The Steampunk Librarian

trap the year with your net-shooting gun and stow it away

The fabulous Dark Roasted Blend now has a constantly-updated page on steampunk. Huzzah!

 

I was poking around in search of others interested in both steampunk and transhumanism, and found the Traveler's Steampunk Blog had just posted about such things. Synchronicity at work! (Also note the entry on dieselpunk, which is another fave of mine. Where are the robots, I ask you?)

 

Good for dieselpunks, steampunks, and anyone of a mind to trap/annoy something/someone: instructions on making a net-shooting gun. I'm tempted.

 

Jess Nevins, a fellow librarian who is well-known in the neo-Victorian world, is posting a penny blood from 1876 titled "On the Queen's Service." Good stuff. 

 

And lastly, this is not steampunk at all but ties into the way we think of gender now and in the future: a fascinating article and accompanying slideshow on the Muxe of Mexico, who live in "a socially sanctioned netherworld between the two genders."

mechanics both old and new

Hey kids! Want to see a working model of the Antikythera Mechanism? Sure you do!

 

If you're still looking for some last-minute gift ideas, Villainess soaps look like an excellent idea for the Neo-Victorian in your life. If there is one, that is. If the recipient is more of a tinkerer, perhaps you could interest him or her in this Tesla car alarm. (The entire Tesla Down Under site is amazing, but also bandwidth-heavy, so go in with some warning.)

 

Swiped from Matt of Enter the Octopus: a weblog devoted to mustaches of the 19th century.

 

And finally, Danny pointed out to me that Oddee has done a whole entry on gorgeous libraries, and libraries are timeless. Go and be lost in wonder!

from the moon to dust

A gift for those people who have everything: Rocketship Tours will take them to the edge of space and back again. Alternatively, they could stay on land and enjoy their furniture made from actual aircraft.

Meanwhile, for the rest of us entrenched in reality, there are free films to watch online! Check out Der Luftkrieg der Zukunft (The Airship Destroyer), a silent German film from 1909 with dirigibles and more! (The entire Europa site is amazing and worth several hours of study.)

Steampunk and taxidermy have a weird symbiotic relationship that I don't truly understand. Something about gears and bones and transhumanism, I suppose. At any rate, this computer mouse by Daniel Pon combines both worlds in one click!

of things that fly and clank

If you're shopping for a steampunk this season, you might consider assembling a clockwork bird (or providing them with the blueprints so they can make it themselves!). Also, if you remember earlier posts about sci-fi travel posters, you might be interested in the new calendar which looks nothing short of awesome.

 

If you're thinking far beyond the holidays, however, there's now a handy steampunk's guide to the apocalypse. (It's a .pdf file, be warned. Hopefully the apocalypse will be Acrobat-friendly.)

 

Signs that steampunk may have gone an eensy bit too far: these Star Trek steampunkified wallpaper images and the recent birth of a Twitter steampunk group.

 

Signs that steampunk hasn't gone far enough yet: look, a steampunk brewery in Durham, North Carolina! Doesn't it make you crave one in your own town?

 

And finally, speaking of my own town, the Cincinnati steampunk corps are making an excursion to the Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson this weekend. All are welcome! You can even try to break away and look for aliens while there, but we will disavow all knowledge of you if you're caught.

cooking with steam

Catching up with some steampunk links sent in by others: J. Marsocci points to the awesome SteamGearLab (now with a new t-shirt design for the SteamPug! I think everyone should have a SteamPug), and Dan sends in this great article about steampunk and The Golden Compass. Thanks so much, everyone!

 

For the graphics geniuses amongst us: go forth and compete in the CG Society's steampunk contest, and win prizes for your efforts!

 

For the epicurians: Fuel for the Boiler: A Steampunk Cookbook. Need anything more be said?

 

For the tinkerers: a lovely assortment of rayguns.