inspiration.

[sjcollins] 11:20 pm: @Nathalie Your “blow the fleet” faux pas totally gave me an idea. I’m blaming you…but in a good way.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:20 pm: Like those “retro futuristic” machines (“analog” computers, etc).

[Nathalie Gray] 11:21 pm: Blame me, baby! I want to read about some badass heroine blowing (up) the entire fleet! *snort*

[sjcollins] 11:21 pm: @Nathalie Thank you!

[Heather Massey] 11:21 pm: Steam powered rifles rock the house. Read S.M. Peters’ Whitechapel Gods (traditional steampunk) for example of said rifle.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:22 pm: Oooh, mine had coloured lenses for different times of the day and light. I could hear it in my head, the TSSH and the clack.

[Heather Massey] 11:22 pm: And George Mann has a “steampunk superhero” novel coming out in June, I believe. So that’s another way steampunk is being reinvented these days.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:23 pm: Steampunk is more than the sum of its parts.

[Jazzyartwriter2] 11:23 pm: This is great. While reading comments, questions and answers, I’ve worked out the plot/synopsis for my book.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:23 pm: Does it involve blowing and fleets? Inquiring minds want to know. *quirked eyebrow*

[Heather Massey] 11:23 pm: Remember the mulit-lens/multi-colored glasses Johnny Depp wore in Sleepy Hollow? So cool.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:24 pm: How can one forget *anything* Johnny Depp wore or used?!

[Heather Massey] 11:24 pm: That’s true!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:24 pm: I could totally see him in a steampunk movie. Something gritty and dirty and foggy.

[Jazzyartwriter2] 11:24 pm: Would 1871 be considered part of the steam engine era?

[Nathalie Gray] 11:25 pm: 734BC, 2344 E.V. You choose the time, the place and the metal. Steampunk is all those things and all those times. It doesn’t always have to be in Victorian England. Other nations had industrial revolutions!

[Heather Massey] 11:25 pm: Heck yes! George Mann’s Ghosts of Manhattan takes place post 1900. And you can create alternate histories/time periods. Without giving away spoilers, Katie MacAlister’s Steamed does that.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:26 pm: Exactly.

[Heather Massey] 11:26 pm: You could have a steampunk romance in space where for whatever reason our technology never progressed beyond steam powered technology. Airships running on aether in space–bring it on!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:27 pm: It’s like fantasy. The same latitude to place your story wherever you want. Don’t let the purists tell you yours 1921 story about mechanical elephants isn’t steampunk.

[AngeliaSparrow] 11:27 pm: 1871 is smack in the middle of the steam era. It’s post civil war, pre Old West, Pre Jack the Ripper. I say go for it. I wrote steampunk lesbians set about then.

[AngeliaSparrow] 11:27 pm: 1921 would be dieselpunk

[Nathalie Gray] 11:27 pm: I think I’m in love.

[Heather Massey] 11:27 pm: OMG mechanical elephants!!! I’m so there.

[Heather Massey] 11:28 pm: I would love to read some dieselpunk romance now that you mention it, Angelia!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:28 pm: The Steam House. It’s about a mechanical elephant that transports a house on its back.

[Heather Massey] 11:28 pm: And it can time travel.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:28 pm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Steam_House

[sjcollins] 11:29 pm: @Nathalie again, this is slightly offtopic but wanted to ask if I could possibly talk to you about your military background sometime?

[Heather Massey] 11:30 pm: Oh! I shall amend that too, wouldn’t it be cool if it could also time travel, LOL!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:30 pm: Plus, if the world/story parameters have water, thus is able to produce steam, it can be set in any time, continent or fantasy world.

[Nathalie Gray] 11:30 pm: Absolutely! I’ve had 12 years of bad hair cuts to prove it. Ask anything! My email is mail @ nathaliegray dot com

[sjcollins] 11:31 pm: @Nathalie Thank you kindly!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:31 pm: Aside from steampunk rocks and it’s about #$%^&* time it was brought into the light of mainstream love?

[Oliver] 11:32 pm: Thank you for a delightful evening – full of laughter, encouragement and excellent ideas!  I’ll be off to bed to dream of Airships and men, adrift in the midnight air, making love while victorian moonbeams danced acrossed their naked bodies… sigh…. good night you all!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:33 pm: I’d like to thank everyone for coming to play with us! That was a rocking time we had!

[Heather Massey] 11:33 pm: I do periodic posts about the status of steampunk romance at The Galaxy Express, just search for “Steampunk Romance Watch.” It’s been awesome being here. Thank you so much Joely and all the mods and Drollerie Press! Steampunk romance forever!

[MODJoely] 11:33 pm: A huge thank you to Nathalie and Heather for speaking to us tonight!  And thank you to Angelia and everyone else who came to talk about Steampunk Romance!

[AngeliaSparrow] 11:33 pm: Thank you for a great panel. I’m back to writing identical twins being used in a thought transference experiment

[sjcollins] 11:33 pm: @Nathalie and Heather Thanks for being such fun guests!

[Heather Massey] 11:34 pm: My pleasure, Sjcollins!

[MODEpikt] 11:34 pm: Yes, Thank you all for attending the Steampunk Romance session.

[Heather Massey] 11:34 pm: My pleasure, Sjcollins!

[Nathalie Gray] 11:34 pm: It was our pleasure. I’ll go dream of hot men and hot air balloons now. Thanks for having me Drollerie Press! Bonsoir. *kisses*

[lin52] 11:35 pm: Thanks Heather and Nathalie for putting up with a beginner’s question!

[Heather Massey] 11:35 pm: Good night, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!