Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius

[marycatelli]

In which mad scientist rule the world -- badly.

Go and have fun.

(Being a mad scientist qualifies as a unique, freakish ability, not learning magic. 0:)

Comments

[jryson.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to figure out steampunk. Is this an example?

steampunk

[marycatelli]

Oh yeah.

Of course, the term "steampunk" has some issues. The first steampunk stories were cyberpunk with different tech -- but people fell in love with and ran with the tech. Which leads to bright, chirpy, optimistic -- punk. Try not to think about it.

The Foglios, I believe, prefer to call it "gaslight romance." Which does have the advantage of not inducing cognitive dissonance.

Re: steampunk

[jryson.livejournal.com]

So, why can't punk be bright, chirpy, and optimistic?

I didn't read all the comic because I'm on dial-up. I liked it, but it would take hours to load. It didn't look so romantic.

I was thinking of having a go at steampunk for NaNoWriMo. But I also want it to be mundane. No FTL, but I don't know if antigravity would disqualify it. Especially especially given the steam locomotives. Oh, yes, and space habitats out as far as the asteroids.

Re: steampunk

[marycatelli]

because "punk" means rather grungy at best?

Yeah, dial up would make it hard. Took me a while to wade through it on broadband. (If you're feeling flush, they do sell volumes, I believe.)

And "romance" in this is not romance novels but like the planetary romances or Ruritanian romances, or the chivalric romances that the word "romance" descends from: tales of Larger-Than-Life Characters having Adventures!