Steampunk Watch Movement Cuff Links

Now I'm gainfully employed once more I can wear my Steampunk cuff links again. I bought these years ago when Steampunk to me was simply a description used on eBay when the seller was offering broken watch parts.

Top 5 NLG Steampunk Articles 2011

Choosing my blog's Top 5 articles for 2011 wasn't easy. If I ranked them by pageview, recent articles would be at a disadvantage against those that have been published for some time.

In the end I decided to rank them by calculating the average monthly pageviews [(actual pageviews / days published) * 30 days]. As a last step I removed seasonal posts as with my formula they skewed the result. Seasonal posts are articles that might be very popular at the end of the year, but will probably be ignored during the rest of the year. The results in reverse order:

Top 10 Steampunk Web Articles 2011

Everybody seems to make best of the year lists, so I'm making my own. The rules are they must be related to Steampunk, and not have been linked to elsewhere on my blog. It doesn't matter when they were published, but I must have discovered them during the past 12 months. In reverse order:

Hugo (2011)

Synopsis
In 1930's Paris, an orphan lives hidden in a train station's walls. He takes care of the station's clocks, and tries to fix an automaton left to him by his late father. Based on Brian Selznick's New York Times best-seller "The Invention of Hugo Cabret".

The Three Musketeers (2011)

Synopsis
The three Musketeers go to Venice to steal Leonardo da Vinci's Airship blueprints, but are double crossed by Milady who gives the plans to the Duke of Buckingham. On their return to Paris they are disbanded by Cardinal Richelieu for their failure.

A year later a young D'Artagnan moves to Paris and befriends the three former Musketeers. They unite and attempt to stop Cardinal Richelieu's plans to engulf Europe in war and seize the French throne.

Doctor Fantastique's Kickstarter Campaign

A message from Doctor Fantastique:

So the Kickstarter for Doc F's is nearly halfway done, and we haven't even reached $1,000 yet. I'm starting to get a bit worried, so on suggestion of a friend of the magazine, I'm reposting here what you get when you donate:

Aurora (2011)

Synopsis
Emerson Marks is the captain of the airship Aurora. His wife has been kidnapped by ruthless slave traders, and he goes on a daring rescue together with his crew.

Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders

Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders is a Steampunk online magazine which has been published since August 2010. Recently they made a series of exciting announcements: They started offering downloadable and print issues of their magazine; formed and published two books on Amazon; and created Fantastique Gearworks, a Doctor Fantastique Books sub-label which will focus on LGBTQ Steampunk.

Steampunk Figurines: Musicians and Angels

I noticed an deep interest in figurines and art created from recycled material in the Steampunk world. This got me thinking that I already own one myself, the Steampunk Violinist shown above. Below are some photos I took at the stall from which I bought my violinist. Click to enlarge.

Steampunk Books

The Steampunk book genre is vast, it ranges from Historical Steampunk where the book is based in a real historical place and time, such as Victorian London, to Fantasy Steampunk where the action could take place anywhere, on another planet, a different dimension, or a fantasy world inhabited by fantastic creatures. The stories may include elements of the supernatural, time travel, or be based in a post apocalyptic future. Some people even include Victorian science fiction authors such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells in the Steampunk genre.

Today I'm sharing a few links to lists of the best Steampunk books with a synopsis for each of them. But first of all an article by Matthew Delman, Chief Editor of Steampunk magazine Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders - Steampunk for the Uninitiated.

Steampunk Themed Wallpapers

Today I'd like to share some sites that have awesome Steampunk themed wallpapers. The three wallpapers I posted here are my absolute favourites!

Steamboy Director's Cut (2004)

Synopsis
Ray Steam is a boy inventor who lives in Victorian Era England. His grandfather sends him a parcel containing a device called a Steam Ball, and instructions to keep it safe. The O’Hara Foundation sends two thugs to retrieve the Steam Ball, however Ray escapes with it, and the chase is on. Soon Ray is caught in a conflict between forces trying to gain control of the Steam Ball’s enormous power.