Wednesday 19 October 2011

SteamPunk Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret By Brian Selznick (2007) Published by Scholastic Press – ISBN 978-0-439-81378-5
A book, although set in the1930's has a air of wonder from the past, of a boy living off this wits in a railway station, you can almost smell the smoke from the steam engines, how he bumps in to a young girl who’s godfather runs a small toy kiosk. The boy's father – a watch maker, one day finds an old and abandoned automaton in a museum's attic and vows to fix it, and of memories that a father gives his son.
How motion pictures for the fist time brought people's dreams and imaginations to life. You will read of magicians long since forgotten, in this most delightful illustrated book.

Enjoyable for parents with young children (Coglings), and those of young at heart with a euphoria of innocence. With a cinematic style of its own. - Now made in to a Motion Picture.

Sunday 2 October 2011

SteamPunk Review: A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court (1889)


A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court (1889)
by Mark Twain and original Illustrator Dan Beard
Published in 2007 by Penguin Classics ISBN 9780141919928

A defining novel of a modern World, all be it the 1880's, and a fine example of what the 21st. Century's hopes to achieve with fictional alternate histories such as the Worlds that SteamPunk fiction resides in. The worlds of “what ifs” leading to a sideways take on past events, pushing ahead to new futures, not all of them turning out to be Utopias!

On a Literary note with Edgar Allen Poe being the Founder of Science Fiction (later to be nicknamed 'The sham technical' by other authors), I find that Mark Twain dipping his toe in to the domains of Scientific Romances, when his character (the Boss) imposes19th. Century's political, economic, and industrial might on the Old England of King Arthur's realm and his Knights, is by our definition SteamPunk without a doubt.

Has modernisation shockingly moved to fast for the 19th. Century's Mr. Twain, and who would oppose science in King Arthur's realm, you will just have to read and find out!