Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend and present at a steampunk festival in beautiful Port Townsend, Washington. Not only was this my first exclusively steampunk event, it was also my first time presenting for an audience that was primarily made up of fans rather than writers. It was a fun change of gears (no pun intended) and I really enjoyed connecting with some devote steampunkers! After spending most of Friday familiarizing myself with the town and getting settled in, I started off the event on Saturday morning with a new presentation I’d prepared specifically for the festival called An Introduction to Steampunk. In it, I shared a little of the historical and literary roots of the genre, mixing information on the Victorian Era with the works of authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and finished up with a brief look at the philosophy and appeal of steampunk. It was especially great to have some audience members who were totally new to the genre, and I was happy to give them a basic vocabulary for the rest of the festival.
After my lecture, I went to the Bazaar of the Bizarre, a wonderfully eclectic offering of jewelry, costumes, elixirs, books, board games, and undefinable knick-knacks, all lovingly crafted by friendly artisans and local merchants. I also took some time to enjoy the elaborate costumes and sidewalk entertainers that added both visual and musical flavor to the entire event.
Soon, it was time for me to participate in a panel of steampunk authors, and I enjoyed meeting and talking shop with a few of my peers. After this, my family and I went in search of a local restaurant, and found a wonderfully nostalgic soda fountain for burgers and fries. While the Brass Screw offered a variety of concerts and stage shows that I’m sure were terrific, I decided to spend the evening relaxing with my family and preparing for the festival’s third and final day. Sunday was a busy day for me. First, I attended a panel discussing research methods for writers of both fiction and nonfiction. After that, I gave my own presentation called Steampunk for the Casual Fan, where I used an engaging slide show of artwork and book/movie/game recommendations to demonstrate that you don’t need to wear a top hat to enjoy steampunk. My last presentation was a reading from The Beast Hunter, after which I listened to another author read a Sherlock-Holmsian short story of a clockwork detective and his faithful mechanic.
This event was a lot of fun for me. I got to dress up, sold some books, and had a lot of laughs with many newfound friends and fans. I look forward to attending more genre-specific events in the future, and certainly plan on the Brass Screw being one of them.
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