My Intriguing Steampunk World

Weekend at the Asylum; Europe’s Biggest Steampunk Festival

2011-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I was detained , doing my best to relieve a Chinese bandit warlord of a particularly intriguing white jade and platinum magic sword. His minions were not amused. So a stand in attended this superlative event in my place. A good -looking cove by all accounts but not a patch on the original of course!

This is my scribe, Raven Dane's account of the event...

Weekend at the Asylum; Europe’s Biggest Steampunk Festival

September 15, 2011

I’m in full withdrawal mode, still captivated and bewitched by the magic of a weekend in the company of steampunks at the Weekend at the Asylum, Lincoln, UK. The event was named as a Convivial…a perfect description and organised by two extraordinary people. ..Lady Elsie and Thadeus Tinker and their hardworking team of stalwart volunteers.
As you enter the doors to the main hall, a big sign says ‘Steampunks , Be Splendid!’ And they are truly splendid in every meaning of the word. Never have I enjoyed the company of such a generous-spirited, warm, friendly group of people…utterly bonkers in the best possible way. Their all inclusive ethos meant a hospitable welcome to people of all ages, ethnicity and gender choices. It was a full-on celebration of the individuality, creativity and basic decency of human beings. The underlying theme was fun…warm-hearted, jolly good fun with the echoes of fair play and chivalry of an earlier age. Where else would you get hard fought, though gentlemanly duels of biscuit dunking!
A packed but not ungainly program of diverse events was spread across the attractive Lincoln Castle site, the Lawns main building, the castle dungeons and grounds. The Bazaar Eclectica in the dungeons held a glittering, seductive treasure trove of must have steampunk and gothic items such as beautiful jewellery, fascinating devices and glamorous clothes…I avoided it like the plague, being so broke!
But it didn’t matter if you didn’t wear Victorian garb or come festooned with wondrous mechanisms that flashed and whirred in their clockwork and steampowered magnificence. Everyone was treated with such friendliness. But I bet those in civvies left planning their look for the next event.
As a guest author, I actually had an entourage …the hard working and lovely team of Michele and Andrew Brenton from my publishers Endaxi Press. We also invited two of my friends Darren Demondaz and Hayley Exhayle to play my characters Cyrus Darian and his exquisite Lady during the book’s official launch. As beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside, professional goth models, Hayley and Darren were wonderful, helping us all through the weekend. A pair of gothically black diamonds!
Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron was duly launched in a happy celebration of bubbly, sausage rolls and an invasion of wonderfully attired sky pirates! Led by Emilia Etherheart aka Eve Weaver of Addiction Designs, their wicked kidnap of the Lady was foiled by a ransom of a bottle of champagne.
It felt daunting when I saw our Endaxi table placed inbetween established steampunk stalwarts, the marvelous Robert Rankin and Pax Britannia author Jonathan Green. Also nearby was another well known steampunk author , Toby Frost.Though best known as a dark fantasy author, I am a newbie to the world of steampunk fiction…I hope Cyrus Darian will be as warmly welcomed by this wonderful community as I was at this stupendous event.
Also enjoying the celebration were my good friends , talented author and ever glam Sam Stone , another enthusiastic convert to all things steampunk along with her daughter Linzi. Sam’s partner, David J Howe of Telos Publishing , was in good spirits , presenting his first works of fiction for many years, a collection of his own short stories and scripts called ‘Talespinning.’
Those of us of a certain age were awestruck at the presence of one of their childhood heroes as guest of honour….no less than Wilf Lunn himself, the man who entertained us on telly with his wierd , wonderful and working contraptions long before the term ‘steampunk’ was dreamt up. He was delightful, I am cherishing his signed prints of eccentric mechanisms.
Other guests of honour were the excellent Robert Rankin and Frazier Hines, actor, author and thoroughly entertaining speaker.
On Saturday night, we danced the night away at the Empire Ball, though more energetic Convivial members went to pogo away to live bands at the other evening event. Among the performers at the Ball was Robert Rankin’s delightful and talented wife, Rachel who is a world champion steel drums player. Who knew Lady Gaga’s music could sound so good played on a steel drum?
One enduring memory of the evening was of four fine gentlemen dancing, the floor to themselves, resplendant in their Victorian finery, top hats and canes, lost in the energy of Teenage Kicks. It summed up the whole eccentric, joyous , creative ethos behind steampunk. Well done, sirs, you were indeed splendid!
Sunday passed by in a happy blur, with more wine and sausage rolls at the launch of Hateful Heart, the latest in Sam Stone’s superb Vampire Gene series. Sam enthralled us with a reading from her new book. David proved he was no slouch in the writing department by reading extracts from his rivetting new collection.
Then with a bitter-sweet atmosphere of celebration of the fun we all had and mourning it was all over, the event reluctantly finished with prize givings and a speech by Thadeus Tinker. He said there were many symptoms of Asylum-itis..including an aching of the face muscles from so much smiling and laughter. An overwhelming need to plan the next Asylum even before this was one was over.
I have definitely caught a bad case of Asylum-itis… I am already counting the days until the next one! And my face did ache from an overdose of smiling.
Steampunks…..you are all truly splendid and in the crass modern vernacular…you rock !!!

The first review of my book on Amazon.

2011-09-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

A highly intelligent and observant gentleman has kindly posted a review about my exploits on Amazon.co.uk. Whatever that is. My only experience with Amazons was a frightful bore, a group of bare -breasted harridans seemingly immune to my charms. Their loss. I digress. My scribe has insisted I post the review here and for once I will defer to her judgement.

'I hate demons, faeries, mages, necromancers, the works! Hate 'em. It's lazy fiction as far as I'm concerned. Fantasy is an emotional desert to me, irrespective of whether your fantasy happens in the ruins of Minas Tyrith or along a Steampunk Embankment circa 1862. I-just-can't-be-bothered.

Until, of course, I decided to read this book by Raven Dane.

The one paragraph pitch: Cyrus Darian desires to find the ultimate source of occult and actual power: the Technomicron. He enlists a rag tag group accomplices including the most brilliant inventor of his age, a half human shape shifter and his on/off squeeze, Belial the Prince of Hell! Their quest is constantly threatened and thwarted by an unholy legion of varied, imaginative and well-realised foes.

Raven's character Cyrus is about as far from a sympathetic character as is possible to get. This philandering, nonchalant, kleptomaniac, ghost-conjurer lives possessed by L'esprit de l'escalier - in short, he will always have the last word and usually at everyone else's expense. You'll love him.

The writing is taut and efficient something of an unexpected bonus (I really did have a low opinion of fantasy writers!). The plotting is both in the great tradition of thrillers and affords us a generous number of witty asides that keeps the entire business of reading a treat.

Remember that? A book that is actual fun to read?

Raven displays her vast knowledge of thing occult, spiritual, ancient religion and demonic as well as technological, physical and biochemical without creating a confusing mish-mash that puts the reader off. Her feel for the pretentions of the mid-industrial age is spot on whenever she names a mechanism devised by Hardwicke, the inventor and it sounds just like the advertised inventions of the day.

Steam punk has a new fan and it's all Raven Dane's fault, blame her.

I thoroughly recommend this wonderful novel to you. It took me a total of 46 hours to read.'

My adventures in print at last!

2011-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Patient followers of my journal, I have some good news. My scribe's account of one of many adventures is finally available as a paperback book . An ebook version will follow shortly. Raven Dane is a guest author at the 2011 Asylum Steampunk festival and the grand launch of the book Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron will beheld on the Saturday 10th September at 1.30.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyrus-Darian-Technomicron-Raven-Dane/dp/1907375198/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1

A short example from Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron

2011-04-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

London 1874

Cyrus Darian; hedonist, philanderer, alchemist, necromancer and now possibly near immortal adventurer stifled a yawn of boredom and did not vary his pace. Using mirrored side lenses, he could see furtive assassins behind him. What a disappointment, three ordinary rogues with appalling tailors, hardly worthwhile adversaries to a man who faced down a re-animated Berserker horde single-handed, armed only with a swordstick and a glass of cognac.

He wasn’t sure yet about the last part of his curriculum vitae. The purple-lensed, brass rimmed spectacles he wore were not an affectation but a necessity. The venomous ‘love bite’ by the succubus had left his eyes changed, no longer a piercing but normal blue, but curious ever-swirling hues of violet and silver. The lenses gave the outside world the illusion of his normality. He also recovered more swiftly from injury and had not appeared to age since the vicious attack ten years before. He looked and felt twenty-five and maybe always would. This did not alarm him. Cyrus was vain, as elegant, handsome and as highly-strung as a fine bred racehorse. He enjoyed his lean good looks, the thought of them surviving the cruel passage of time delighted him, that those around him would age and die was of no lasting concern.

Greenish yellow fug from the Ephesysium Gas Works blended with vapour rising from the River Thames to weave through the narrow streets in a foul miasma. Most passersby hurried home, the fog burnt throats and made eyes stream and it stank of rotting flesh. In such situations many still favoured wearing cumbersome contraptions, Dr Mirabillis’ Patent Respiratory Facilitators, to help them breathe. The whirring cogs and flashing valves were flim flams, the devices were bogus as was their inventor, Dr Mirabillis aka Ernie Snudge. Yet another of a growing number of Darian’s enemies after he exposed the devices as fraudulent.

The fug also brought flocks of breeth rising from the sewers, their fragile spirit forms strengthened by the gas. Darian was unbothered by the supernatural vermin; he wore the Talisman of Greel around his neck, a trinket worth losing two stalwart companions to acquire from a haunted monastery in the Ukraine.

He glanced again for signs of his pursuers, they were still there behind him and closing in, seeming immune to the stinking fog. This did not surprise Darian, these men were no doubt born and raised in the riverside slums of Lambeth where rats and breeth were everyday companions and the fog never seemed to clear whatever the weather.

Darian had no intention of leading the men to his destination, not out of any gallantry, he suspected that she could deal with them better then he could. No, he wanted the fun of despatching them for himself.

A sneak preview of the cover for the book of my adventures

2011-04-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

A message from Cyrus Darian about Asylum 2011

2011-03-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

My esteemed and most patient scribe has informed me that she is to be a guest at the gathering of most esteemed steampunk enthusiasts at the Asylum in Lincoln this September between the 9^th and the 11^th…

She will be introducing the accounts of my latest misadventures entitled Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron.

I shall endeavour to attend in person; such a gathering of like-minded adventurers and decorous lady explorers is not to be missed.

Unfortunately, my presence will depend on Hardwick perfecting his Patented SafetyChronos Trancscender in time.

Forever your servant,

Cyrus Darian

Preview of Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron

2011-03-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

One reader's view of Cyrus Darian's first adventure

This is an extremely good example of steampunk. An impressively imagined pseudo Victorian world of airships, clockwork men, brass goggles, steam hansoms, and deadly polluting gasworks. This is the type of steampunk that embraces the dark magical world of powerful ancient artefacts, ethereal creatures, and demonic conjuring. There are wonderful contrasts of location, from dreamlike emporiums to the bustling streets of London. Darian is perfect as the main character, with a mixed heritage, shifting ethics, and a wealth of skill and experience. The writing must be praised here, for it is luxuriously elegant, the rich descriptions conveying even the sense of smell

My Intriguing Steampunk World

2011-03-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Mayfair , 1874.

Greetings , Ladies, Gentlemen or otherwise.

My name is Cyrus Darian , I am not a gentleman. I am an alchemist, hedonist, adventurer, necromancer, philanderer and compulsive liar. I have also been a murderer and utter cad and no doubt will continue to do so in the future. My Persian heritage makes me an despised outsider in English high society despite my great wealth and that suits me well.
As does my advantage over normal men...I was bitten by a Succubus and survived the ordeal- unlike my adversary. But her venom entered my blood stream and changed me forever. My eyes are now swirling maelstroms of lilac and silver fire so I am forced to wear spectacles of dark tinted glass. I also have not aged since the incident. That I will not grow old as all around me age and die is of no great concern.
My world is different to yours. London in 1874 is a seething , overcrowded city choking on the toxic fumes of its industry. A fool dabbling in the occult has let loose minor demons from Hell to prey on the capital's hapless subjects, be they duke or doxie.
I gather together many like-minded souls to join me in my mis-adventures. Some even survive.
My present team consists of Sir Miles Hardwick, impoverished artistocrat and inventor..a flawed genius.
I also have a shapeshifter, an American industrialist and his amazonian daughter.
The most important member of my team is Belial. Yes...the High Prince of Hell himself in weakened human form. He is uttterly devoted to me which gives my many enemies pause for thought.

I will continue to give insights into my world....I hope you will find them of some interest.
A fuller version will appear in the book about one of my escapades;
Cyrus Darian and the Technomocron
This will be published in 2011 by Endaxi Press

My Intriguing Steampunk World

Weekend at the Asylum; Europe’s Biggest Steampunk Festival

This is my scribe, Raven Dane's account of the event...

Weekend at the Asylum; Europe’s Biggest Steampunk Festival

The first review of my book on Amazon.

My adventures in print at last!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyrus-​Darian-Technomicron-Raven-Dane​/dp/1907375198/ref=pd_rhf_p_im​g_1

A short example from Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron

A sneak preview of the cover for the book of my adventures

A message from Cyrus Darian about Asylum 2011

Preview of Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron

One reader's view of Cyrus Darian's first adventure

My Intriguing Steampunk World

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyrus-Darian-Technomicron-Raven-Dane/dp/1907375198/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1