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GATEHOUSE GAZETTE ISSUE 12 MAY 2010 ISSN 1879-5676 GATEHOUSE GAZETTE #12 MAY 2010 CONTENTS The Gatehouse Gazette is an online magazine in publication since July 2008, dedicated to the sp eculative fiction genres of steampunk and dieselpunk. OP-EDS The Steampunk Fandom 5 By CHRIS GARCIA A Steampunk Party 6 By RAFAEL FABRE FEATURES Steam Canon 7-8 By JACQUELINE CHRISTI Steampunk—an utopian expression? 9-10 By Dr DAMON MOLINARIUS The Assault on Industry 14 -18 By NICK OTTENS German militarism 25-27 By MARCUS RAUCHFUß “Steampunks are smart as a REVIEWS group and they will take a Alice in Wonderland 11 By HILDE HEYVAERT political stand because they see problems with today's The Dream of Perpetual Motion 12 By MARCUS RAUCHFUß world.” —SIR ROBERT, THE STEAMPUNK FORUM , APRIL 18 Alice i n Wonderland for DS 13 By HILDE HEYVAERT COLUMNS The Steampunk Wardrobe 1 9 By HILDE HEYVAERT Contents illustration by ophelias-overdose.deviantart.com. FICTION ©2010 Gatehouse Gazette . All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in Prometheus 20 a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, r ecording or By KEVIN GEISELMAN otherwise, without the prior permission of the Gatehouse Gazette . Published every two months by The Gatehouse . 21-24 Contact the editor at [email protected]. The Fearless By ANDREW BENNETT 2 WWW.OTTENS.CO.UK/GATEHOUSE GATEHOUSE GAZETTE #12 MAY 2010 EDITORIAL By Nick Ottens WELCOME BACK, DEAR READER! IN ANTICIPATION OF Much has been said on the “punk” in “steampunk”. the Great Steampunk Debate, the launch of which We are of the persuasion that regards the syllable as should coincide with our release, this issue of the little more than an accidental leftover from more Gatehouse Gazette is dedicated to steampunk ideology. rebellious times, though, if understood as referring to Our last edition, themed “Victorientalism”, sparked Christi’s “unbridled passion” and fierce devotion to self- quite some discussion on matters of race and politics expression, it turns into something that even we can which demonstrated the difficulty that steampunk wholeheartedly embrace. enthusiasts still face in rhyming their reminiscences What follows logically, I believe, is that steampunk about the past with the realities of the nineteenth is brazenly individualistic. In spite of meet-ups and century. The problem reaches beyond the colonial events and the spectacular online dynamic organized by experience and may include issues varying from sexism steampunk enthusiasts all around the world, each is a and class struggle to industrialism and person or a character of their own making, wearing entrepreneurship. How steampunk decides to cope with their own costumes, writing their own stories, building these questions will significantly determine its future their own websites and making their own contraptions. mindset and mainstream appeal. That’s why I’m glad Indeed, there is quite some resentment toward those that part of the Great Steampunk Debate will be “jumping on the bandwagon” because steampunk concerned with these, and related, topics. happens to be “cool” right now. As Christi put it, one This magazine has always devoted itself to casting a thing all genre enthusiasts definitely share is a rejection critical eye on the burgeoning steampunk subculture, or of convention. “movement” as some prefer. We are skeptical of Dr Damon Molinarius suggests that we might have attempts to define steampunk too narrowly, both in something in common with utopianism in this regard. terms of aesthetics but even more so in terms of politics. As steampunks, we like to create worlds of our own in Steampunk was not created in protest. It was never which different rules apply. In this sense, we combine intended to have much of an ideological character. That criticism with creativity, according to Molinarius, is not to say that there is no place for ideology in “disrupting familiar concepts and practices.” Like steampunk whatsoever. But it is important to utopia, steampunk is critical in a constructive manner, remember where we come from. The roots of “acting as a mirror to the contemporaneous world, and steampunk are literary, not political. revealing the familiar to be strange.” Both steampunk If we nonetheless allow ourselves some leniency, it and utopia suggest that commonplace, universally is possible to identify something of a shared mentality accepted “truths” might actually be little more than between steampunks. Jacqueline Christi writes an conventions which can readily be changed. intelligent commentary on steampunk ideology later in So, let us start changing things. Wear your top hat this issue and notes that, within the soul of every person for a night’s out to the cinemas! Combine that fancy pair involved in the steampunk community, there is found of goggles with your regular outfit! Grow a mustache; an “unbridled passion” to live one’s dreams smoke a pipe; write to your local paper to complain unrestrained by the reigns of common convention. “This about that peculiar new-fashioned invention called the indomitable heart,” she believes, “lays the foundations “iPhone”; or delve into your workshop to make the of the core principles that steampunk stands for.” machine a better one, of course. The future is ours! • The Gatehouse Gazette unveils a fresh, updated look with this issue. Like it? Hate it? Let us know! Write to [email protected] for letters to the editor or inquires about contributing. Letters may be edited for purposes of space and clarity. 3 WWW.OTTENS.CO.UK/GATEHOUSE GATEHOUSE GAZETTE #12 MAY 2010 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I’M WRITING TO EXPRESS MY MANY THANKS FOR ANOTHER I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE deep disappointment at the most fabulous Gatehouse Gazette . I sheer volume of bad press your recent, “Victorientalism” issue of waited a little while until the periodical received with your the Gatehouse Gazette . The entire Victorientalism debate died down. eleventh issue on “Victoriental” issue is fraught with problems and If ever there was a controversial steampunk. As far as I’m aware the unpleasantnesses. Orientalism is a topic, you certainly hit upon it. issue hoped to address the really problematic thing, tied up British colonial efforts spread nineteenth century Western with colonialism, economic and around the world, and it had a perception of the Far East. The use chattel slavery, and many other major impact on the Far East, of the term “Orientalism” crimes. To say “steampunk allows there’s no doubt there. There is a traditionally refers to scholars and us to reject the chains of reality and romantic notion to helping to the like who had a keen interest in all the racism and guilt associated spread the Empire’s influence and the region throughout the Victorian with it” is to assume your audience meeting the unknown or little- period, well on through to the is white and Western, and to make understood face to face. Oriental Second World War. One can only the claim that we can forget about culture was so different, and we in therefore presume that the use of all that when it’s inconvenient. the West have a terrible habit of the term “Victorientalism” was a This issue only worsens the ridiculing what we do not direct association to the Victorian stereotype that steampunk is just a understand. I get the feeling that period and reinforcing that the hobby for clueless white kids who some people who raged against this views, incorrect as they are to the neither know nor care about issue thought that racist post-modern pallet of our history. It’s frankly embarrassing to stereotypes like Ming the Merciless, contemporary ways, were held by see unexamined use of the word or Charlie Chan, or the Yellow Peril Victorians. One is tempted to tell “Oriental,” as though everywhere propaganda issued by the Allies the most vocal of your recent critics east of the Mediterranean were the during World War II were being to “take two pills of Man-The- same place, and flinch-inducing use discussed. I believe I understand Deuce-Up and not call me in the of “Negro.” That’s not to say we the intent of the issue: to try to morning.” can’t be interested in steampunk recreate the feeling of a part of the The whole debacle, indeed, and Central and East Asia, or that fictional past that was adventurous, seems to stem from the disuse of we shouldn’t talk about historical romantic and dangerous. Wasn’t the term “Oriental” in the United views about non-white people. But that the idea behind most States where “Asian” is considered doing it from what feels like a adventure movies? acceptable to lump a whole gamut Western European, colonialist As you noted, we need to reject of cultures across the continent, point of view is an extremely poor the chains of reality, and all the whereas in the United Kingdom and choice. racism and guilt associated with it. Europe, where the majority of your Why not talk about Korean Yet, there are those who are eager writers hail from, “Oriental” is dragon boats, the fact that Ottoman to be offended. I think some considered the better term over Turkey discovered steam power readers may be touchy given the “Asian.” well before the West, or discuss current state of relations with the I fail to see what all the fuss is fashions in their real world Islamic world. I hope the discussion about. The notion that the staff of context? When we do talk about will continue, in a civilized fashion, the Gazette are somehow bigoted Orientalism, why not remember of course, in this fine magazine and or racist, as some of your detractors that there are people reading who on the website.