Author Crysta K. Coburn delves into TV’s past and maybe finds her steampunk root with this anachronistic television science fiction western. Continue reading The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., a Guest Review by Crysta K. Coburn
What Was Different? In this made-for-SyFy flick, the island is relocated to the Bermuda Triangle. Ships regularly disappear from this spot because of a rift in time that sucks in travelers. This allows them to include pirates and refugees from the American Civil War, but also some ladies from the present. Ever since the 1961 film, the trend with movie adaptations is to add some kind of creepy critter. In both the 1961 the 2005 versions, all of the animals on the island grew to huge proportions. In this one, there’s a giant octopus blocking their escape by sea. Plus, the island is overrun by … Continue reading The 2012 Movie “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island” Adds a Time-Traveling Twist to this Steam-era Classic
First off, I want to give some love to Jon Sullivan. He’s the mastermind behind the moody, fantastical covers I always feature on the reviews of this series. So, a tip of the hat to you, good sir. On the cover for Mark Hodder’s fifth installment of this alternative history series we see a huge metal man, and a small plaque that reads “Isambard Kingdom Brunel.” Like so many of Hodder’s characters, Brunel was a real and important figure in the actual Victorian era, but with a definite Steampunk twist. Due to an accident, Brunel had to build himself a body out of metal. Then, he gave … Continue reading The Return of the Discontinued Man (Burton & Swinburne 5) by Mark Hodder – Review
At the end of The Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon, our heroes, and in fact time itself, are left in rather dire straights. If you are reading them in the proper order, you would have been left with a sense of indelible loss as well as a dash of “What the heck can Hodder do to get out of this?!” The answer is: breaking all the rules. And it’s awesome! The Secret of Abdu el-Yezdi begins prior to the events of the Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, but in a different alternate version of the Victorian era. Sir Richard Francis Burton and Algernon … Continue reading The Secret of Abdu el Yezdi (Burton & Swinburne 4) by Mark Hodder – Review
Even though my copy of this book was brand new, it completely deteriorated during my reading. I don’t know if it was the extreme temperatures while passing through Wyoming, or just bad book binding, but it seemed extremely apt given what was happening in this installment of the Burton & Swinburne. (Read about Book 1 and Book 2) After years of waiting, Sir Richard Francis Burton’s fondest wish has been granted. Though the circumstances of his return to Africa are not quite what he expected, the expedition becomes a race to solve the very fabric of time. He must beat the Prussians to the fabled Mountains … Continue reading Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (Burton & Swinburne 3) by Mark Hodder – Review
When I first came across this author, I had recently moved to a small town. But I had high hopes for the public library because there are two colleges nearby. I went in mostly in search of classic science fiction to get me started on exploring the genre from its roots. But, as I combed the shelves Mark Hodder’s The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack jumped out at me. I had never heard of the author or Spring Heeled Jack, but calling it a “strange affair,” plus the font on the spine told me I was probably looking at the right time period. I have never … Continue reading The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Burton and Swinburne #1) by Mark Hodder Review
Getting all giddy and hysterical isn’t the sort of thing a gentleman will normally indulge in, however I’ve just watched the clip for the Sherlock Christmas special and to quote the time travelling Dr Samuel Beckett from Project Quantum Leap: … Continue reading Clip of Sherlock Special is released
Before we start, this isn’t an article documenting the historical time line of the creation of steampunk. I’ve been very careful with how I word the title. It’s a chronology of A steampunk universe, not THE steampunk universe. Yours could be very different.
I’m trying to work out where steampunk starts and ends. There are a variety of theories, so I figured I would put mine out there as well. Continue reading “Chronology of a steampunk universe”
This is the official video for the Starling Pocket Watches that I wrote about recently. You can read the article here: Pocket Watches Imagineered To recap, each watch incorporates Chillovean light technology that produces over 16 million colour combinations, meaning … Continue reading Starling Pocket watches video
I know it is cheesy, but I love magic shows. I remember snuggling under the covers in my parents’ big bed in order to watch them on TV when I was a kid, and I still get a kick out … Continue reading Review: Morgan and West Parlour Tricks at Ed Fringe 2014
