My Steampunk Melody T-Shirts!

Nicole Campos, from We Love Fine, a really neat online t-shirt seller, approached me with a very awesome and very cute design: a steampunk My Melody.  The lovely rabbit from Sanrio ditches her usual pink hood and replaces it with a super-funky aviator cap, complete with goggles and utility belt.  An awesome finishing touch features a hot-air balloon in the background, perhaps used by the bella bunny to travel the world with.

The t-shirt is designed by Liz Acosta, and is available in three different colours for mens, two colours in juniors.  They can be found here!

I’ve been told there may be more in the series.  I’ll keep you posted if anything else comes up.  Thanks, Nicole!

Anime and Steampunk

There is no greater contributor to my interest in Japanese Alternate History than my love for Anime.  Today is an excellent time to post this, since it helps explain my absence from the blog.  Guardian is going through some bumps in the editing process, and as such, I put it on the backburner for a different project; getting ready for an anime convention that starts tomorrow!  This weekend, I will be at Anime North, one of Canada’s largest anime conventions.

Oh, and it was my birthday this month, so I treated myself to some time off.

Anyway, I mentioned this because this month, I had become so keen on anime, manga, and light novels, that I had seriously re-thunk the approach that I took to my novel.  In all honesty, the plot, characterization, and writing style is comparable to Samurai Champloo, a widely popular, anachronistic anime about samurai in Edo Japan.  During NaNoWriMo, I had essentially marathoned this series as a means of inspiration for my writing, and should you get your hands on my manuscript, you would probably see the similarities.

Other than the historical element in Japanese media (period dramas being widely popular in 1960′s Japan), there are excellent series from anime and manga that have strong steampunk elements as well.  To name a few, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Last Exile, and Steamboy are my candidates for representatives of their genre in the medium.  However, while the aesthetic is there, the attitude and ethos is widely European in content.  Steamboy, in particular, takes place in Victorian England itself.  There is hardly any anime out there that pertains to an alternate history of Japan affected by technology.  The closest would probably be Samurai Seven, which is an adaptation of the period movie of the same name, but containing more futuristic Mecha, instead of more archaic mechanical walkers or steam-powered suits.

Thus, I’ve come to think harder about what I could possibly bring to this anime community that I wish to also bring to the steampunk community as well.  The anime and manga crowd have recently reveled in a developing literary trend towards Japanese light novels, a serialized form of novella that contains manga-style illlustrations.  Considering that I may find it difficult to expand the wordcount of Guardian, it could very well end up being a novella series with mangaka illustrations.  It would definitely be something to look into.  A Leviathan of sorts, except with spikey-haired protagonists and moe damsels in distress.

After all, if I modeled one of Guardian’s main characters (Hanako) after the Genki Girl archetype, it would seem natural for the project to evolve as such.  It seems more niche than this steampanku genre already is, but I can see the appeal in it for those who would be interested.  Oh well.  Something to think about while I put my finishing touches on my cosplay for this weekend.  Have a good one!

Learning From the Pros: Leviathan

Scott Westerfeld makes his Steampunk entry with the YA heavyweight, Leviathan.  Bestselling author of the Uglies novels, Scott creates a gripping alternate history based in Europe, shortly before the start of World War I.

The most notable history alternating that takes place in the novel is easily the differentiating the Central and Entente powers by way of their speculative technology.  The Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary are termed ‘Clankers,’ users of your typical steampunk war machines, such as mechanical walkers, spider-shaped tanks, and Zeppelins.  On the other side of the conflict, the ‘Darwinists’ represent the Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia.  The Darwinists are the result of Darwin’s biological research resulting in the discovery of not only evolution, but DNA as well.  The Biopunk ramifications of such a discovery leads to the bio-engineering of micro-organisms for wartime uses, particularly the titular Leviathan airship itself.

Plot-wise, alternate history is also evoked by setting the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at night, allowing the initial inciting event to take place the same night, allowing the setting increase the effect of tension.  Likewise, the existence of Archduke’s son, Aleksander, is completely fabricated, but by being an only child allows for the importance of royal inheritance to drive the conflict between Alek and the Clanker forces that pursue him.

The pacing is tense and frantic, but somehow manages to conjure a reasonably sizable word-count for a Young Adult novel.  How he manages to do this is through managing a multitude of scenes of intense pace, but spacing them in such a way that the main characters get only a brief time to react and deal with each tight situation before they are thrust into another.  Secondly, he employs a two-pronged plot, each revolving around the two main characters, runaway prince Alek and the Darwinist GI Jane-type protagonist, Deryn Sharp.

Their stories intertwine with each other, up to the point where their paths cross, and the story truly takes off from there.

Leviathan is a great example of a well-written novel from which I can draw certain methods and techniques for my own novel.  After a nice re-read of my own manuscript, I can already see a few glaring differences between my story and Westerfeld’s.  The first glaring comparison I made was in my word count and pacing.  As I’ve already mentioned, the author manages to squeeze out a reasonable length from a relatively fast-paced read by incorporating multiple plot threads, but fleshes each one out with the proper detail and pacing so that each side feels like an independent novella on their own.

Guardian has a whopping three plotlines, centered around the three protagonists.  However, the characters themselves overlap with each other and interact with each other more often that I seem to like.  Perhaps it’s due to the quick pacing that I gave to each plotline that they seemed to meet each other at every turn.  I think I will keep them more separated from each other, not only to assist with the development of the characters themselves, but also to build the tension that grows between each character whenever they meet and separate.

This will probably require the incorporation of more secondary characters, fleshing out their respective secondary antagonists further (they are all set up against a common enemy, but there are other obstacles that they should overcome first), and treating each line as its own story, weaving through each other with great importance, to the penultimate point where they are all united at once to make their stand against the common enemy, making for an increased climactic effect.

If I follow these guidelines, I’m sure to increase my anemic word count to something more  marketable to literary enthusiasts of the steampunk genre.

New Theme! New Banner! New Draft!

*beams*  A short post this week, but a sweet one!

Firstly, at 54,445 words, I finally finished the first draft of the first installment of my Steampanku Trilogy, Guardian.  I look forward to editing it and rewriting in January.  I’ve gotten a lot of people interested in what I have to show, so I will try my best to get it out there as soon as possible.

Secondly, I created a new banner for the site, since I have yet to make one up until now.  This was a bit of an oversight on my part, since I was quite busy with getting everything else on the blog organized.  Regarding the Banner itself, I created it in MS Paint, and it took me relatively little time to make.  Essentially, I took the Rising Sun flag, and drew a solid white line cutting off parts of the rays from the sun.  Next, I whited out part of the middle, so that the sun would look like a cog.  Finally, I put the title of the blog in the middle, using a font called Shogun’s Clan, designed by Chris Hansen.  The result?  Steampanku, at it’s finest.

Thirdly, due to the colour scheme of the banner, I have changed the wordpress theme to Neo-Sapien, which I feel compliments the banner amazingly well.  I hope you enjoy your stay in the newly upgraded Steampanku!

NaNoWriMo – Week 2

I won. I hit 50,011 on Friday evening, and up until now, I’m yet to add any words to that total. The story is still wrapping up, and will take a few more chapters to resolve the plot arc. Overall, I certainly enjoyed the experience; the best part of it all is that I have a workable project to edit and rewrite come December. And even though NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month) doesn’t come until March, I will try to take it upon myself to personally put in those 50 hours of editing, minimum. Besides, having written a novel in only 2 weeks, there are sure to be some aspects of the novel that will require rewriting or complete exclusion from the Novel.

On top of crossing the finish line, I have settled on a title for my novel.  The way the plot wraps up, it can certainly stand alone as its own novel, but it leaves the ending somewhat open, allowing for serialization via a trilogy or something else.  Considering the focus of the novel primarily on the three characters, I feel that having a novel’s title focus on each of the main characters is a good way to thematically tie them together through the trilogy.

Plans For The Future

I want to take it a bit easier this week, since I have to worry about JET applications.  Having finished this project well ahead of the due date, I certainly have the time available to finely tune this application so that I can maximize my chances of acceptance.  As for the novel itself, I will finish the rest of the book by the end of the week, and begin preparations for editing and second drafts.

The nice guy that I am, I will probably post the raw draft online on this blog.  There are a number of sections in it, so I’m not sure how I will split up the posts without spamming the entire blog with nothing but the novel.  I really want to talk about other things pertaining to Japanese Steampunk, and I don’t want those posts to get lost in a sea of nothing but Steampanku novel posts.  Perhaps I will put it up on fictionpress or something.  Not sure.

As for the editing process itself, I have downloaded ywriter and plan to use it for the editing process.  This software will allow me to flesh out all the details of the novel in an organizable format, and will allow me to make my content-based decisions from there.  For sure, there are continuity errors that I will remove, and entire chapters will be deleted.  It will be my first go at editing a novel, and it will be something I look forward to doing.

As I’ve said before, I don’t want to spoil the plot for everyone, but it would appear that while all the characters are involved in their own storylines, I would like to think that Hanako has been given the spotlight in terms of action and screen time.  In fact, she is the common thread between the other two characters, even though they themselves have interactions with each other that lead to important plot points.  This is the reason why I settled on naming the title based on Hanako’s specialty with guardians.

Closing Thoughts for Week 2

Considering that I’ve already won, I am quite convinced that this is the last time I will refer to NaNoWriMo.  From this point on, I will let the novel exist in its own right as an individual work in progress.  Either way, I’m glad to have experienced the rigors of novel writing.  I have an appreciation for the novel-writing profession and all the rewards and pitfalls that come with the lifestyle.

As an unemployed science graduate, I can see myself doing pursuing this profession in the meantime until the job market opens up for work opportunities.  Or at least until after I find out my fate regarding the JET programme.  Until next time, see you later!

Steampanku, Wordled!

As you can see from the widget that I put on the side, I’m already at 44k words for NaNoWriMo.  I’m on the home stretch of my novel, and it’s shaping up really nicely, for a first draft at least.  Amidst the continuity problems from the first few chapters of the story, as well as certain names that I’m considering changing, I was intrigued by the prospect of wordle-ing my novel.  Here’s what we have so far.

Pretty cool! I’ll see you on Monday! Hopefully, the novel will be done by then, and I can discuss where I can go from there, whether it be editing/rewriting and sending it out to an editor/agent/publisher/etc. There’s also the possibility of sharing draft with you guys to see what the general shape of the story is about!

NaNoWriMo – Week 1

I’m already at 30,000 words.  See the graph for yourself.  Even I’m amazed at the progress.  Check out the graph below:

Today’s the 9th, so the orange bar on the far right will be higher at the end of the day, but check it out!  I started off quite modestly, getting ahead of the daily word goal of 1,667.  However, with the story world and characters so vivid in my head, the plot just seemed to write itself for a good amount of the time.

In this time, I also had the wonderful benefit of being linked by Seventh Sanctum and Brass Goggles, just a handful of my favourite sites.  I send them both my deepest thanks, for they have encouraged me to really stick with a genre that just seems so interesting.

What I Have So Far

Plotwise, I really don’t want to spoil anything, since I anticipate that either I will put the raw draft version out on the blog, or edit it later and try to get it published.  Seriously, I absolutely love my characters and the world that they live in, even though it’s stock full of corruption!

What I will give you though, is a taste of the characters themselves, and the setting too!

Nagasaki – Instead of basing the story in the heart of Japan in the ‘new’ capital city of Edo, I decided to centralize the action in Nagasaki in Kyushu island, far isolated from the main world.  This gave me freedom to really make Nagasaki its own city, unique from whatever I may have in mind for Edo, which will be absolutely ridiculous when it gets introduced later in the series.

Yes, I said series, meaning that I have novel ideas for this universe beyond the novel that I’m currently writing about.  In the absolute BEST case scenario, that this book gets published with a multi-part deal, I have freedom to create a far-out Edo that will blow expectations out of the water after being exposed to Nagasaki.  In the worst-case scenario, I will turn this universe into a serial fiction on this blog, and I have an awesome Edo idea if and when the main characters travel there, for whatever plot reasons.  In either case, the readers win!  *does a little jig*

Here are a few maps of Nagasaki from the Edo period that I’ve been using for reference and inspiration:

Shown above are two maps that were created in the late 19th century using woodblock printing, the first maps of its kind in Japan, done in a European style.  Circled in red is Dejima, the center of the Rangaku movement.  It is major location of importance, since one of the main characters, Hanako, lives there!

Hanako is the character in my main cast that embodies the essence of what I loved about anime and manga: fighting spirit, limitless energy, naivety, hope, idealism, and the hot-blooded temperament that seems to get her into all sorts of trouble.  She’s the Japanese interpretation of Genius Girl, but instead is given the moniker of Tensai-Onna, which is my best literal translation of the term.

The best part about her?  She pilots a steampunked version of a gundam called a guardian.  Guardians in the Steampanku universe are mechanical constructs that are powered by steam, and are capable of surreal hand-to-hand combat.  In a world without space travel and infinite ammo (and automatic machine guns for that matter!), guardians are the prototypical version of Japanese Mecha, and Hanako is a master of building and piloting them.

She is hoping that her guardian, Sakura-2, will win the guardian games, an annual competition that pits the best minds and hands against each other, in a guardian-versus-guardian battle that has now replaced sumo as the national spectator sport!

Closing Thoughts For Week 1

At 30k, I’m quite confident that I will be able to finish this novel long before the due date, but I will be slowing down this week, due to my priorities set on finishing my application to the JET programme, a teaching exchange program that may potentially net me a gig working as an assistant language teacher at a high school or elementary school in Japan.  I really hope I get accepted, and I hope the experience will give me a more profound appreciation for the culture and its ins and outs.

See you in week 2!

Steampanku! The NaNoWriMo Project

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month.  It takes place during the month of November, and during this period, participants aim to write a (minimum) 50,000 novel from scratch.  The challenge is very much a literary marathon of sorts, and the community is constantly getting larger every year.

This year, I am participating in NaNoWriMo, and will be making a Steampanku story.  For the month of November, I will be discussing on this blog several things about my characters, settings, and plot devices.  As of this post, I already have 2,761 words, and look to go all the way.  I have a general synopsis planned out, and the world building and character development will be discussed through this blog.

Synopsis

Quoted from my NaNoWriMo novel profile:

“In Edo, there are two rulers of the land: the Shogunate, who watches over the country with a literal iron fist, and the Yakuza gangs who vie for control of the individual territories. But a rapid ‘ Industrial Revolution in Japan makes it the forefront of power in the Eastern World, but its way of life is threatened from within and without. The seedy underbelly of the cities take advantage of this boom for their own personal gain. Steam-powered mechsuits replace traditional sumo; difference engines are used as gambling machines; even prostitutes in brothels are threatened to be replaced by lifelike automata.

Follow the lives of Takeshi, a ronin who works as a hired thug for the mob: Yuki, a geisha, struggling to pay off her father’s debt: and Hanako, a young girl who expresses herself through her inventions. All stories are woven together by a single incident, and fate will bring them back together.

An exotic romance of 19th century Japan combined with the social idealism of steampunk, “Steampanku” is the author’s self-coined term for Japan’s counterpart to the hugely popular Victorian aesthetic: Far East style with the spirit of Wild West.”

For those who are participating in NaNoWriMo, I wish you the best of luck.  As for me, I look forward to sharing my progress (and potentially the lack thereof) with you all.

What is Steampanku? – Part II

In my previous post, I wrote about how it could be possible for a 19th century isolationist Japan to adopt steam technology and manifest its own industrial revolution akin to the Victorian societies presented in most steampunk literature.  This installment thus aims to explain the panku in steampanku.

The earliest works in the genre sought to send a message about sociopolitical issues.  Verne and Wells brought up topics of imperialism and technology, and their effects on both society and the environment.  Joshua Pfeiffer suggests that this aspect of the steampunk story, while much stronger at its roots, are starting to become lost with time, and perhaps with the growth of its popularity.

I tend agree with him, especially so with this concept of steampanku.  I myself admit that my interest in this genre hybrid was inspired by the works of James Ng, and not to bash on his work, as well as deviantart.  But it was what it was, merely art.  Merely an aesthetic.  I craved for the social commentary that was brought upon by the likes of Downer’s “The Last Concubine” and even to a lesser extent, Golden’s “Memoirs of a Geisha.”  If I wanted to write for this genre, I wanted write for the entirety of it, fitting both aspects of steam and panku.

If anything, the state of Japanese culture throughout history is unique in itself; throwing a literal monkey wrench into the equation can open people’s eyes regarding exactly how different Japan was from the rest of the world.

Expansionism versus Isolationism

While the Victorian works spoke out against British expansionism, Edo Japan was entirely isolationist, namely the complete opposite.  What strikes me as fascinating is that two polar opposites in national policy could lead to similar forms of corruption and amorality.  Such examples of this are the eradication of the growing Christian population in Japan, slavery and sex trade of foriegn women, and racism in general.

Individualism

One issue that may arise from the effects of isolationism is a sense of cultural homogeneity.  In a society that is structured on the family and the clan, the importance of the individual is secondary to the group.  In the context of steampunk, this notion may be challenged.  The concept of invention is tied to individuals, isolated minds.  The success of said individuals can have undertones of rebellion against the basic mores of Japanese society.  Alternatively, the concept of collectivism can be spun amorally by depicting a shogunate that completely enslaves its citizens in the wake of industrial revolution.

Classism

Between the omnipotent and omniresourceful emperor and shogunate of Edo society and the enthralled farmers of  the outskirts and underbellies of the metropolitan cities, there is a huge gap.  This gap can either widen or shrink with the introduction of steam technology.  It is up to the author to determine which outcome holds true and show why through the reaction of the story’s characters.  Otherwise the story would hardly be steam, but instead full of hot gas.

Sexism

Gender roles in society can be examined through the use of point of view of characters of differing sexes within the same environment.  Prominent females in 19th century Japanese society may include the wives and daughters of royalty, or even the concubines and geisha that service the patriarchs.  As a romance/coming of age novel, “The Last Concubine,” this issue was examined within the context of the Shogun’s harem and the politics between women that ensued.  In a steampunk context, the worth and value of a woman could be questioned through the introduction of machines that make their assets less useful.  Once again, think Memoirs of a Fully Automated Geisha.

Not Actually Punk?

The themes spoken above are just one of many topics that can be explored and examined in a literary sense in the writing process.  However, the term punk is one that is hotly debated.  For all intents and purposes, steampunk can just all be about Neo-victorian magical cosplay as a tor.com commenter sarcastically suggested.

But there is an idealism that is generally agreed upon by the community.  The sense of creativity, a do-it-yourself attitude that can turn ‘impossible’ to ‘implausible’ to ‘possible’.  That is essentially what speculative fiction is all about, harnessing that raw imagination and using it as a form of expression, communicating the deepest cores of our beliefs and passions.

This is what steampunk is about.  For me, this is what steampanku is about.

What is Steampanku? – Part I

Perhaps the most fascinating feature of Japanese culture is the ability to take an outside influence and amalgamate it with their own rich heritage to make a unique, yet ostensibly Japanese phenomenon.  This effect is seeded in its relatively isolationist beginnings and resulting opening up to the world after the arrival of Commodore Perry and his “Black Ships.”

It is particularly interesting that the arrival of Perry during the late Takugawa Shogunate (1853-1867) and the resulting Meiji Restoration that resulted from it (1868-1912) intersected nicely with the Victorian era (1837-1901).  This parallel between two contrasted histories that both experienced industrial revolutions during a reasonably overlapped period allows room for great discussion in the field of speculative fiction, namely Steampunk.

Perhaps the reason why Steampunk was primarily associated with Victoriana was due to the fact that science fiction in general was born in England by the pens of Verne and H.G. Wells.  The two fathers of SF postulated a future of machinery, invasionism and romantic voyage, while infusing the romanticism of their non-genre counterparts.  Meanwhile, in Japan, literature was shaped primarily by their own brands romanticism and classicism.

It would only take a century after Wells for Japanese Science Fiction to take form in its own uniquely Japanese aesthetic.  With the worldwide popularization of Gundam, Evangellion and others, the meccha was the foremost symbol of Japanese technological speculation.

But the problem in trying to associate meccha with steampunk is the technology involved in creating such beings.  Steampunk was speculative in the simplicity of the technology available at the time, whereas meccha was penned during an age where the Japanese were touted as technologically ahead of the rest of the world.  It was only natural for both genres to be essentially different.

But what if we reversed the roles?  What if we set the industrial revolution as originating in Japan, or more logically, reaching and taking off in Japan long before the Black Ships?  Realistically, this is a plausible train of thought, considering that the Japanese were not isolated in the most literal sense of the word.  Rangaku, or literally Western Learning, had its roots in Dejima, the sole foreign outpost in Japan during the isolated years of the Edo Period.

It was due to their connections with the Dutch that the Japanese learned of technology as it was being developed in Europe.  This means the Industrial revolution.  While idealistically traditional, the pursuit of technological advancement in Japan was strictly under the table, mainly against the wishes of the emperor and shogunate.  One notable example of this is Wadokei, or Japanese clockwork.

Wadokei, or Japanese Clock

One can imagine the possibilities of Japanese ingenuity and artistry when extrapolated to more grander designs.  In particular, note the artistry of Japanese automata, or Karakuri Ningyo:

Japanese Automata, or Karakuri Ningyo

If automata were originally constructed to serve tea, imagine the other functions that could be imagined and realized through speculative Japanese fiction.  Think Memoirs of a Fully Automated Geisha.

The steam in steampunk is fully applicable to Japanese speculative history when looked at through these avenues.  However, while similar to Victorian era technology, the punk aspect is the ultimate difference maker in the genre, one that would make Bafuku Steampunk stand on its own apart from Victorian, and perhaps my favourite aspect of the genre.  But that will have to wait until another day and another post.