Studio Gonzo’s 2003 anime series Last Exile (written and directed by Koichi Chigira) is one of the few examples of Dieselpunk in popular culture. Dieselpunk is Steampunk’s lesser-known cousin, a genre that embraces the technologies and styles of the 1920’s through 1940’s. It’s also one of those rare instances of an anime which serves as […]
I have a confession to make: Steampunk has been my gateway drug to a wider world of literature. It has gotten me interested in the classics, starting with sci-fi pioneers like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Recently as I was browsing in Bookmans (an Arizona retail chain specializing in used books) I came across […]
When I bought my Kindle nearly 10 years ago (I much prefer the old school version) the very first e-book I downloaded was Herman Melville’s celebrated novel, Moby-Dick. Why? I remembered a character in a Kurt Vonnegut story remarking that his life’s regret was never having read that book. Discovering the legendary tome to be […]
Author Jon del Arroz is a newcomer to the steampunk scene. On 11/28/2017 I reviewed his first novel in the genre, “For Steam and Country”, which was published that same year. The sequel, “Blood of Giants” features the further adventures of teenage adventurer Zaira von Monocole. Whereas the first book was an enjoyable YA adventure, […]
The great Philip José Farmer was the master of grand concepts – story ideas based with unique original settings, such as Riverworld, which features a strange physical afterlife into which all the humans who ever lived are reincarnated. One of his lesser-known works is a blending of historical and far future concepts: his 1971 novel […]
The interesting and tumultuous year of 2018 has finally come to an end. It was a challenging year for Arlys and me, but we got through it. During the year we posted 118 articles here at Steampunk Desperado, over half of them being reviews of books, movies or TV shows. We also began our YouTube […]
For many years, scholars regarded Kipling as one of the great writers in the English-language canon. Political correctness has damaged his reputation, due to post-modernist interpretations of his novels and poetry as an apologia for British Imperialism. Being familiar with leftist over-sensitivity, I had my doubts. After reading his 1901 young-adult novel Kim, I’ve concluded […]
A year ago at this time, I noted that 2017 was a weird year and 2018 would be even weirder. I was right, wasn’t I? It was a challenging year here at the Desperado household, but we have persevered. I predict that 2019 will provide us a respite from some of the craziness, at least […]
I don’t know how it happened, but Madeleine Holly-Rosing’s “Boston Metaphysical Society” escaped my notice until quite recently. It began in 2013 as a series of graphic novels. Her recent prose adaptation, “Boston Metaphysical Society: Storm of Secrets”, was published just this year. The story takes place in an alternate history in which powerful families […]
When Facebook starts nagging you to make another post, it’s a sure sign that you’ve been neglecting your social media obligations. I recently discovered an excellent steampunk site called “Airship Ambassador” and decided I need to work harder at getting cross-links from other blogs. First, however, we needed a new look. My first task was […]
