I was exited to find out that Wired magazine did a write up on the book Steam Punk: The Beginning which featured several of my illustrations. I was even more exited when they actually said nice things about the book. Here's an excerpt from the article and a link to the original posting.
Steampunk: The Beginning
Steampunk fanatics know the names Blaylock, Jeter, and Powers. These three are widely considered the founding fathers of steampunk. (Yes, that statement is open to debate, but there are many solid arguments in their favor — Google it.)
There are three books that are widely considered fundamental steampunk texts — Homunculus by James Blaylock, Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter, and Anubis Gates by Tim Powers — and they’re all outstanding if you’ve never read them. (Infernal Devices is a particular favorite.)
Steampunk: The Beginning is an interesting book — it’s a collection of full-color artwork from a variety of artists that all focus on these three steampunk novels. Each novel is introduced with an essay from its respective author, and then follows a series of images that bring key scenes, characters, and plot points to life. For example, I’ve recently been re-reading some of Blaylock’s steampunk tales (including his newest release, The Aylesford Skull), and it’s quite interesting to see how different artists interpret certain parts of Homunculus. The same goes for Anubis and Infernal Devices — while the images rarely match what I had in my own mind’s eye for scenes and characters, it’s still fascinating to see how professional artists take a story’s elements and bring them to life. Some are comical, some are amazingly lifelike, and others are disturbing.
If you’re a fan of any or all of these proto-steampunk novels and their respective writers, you’ll enjoy reading the included essays by each author on their view of steampunk, then and now, followed by a short synopsis of each novel and then the artwork.
A Collection of Steampunk Reviews
There are three books that are widely considered fundamental steampunk texts — Homunculus by James Blaylock, Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter, and Anubis Gates by Tim Powers — and they’re all outstanding if you’ve never read them. (Infernal Devices is a particular favorite.)
Steampunk: The Beginning is an interesting book — it’s a collection of full-color artwork from a variety of artists that all focus on these three steampunk novels. Each novel is introduced with an essay from its respective author, and then follows a series of images that bring key scenes, characters, and plot points to life. For example, I’ve recently been re-reading some of Blaylock’s steampunk tales (including his newest release, The Aylesford Skull), and it’s quite interesting to see how different artists interpret certain parts of Homunculus. The same goes for Anubis and Infernal Devices — while the images rarely match what I had in my own mind’s eye for scenes and characters, it’s still fascinating to see how professional artists take a story’s elements and bring them to life. Some are comical, some are amazingly lifelike, and others are disturbing.
If you’re a fan of any or all of these proto-steampunk novels and their respective writers, you’ll enjoy reading the included essays by each author on their view of steampunk, then and now, followed by a short synopsis of each novel and then the artwork.
A Collection of Steampunk Reviews
